The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Interiors Seat belt addition

Has anyone put a 3rd seat belt in the middle with an original bench seat?

I did on mine. I just measured it so that the belt spacing was even, and left enought space between the mounting points for the reinforcing plates.

I have three seat belts in my '51. No reason I see that you can't.

I've got three mounted in mine. I was told to drill as few holes as possible, so I used the middle holes for the inner and middle seatbelts.

[img]http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/2/web/542000-542999/542531_101_full.jpg[/img]

Did the same on mine. Easy to do. Just can't put a guy with a fat belly in the middle seat without a belt extender.

i have put three belts, two shoulder and one bench in my 51
i did (now that i'm doing a complete rusto,) cut two slots in the seat frame about 2 1/2'' x 1 1/4'' right at the sheet metal right angle bend to fit and make it an easier 'pull' adjustment when seated.
these are centered @ 1/3 and 2/3's along that seat frame back-bottom.

belts from juliano's

http://www.speedprint.com/Deves50/seatbeltassembly.php

So I did it. I just drilled 2 7/16" holes inbetween and inline with the other seatbelt holes. Used the included hardware from the belt that I bought at shucks. I'll be replacing the modern buckle with one being sent to me from another member here to match mine. The color of the strap is just right - It just looks new. The job was easier than I thought it would be, which is opposite of the way it usually is when I tackle a project! But no fat guys(or gals) allowed. This is for my son's booster seat.

Don't use only 4 holes to mount 3 seat belts!
They are designed to keep you from flying out the windshield only when each end of each belt has it's own hole and large washer under it.
By doubling up you double the load on the center two attachment points when 3 people are in the truck in a wreck.
Not a good idea!

I am not trying to say I don't know someone who has done it that way, as a mater of fact, I know him very well, but it's still a bad idea.

Grigg

The instructions on my new belt clearly stated that you shouldn't share holes and bolts from the other belts! My new belt has it's own holes, bolts, and big washers under the floorpan.

It may be a difference in how the truck is designed.
Trucks with seat belts from the factory may have been designed to double them up, so then it would be OK.

The do it your self drill your own holes kits may not have the strength to double them up, or the suppliers just want to be on the safe side and avoid law suits?

I would vote for the latter. This one is to hold my kids booster so I'm playing the safe side. My original thought was to share the holes until I saw the instructions.

On my stock seat frame I cut out two small pieces of metal right @ the base of the lower back of the seat, about 1-1/8''x 2-1/2''(about the size of a seat belt buckle. These were equally spaced for three belts to fit along that back rail. this allows me to direct the middle belt(s) & buckle directly thru those two slot holes and to the 'crack' between the bottom and top seat cushions as possible. When I first installed the three belts (one for the middle passenger), the middle belts had to get routed over the steel frame (about 8'' high), then down and through the 'crack' of the top and bottom of the cushions. this did not work very well as when the seat gets re-positioned forward or back there was slack or tension in the lap belt that had to be taken up in order for the seat belt to fit properely.
I attached the belts to two new holes equally spaced along that back seat rail just in front of the gas tank using the big washers. the other two attachments were to the frame bolts that come up thru the cab (two 3/8'' along that back rail), nyloc'd.
I have now removed all the belts and bought two new shoulder belts from julanios (because their belts are a couple inches longer in length than jcwhitless'. i now see that dave also used julanios. I did because I read catologs and found their's allowed a little more 'girth room'.
http://www.julianos.com/3_point_belt_bench.html
I pretty much did what dave did

also
if you buy from julanios
you don't have to buy the steel mounting kit. so that could save you some $$$ and most of us can make our own and their kit for the most part does not fit our trucks.... so wasted $$$ there.

http://www.speedprint.com/Deves50/seatbeltassembly.php
the new belts use that same cutout in the seat frame but the take-up reel fit neatly down in the cabs lower 'pocket storage below the door' area. it's real hard to take a picture down there cause you can't see much, but I think I did a nicer way than dave did. he welded some attachment to the frame where as I did not... yet. I had to make a steel backing for the upper shoulder belt attachment and positioned that just above the corner window.

[ 05-19-2006, 09:42 AM: Message edited by: carolines truck ]