Seat Belt rewebbing

[SteveH]

I sent my '78 driver's side OEM FJ40 seat belt to Safety Restore in Westfield, MA. They advertise on eBay and the web that they will replace the webbing and clean/lube/repair the unit for $75 or so. I found a discount code on the web that covered the amount of the return shipping and then some, so my total bill was around $73. Seat Belt Repair & Airbag Reset - Safety Restore

They claim they will transfer the seat belt ID tag from the old belt to the new, but in my case, they did not. In any case, the belt retractor is smooth and silent and locks up as it should. They cleaned the plastic housing and every part. A worthy job by any estimation. See before and after photos. They rebuilt and shipped the unit back the same day they received it, so I'm impressed with the speed and service.

This service is not for the concours-restoration level trucks, but it also wasn't $300. I just wanted my OEM seat belts to be safe and nice-looking, and work smoothly, and all that was done for what I feel was a low price.

 

[1969FJ]

ID is very important for purists. That is all.

 

[ToyotaMatt]

The Stitching in your last photo looks Good , They even made the X pattern

they also melted the end cut with a Hot Iron to prevent fraying

providing the retracter end of things is in good working order sounds like a good value


did u test it yet ?

how would u test it exactly


The Tags topic is open for Debate ,

what was the condition of your Tag prior to sending out for the repair ?

if ratty then maybe they could not re-sew it back on

if it was bright white still , paper material was still soft and the TEq logo shined bright I would have a Issue ..........


just my :

 

[dmaddox]

For the price? Looks fantastic. Mine are beat up, frayed and looks like they’ve been through six tours in Iraq.

Did they return the ID tag or offer explanation as to why no transfer of it yet they advertise it? Just curious.

If I’m looking at a near perfect cruiser, I don’t think a seatbelt ID tag is going to upset me.

Good find, thank you for posting the results!

 

[SteveH]

My tag was tattered, I'm sure, but I will ping them on the 'tag issue' as I have a pair of '79 seat belts that need this same love and have decent tags.

As for testing, this seat belt has the type of retractor that locks when you pull the belt quickly (as if in an accident), and that part works well. I can tell that they cleaned the guts, and that the belt locks up as it should under a quick pull. I suspect it also may lock if there's a fore/aft force on the belt reel (as if you hit an object). I'll try to test that, too, with a helper.

 

[cruiserboy14]

I just lube mine and pressure wash the strap... 2.95 for WD40 (if you don’t already have a million cans) lol

 

[dmaddox]

If only pressure washing and a fabric rattle can is all I needed.

 

[SteveH]

Response from Safety Restore:

Hey Steven!


If we are able to salvage the original tag(s), we do stitch them back on, as long as they're not the heat-pressed tags which are not transferable. You can include a note attached to these other belts stating, "PLEASE RESTITCH THE TAGS ONTO THE NEW BELTS." That way our webbing specialist will ensure to put them back on. This is something we normally do nonetheless, not sure why it was missed on your belts.



Thanks!

 

[PabloCruise]

The tag on the webbing? On my 55 belts they had a DOM on them, not sure if that would run afoul of a refurb...

 

[Rigger]

Looks great!

 

[NW40]

@SteveH About to send my 78 FJ40 belts to SafetyRestore after seeing your photos here. Looks like they did a great job on yours. What color did you specify? I can't tell if they re-webbed yours with black or dark gray. My seatbelts are so faded that I can't tell what color they originally were!

 

[dmaddox]

I just had this done, black webbing and they do restitch the tags however Dr Frankenstein could have sewn the tags on better. Otherwise perfect!

 

[NW40]

Haha, good to hear, @dmaddox. I suppose I can remove the tags if they do a terrible job. Thanks for the input! Dropping in the mail today.

 

[JDNs78FJ40]

I just had this done, black webbing and they do restitch the tags however Dr Frankenstein could have sewn the tags on better. Otherwise perfect!

What kind of turn around time did you get? I'm reluctant to send mine back out. Had a little bit of a mishap with Sharon's web and let's just say I'm just happy to have mine back. @tstepp920

 

[tstepp920]

@SteveH About to send my 78 FJ40 belts to SafetyRestore after seeing your photos here. Looks like they did a great job on yours. What color did you specify? I can't tell if they re-webbed yours with black or dark gray. My seatbelts are so faded that I can't tell what color they originally were!

Please post up photos. Are you have the receivers restored or just the retractable belts?

 

[tstepp920]

What kind of turn around time did you get? I'm reluctant to send mine back out. Had a little bit of a mishap with Sharon's web and let's just say I'm just happy to have mine back. @tstepp920

I got mine back from Sharon's Web 3-4 days after you received yours

 

[Cruiser804]

Used Safety Restore for my belts in my 80. Did a great job working with me matching color. They offer a 48 hour turn around and will rebuild retractors.

 

[SteveH]

I specified black, which is correct for a '78 FJ40. A couple years later, they still operate quietly and quickly and feel like new seatbelts. Zero complaints here!

 

[cbmontgo]

Very cool. I need to do this on my ‘76.

 

[NW40]

@SteveH Did you also send in the buckle receiver for cleaning? Or just the belt side of the assembly?