Seat & Belt Mountings

[Jon Bradbury]

You are joking, of course.

 

I'm referring to the rake adjustment on the Recaro seats. On the DOHC kit, with its recessed floor pan, you can fit the Recaros unmodified and be able to utilise all the adjustments, including the up/down height adjuster on the driver's seat.

 

To undo the inner seatbelt bolts, you have to get the setback leaning all the way forwards, then move the seat on its runner as far forwards as possible; only then do you have the space to attack the bolt.

[Mitch]

on the 2b, the runners are almost always removed (unless your a dwarf)

 

so the bolts are not acessable, so there welded to the remains of the seat runners (whats left after removeing the workings).

Hence there now captive, and meet the SVA requirments,

 

Mitch

[Jon Bradbury]

Mitch, they don't have to be captive unless they are in a closed box section.

[Mitch]

they do if you cant get at the bloody heads!!!!!

[Jon Bradbury]

Yes, of course. You're talking common sense which I agree with. What I am saying refers to the actual requirements of the SVA. I could have attached my seatbelts to the seats prior to fitting, then bolted the seats down. Even if I then had no access to the seatbelt bolts, provided I could prove the anchorage was of sufficient strength, it would have passed SVA testing.

 

What I am trying to do here is debunk a myth about seatbelt anchorages WRT SVA. I'm not trying to be argumentative for the sake of it.

[Guest Battery Bill]

Mitch, they don't have to be captive unless they are in a closed box section

 

And what is a 2B tunnel which is rivetted down and sealed ?

Which also has no proper access from underneath because of the driveshaft!

 

What I am trying to do here is debunk a myth about seatbelt anchorages WRT SVA. I'm not trying to be argumentative for the sake of it.

 

I think you will find that its easier and there will be more chance of passing the SVA if a "nut" that is very difficult to get to in case you need to change your seatbelts "Is Captive"

[Guest Phil Slater]

Just a thought!

 

I've used the seatbelt mounting points on the Recaro seats (after beefing up the seat to chassis mounting of course ). Should I be taking phots. of the seatbelt fixings for the SVA as they are not easily visible what with carpet and side panels etc?

[Guest Battery Bill]

Phil

It would be a good idea

[Mitch]

Phil, should be okay there, as thats where mine are mounted,there classed as captive nuts too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

but dont need to be as there not in a closed box section

Mitch

[Jon Bradbury]

And what is a 2B tunnel which is rivetted down and sealed ?

Which also has no proper access from underneath because of the driveshaft!

 

 

 

I think you will find that its easier and there will be more chance of passing the SVA if a "nut" that is very difficult to get to in case you need to change your seatbelts "Is Captive"

Well I can access the inside of mine, Bill.

 

Really mate, I do wish you'd stop arguing with me. You've just agreed with what I said - basically that it only needs to be captive if its in a sealed box section. You are not the only person who can read the SVA manual.

 

Mitch - absolutely right. However, they are a godsend and it's a good idea to use them if you can. The only thing I wondered was whether or not the Recaro threaded bracket was rated for a correct hardness - 10.8 or more. I suspect not, in which case an examiner who was bein really picky might choose to quibble.

[Guest Battery Bill]

Really mate, I do wish you'd stop arguing with me. You've just agreed with what I said - basically that it only needs to be captive if its in a sealed box section. You are not the only person who can read the SVA manual.

 

Yes but I have also said what its like on a 2B so why tell a 2B owner not to bother with captive nuts because the manual does not require them unless blah blah.

 

A 2B without captive nuts on the inner seatbelt mountings in the tunnel will more than likely fail, I don't know about a DOHC kit because I have not got a DOHC Kit

[Mitch]

Mitch - absolutely right. However, they are a godsend and it's a good idea to use them if you can. The only thing I wondered was whether or not the Recaro threaded bracket was rated for a correct hardness - 10.8 or more. I suspect not, in which case an examiner who was bein really picky might choose to quibble.

 

Thats what Vauxhall use when there fitted to the Vectra and Calibra, hence they have been tested to destruction when there cars were type approved, so they cannot fail it, only the seat mounting for not being strong enough to take the force of an accident,

So if you seat is firmly fitted to the floor (no movement of either floor or seat base when tested) and the sva examiner is happy with the fixings, then this method is fine

 

And its a threaded hole, its the bolt that has to be of high tensile stength min 7/16 unf (or not depending on your interpretation of the SVA Book)

 

Mitch

[Jon Bradbury]

Yes but I have also said what its like on a 2B so why tell a 2B owner not to bother with captive nuts because the manual does not require them unless blah blah.

 

A 2B without captive nuts on the inner seatbelt mountings in the tunnel will more than likely fail, I don't know about a DOHC kit because I have not got a DOHC Kit

Yes, yes, yes, of course. I can reach it on mine because I have the recessed floorpan.

 

Kiss & make up, then?

[Guest Petemate]

FWIW

Photos DEFINITELY help. There was no way the tester could see all of the seatbelt fittings with the seats in. (some of the bracketry is under the carpets) I had taken enough tools with me to remove the seats if nec - glad I didn't have to, they are a pain to remove/refit. I had also taken a nice neat folder with printed photos from my build pics showing the complete process of bracket/bolt/nut/belt fitment. The tester was more than happy with these pics and visually establishing that they were of my car and not some other vehicle, that sufficed. The inner fittings for example were in the tunnel, nuts welded to plates fitted to the sides and backed up with 90 degree brackets in the driver & passenger compartments and bolted through to the strengthening hardware inder the car. He was able to peer down the tunnel from the rear and view these plates alongside the prop. The outers were plates the same, and could just be seen from the rear past the outer trailing arms. If it is done properly, there is nothing to worry about. If anyone wants I can post or mail the appropriate pics to assist any present/future builders. The various methods I have seen all go much along the same lines, i.e. strong brackets backed up with solid mountings.

HTH

Pete

 

P.S. 1 pic as eg

[Nigel Rogers]

This has been an interesting thread as inner seat belt mounts are my next job . No need to argue so much though

 

I know there have been many other threads on the same topic and there are loads of solutions out there. I would like to be able to look at pictures of all the different solutions in a section on the Main site, if people were willing to post them and the moderators were happy.

 

WDYT?