The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Interiors Seat belt install

I am looking for creative ideas on how to install seat belts in my stock 1957 1/2 ton with a bench seat. I don't want to just drill the floor and go.. Anyone have any good Ideas?

"creative ideas"?? like never done before? I suppose you could try glue instead of drilling holes
how the factory did lap belts in 57 .... how Julianos does 3 point in the TF series

Bill

Either way you need a plate under the floor. You can make a bracket that bolts or welds to your seat frame or mounts, but you'll still need a plate under the floor.

If I create a welded bracket that runs the length of the seat, do you think the original seat bolts that hold down the seat would support the additional bracket?


Thanks for your original thoughts.

46 is right. imagine a worst case scenario. I made a how-to for the AD series. Some of it may apply.. its in the how-to section of my web site. Juliano's is where I purchased the kit to do it. Very nice to do business with them.

RE Juliano's: You don't need to drill and install a rivet, that's crazy. Why not install the D ring, belt and bolt while holding it up with the yard stick? Why put the bolt in without the other stuff, the plate can not rotate. Juliano's was not thinking. They also have the instructions out of sequence and don't say why there are three holes in the shoulder belt mounting bracket.(different application probably). As far as putting brackets all the way across and beefing up the belt mounts. There are differing schools of thought on what is safe there. Seat belts on old trucks are tricky. The seat mounts are not safe to begin with and will tear out on a good impact. If you make the seat belts real strong and the seat mounts shear/pull out of the floor and seat moves forward, you are sandwiched, strangled or injured if you hit the column. With no air bags and no collapsing wheel or column, one may want to strengthen the seat mounts also. Later years were designed so that seats do not break loose. The shoulder harness then kept you from chest injury and then air bags were invented and all the rest. Just call me "Happy thoughts" Bartamos.

The reason for installing the rivet is so that the plate stays in place on its own if you ever need to remove the belt. Do you want to re-do the yardstick procedure every time you have to take the seatbelt off? Say you want to repaint or need better access to this area, it's simply remove one bolt and replace it when you're done. Juliano's WAS thinking. It's an easy and simple way to make the plate more permanent.

I agree with you that mounting to the seat isn't the best, unless the seat is very well secured in the floor.

On the rare occasion you would repaint the inside after installing belts, just let it fall out and put it back, when done painting, with a stick. If you want to add two more holes in your truck and you have a riveter and the proper rivet, go for it. I didn't say anything about mounting the belt to the seat, you did.

if you're worried about securing the plate in the cab wall, drill some xtra holes, get your nut plate up there, plug weld it in place ... for the lower attachments, fixing them to the seat in any way is foolish, they'll find the seat on the pavement with you still belted to it - drill the floor along the ridge behind the seat [as factory directed], which is a multiple layers thick structural piece, and if you want stronger put a piece of 1/4" x 2 strap steel across each pair of attachments below the floor

Bill

I also would like to mention this: The link is a magazine article. The instructions say they are using a shoulder bolt to fasten the D ring to the B pillar. That is a proper bolt to use. But they obviously don't understand what a shoulder bolt is used for. It is specifically used so that is can be fully torqued tight and still allow what it attaches to be "loose". They say to just tighten enough to allow the D ring to rotate/swivel. WRONG! Also, the B pillar plate has no locking feature, I guess you can use Locktite. In the picture of their belt with hardware, there is one too many bolts shown and no angle bracket shown. Some of the critique is to the Magazine article and some to Juliano's. The instructions and pics are in their website under install/56 Chevy Truck.

I know this is a TF and not an AD we are talking about, but check out the AD version of this install and then use whatever is pertinent. In the how-to section. I think I did it right. Went to a lot of trouble to make sure and Juliano's ended up using it on their site.

Its not hard to take good pictures and explain your procedure. Do it once and others will benefit.

Idea 1, make a bracket frame work that bolts where the seat does and connect to it.

Idea 2 get 58 or 59 accessory manual and it shows the U bolts and where to put them. There is a truck parts house that has them I for get who though.

Just a comment on securing the shoulder anchor. This was actually suggested by the Juliano's guy, and it worked like a charm. He said first be sure you have enough clearance inside the pillar, and trim the plate if you need to so you can lower it into the pillar with a wire or fishline attached to check.

Then drill your hole where you want it. I was able to do it on my 54 so the hole was just about covered by the windlace, but it will be covered by the belt attachment anyhow.

Next, lower the plate again to be sure it will thread OK. Finally, coat the plate with JB weld etc. lower it in, pull up tight, and let it sit overnight. In the am, retract your bolt. Your backup plate will never move again. I would never drill a hole in my truck if there is a reasonable alternative. This is.

Harry