My second T4, operation de-chav

[regcheeseman]

Having spent last night making and painting a bracket for the nearside seatbelt mount I went outside tonight to get it fitted. After a bit of a fiddle getting the wire down the pillar it transpires that there is a reinforcing panel right near the top of the pillar inbetween the two holes I drilled to take the bolts.

I've cut the new bracket in half and managed to fit the lower half by pulling it up through the pillar, the top hole presented more problems, I cut a slot in the pillar, fitted the bracket and then welded up the slot, what a pain in the arse. it is in now.

[Activ8]

Did you mount the adjusters so they used the OEM mounting hole at all?

[regcheeseman]

Did you mount the adjusters so they used the OEM mounting hole at all?

Nope, if you look at this picture,


the lowest hole is factory and I believe the intended mounting location. There was no hole on the nearside, or at least there were a few but too large/low to be the intended seatbelt location.

[regcheeseman]

Seats are in, no way finished, but at least fitted.



Seatbelts are strangely a bit short, maybe the higher top mount but I'm wondering if front belts are longer....

[Activ8]

Seats look really good, will the frame work be boxed in, speakers etc? - Although all the extra weight may be a negative. Cracking job. How much space between the panels / door and seat is left?

[fife t4 new]

Looking ace reg, and how is the folding mechanism going?

Sent from my SM-G960F using Just T4s

[regcheeseman]

Seats look really good, will the frame work be boxed in, speakers etc? - Although all the extra weight may be a negative. Cracking job. How much space between the panels / door and seat is left?

There's about 300mm either side, enough to fit the leisure battery in the area to the side of the seats that is normally inaccessible in normal use, effectively using a redundant space.

The seats will be boxed in, weight is a consideration, minimal cupboards to be constructed from 1" x 0.5" batten framework and 3mm ply skin over.

Looking ace reg, and how is the folding mechanism going?

It's not, I'm using the seats as is. There's nothing to gain from the seat bases folding horizontal as the surface they present is undulating and no good to sleep on, besides in order to be self supporting a lot of metalwork would be needed.

You'll see how the bed will work in due course.

[regcheeseman]

How much space between the panels / door and seat is left?

Glad you asked this, because it has just dawned on me, the end of the seatbelt is mounted in the conventional place at the base of the pillar. If I fit cupboards the belt will have to pass through the cupboards which obviously wont work. Also because the belt is travelling 300mm to reach the seat, that's 600mm in total which would explain why they seem too short.

If I mount it on the seat base it'll solve all the problems - best fire up the welder. again.

[S49]

That's looking really good.

[Hans]

Looking posh mate, one thing i don't get, if u mount the seat belt on the base what do u do with the top end?

Sent from my SM-T810 using Just T4s

[regcheeseman]

Looking posh mate, one thing i don't get, if u mount the seat belt on the base what do u do with the top end?

Sent from my SM-T810 using Just T4s

The reel stays at the base of the pillar, the top mount near the top of the pillar and the belt end on the seat base. That'll work won't it, or have I not thought of something?

[Activ8]

I'm not sure that's sturdy enough Reg. Take the oem front double seat for example. That centre seat back vertical rail reel section is a serious piece of steel reinforced in the base. The RR rear seat is designed for the belt/reel to be mounted to the chassis not the seat. I'd be concerned about the seat back being able to take the full force of a collision rather than folding around your lads.

Why not a removable / repositionable multipoint 'race' harnesses style secured into the floor with appropriate rail fittings?

Or you could mount the top fixing into the roof like some people carriers do?
I bought a 'H' section heavy steel fitting that was in a T4 disabled van that mounts on the C & D roof sections to take roof fittings.

[regcheeseman]

I'm not sure that's sturdy enough Reg. Take the oem front double seat for example. That centre seat back vertical rail reel section is a serious piece of steel reinforced in the base. The RR rear seat is designed for the belt/reel to be mounted to the chassis not the seat. I'd be concerned about the seat back being able to take the full force of a collision rather than folding around your lads.

Why not a removable / repositionable multipoint 'race' harnesses style secured into the floor with appropriate rail fittings?

Pah, you're chattin' blud.

And possibly not reading my post - the reel is bolted to the van, in the original place. The force isn't going through the seat, trying to fold it up

The oem double seat is overly reinforced in comparison to some I've seen (like the middle seat on my Range Rover seat for instance) BUT it is like that because off the leverage ratio effected by the top mounting of the belt on the back of the seat.

I'm talking about mounting the END of the belt on the seat frame, the seat frame is 3mm thick steel (6-9mm) in the triangulated corners where I will fit the bracket - way more secure than the OEM pillar mount in the van and the Range Rover mount for the middle belt.

You should never fit race harnesses to the floor

[Activ8]

Pah, you're chattin' blud.

And possibly not reading my post - the reel is bolted to the van, in the original place. The force isn't going through the seat, trying to fold it up

The oem double seat is overly reinforced in comparison to some I've seen (like the middle seat on my Range Rover seat for instance) BUT it is like that because off the leverage ratio effected by the top mounting of the belt on the back of the seat.

I'm talking about mounting the END of the belt on the seat frame, the seat frame is 3mm thick steel (6-9mm) in the triangulated corners where I will fit the bracket - way more secure than the OEM pillar mount in the van and the Range Rover mount for the middle belt.

You should never fit race harnesses to the floor

Yeh - I've probably read it wrong , thrown by an earlier post - "If I mount it on the seat base it'll solve all the problems - best fire up the welder. again." It was 2AM when I got home and commented. Not sure on the race harness though, sure my GT2 had floor fittings for the FIA harness points A & E but the floor was probably plated and tied in with its roll cage. I was thinking you could use fittings for the floor rail as I've seen single seat / disabled / wheel chairs fitted in this way - doesn't mean its right I suppose. Glad you've reviewed, got a plan and the kids will be safe.

[regcheeseman]

sure my GT2 had floor fittings for the FIA harness points A & E but the floor was probably plated and tied in with its roll cage.

Harnesses should run horizontally into the top section of the seat, normally mounted on the cross bar of the cage.