Mighty-tite and seat angle

[Unregistered]

Hi Everyone,

I just bought the new Evenflo Triumph Advance for my daughter. She is six months old and rear facing. When installing the seat, I couldn't seem to get it tight enough, so I bought the Mighty-Tite, which worked like a charm to tighten the belt.

However, after installing it, I began to wonder if it was possible to make the seatbelt TOO tight. I went online to research and came across this forum here and all the terrible reviews of the Mighty-Tite. Needless to say, I immediately took the Mighty-Tite off the seatbelt and tried again without.

I think my initial feeling that it wasn't tight enough was due to confusion on where movement occurs. I thought the seat shouldn't move more than an inch anywhere on the seat. I now see that it is only at the belt path that movement is measured. I have the seat installed so that there is less than an inch of movement at the belt path, although the seat can still be rocked at the top.

My question now is, is it okay if the car seat is not completely flush with the upholstery? Because I have a lap/shoulder combination, the shoulder portion of the seatbelt kind of pulls up on the belt path since I have made it so tight. It's not much, but is not totally level and sits in the car at a slight side angle. Is this okay? I don't see how I could resolve it, since it is the tightness of the seatbelt that is causing it. Any suggestions?

Thanks for your help! Without you, I would be driving my child around, oblivious to the danger of the Mighty-Tite! I thought I was doing something GOOD!

Tamara

[beebear23]

i dont have much time, but wanted to give you this link. hopefully someone can answer your question soon..

http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/SeatBeltTite.aspx


okay, to quickly answer, yes, for a rear facing seat, the movement at the top is normal.. as long as there is less than an inch of movement at the belt path, you are okay.

[papooses]

My question now is, is it okay if the car seat is not completely flush with the upholstery? Because I have a lap/shoulder combination, the shoulder portion of the seatbelt kind of pulls up on the belt path since I have made it so tight. It's not much, but is not totally level and sits in the car at a slight side angle. Is this okay? I don't see how I could resolve it, since it is the tightness of the seatbelt that is causing it. Any suggestions?Slight tilt is fine -- so long as it remains secure with less than 1" movement at the belt path :)

[SamPacey&Joshua]

Good for you for doing the research and finding out on your own that the Mighty-Tite isn't okay to use!!

Anyway, a slight tilt is okay, but if you want to get rid of it, you can. Instead of locking the shoulder belt, you just have to use the locking clip that came with your seat. Look at the carseat manual to see exactly what I'm talking about.

All you have to do is install the seat as usual (do not lock the shoulder belt). Then, pinch the lap and shoulder portions together and unbuckle the seatbelt (be sure you don't let any slack in). Then put the locking clip onto both the lap and shoulder portions (with the long bar on the underside). You'll need to put your weight into the seat and lean it toward the buckle to get it buckled back...it will be hard to do and that's normal. Once you get it buckled back, you should get very little to no movement...and no tilt. It sounds more complicated than it is!

[CDNTech]

A slight tilt is fine... if it gets worse or really bugs you, you can install using a different method.

I'm guessing that you are locking your seatbelt by pulling it all the way out and then slowly releasing it back into the retractor so that it is locked? This is called a switchable or ELR/ALR seatbelt. When using this type of belt with a rearfacing seat, the shoulder portion continues to tighten up over time causing the seat to tilt at an angle.

Instead of locking the seatbelt by pulling it all the way out, you can use a locking clip and do NOT lock the seatbelt... that is the job of the locking clip. The locking clip will keep the lap portion tight and the shoulder portion will move freely and will eliminate your tilt issue.

What you do is locate the locking clip near the bottom of your seat (I believe it's located on the base at the back of the seat). Install your seat like you normally would but do not lock the seatbelt. Kneel in the seat and pull all the slack out of the lap portion of the belt. Then pinch the shoulder and lap portions together with your fingers right AT the latchplate (portion that buckles the seatbelt up). Hold tight and do not let go and unbuckle the seatbelt. Then position the locking clip no more than 1" away from the buckle and re-buckle the seatbelt. It may take two people to do this part... one to kneel in the seat and one to work like crazy to rebuckle the seatbelt. Then check for movement... if it's too loose, unbuckle and pull a little more of the shoulder portion through to make the lap portion tighter and re-try.

Your carseat manual will have instructions on how to properly use a locking clip... make sure to read through that and familiarize yourself with the installation procedure as well.

Hope that helps.

Oops! Cross posted... that's what I get for running away to yell at kids in the middle of a post. lol

[AdventureMom]

However, after installing it, I began to wonder if it was possible to make the seatbelt TOO tight.

Yes, it is...! We used a Mighty-Tite for a few years before I knew any better. When I took my CPS (carseat tech) class, I showed the firechief that was teaching the class our seatbelts where we had used the Mighty-Tite. He said that the webbing had been 'shocked', meaning the elasticity of the webbing was gone. Seatbelts are made out of special webbing to stretch in an accident. :(

[singingpond]

Yes, it is...! We used a Mighty-Tite for a few years before I knew any better. When I took my CPS (carseat tech) class, I showed the firechief that was teaching the class our seatbelts where we had used the Mighty-Tite. He said that the webbing had been 'shocked', meaning the elasticity of the webbing was gone. Seatbelts are made out of special webbing to stretch in an accident. :(

Just curious, did you have your seatbelts replaced, based on this? We also used a Mighty Tite for over a year, before learning better. I don't think we really over-tightened the thing (which I've read is the main culprit in cracking carseats and damaging vehicle seatbelts), but I have sometimes wondered if the seatbelt suffered any damage in that area (where it was rolled around the spindle of the Mighty Tite).

Katrin

[abttrflykss]

I hope it's ok posting my concern in this post rather then making a new post.


I'm now concerned with my daughters SnugRide currently being belted with the Mighty Tite. The reason I bought it in the first place is b/c the lap/shoulder belt would not keep the seat tight (over time it would loosen). And also b/c the person we bought the truck (friends of ours, our kids went to Daycare together, they take great care of their vehicles) from used it with no problems (they used it on the same side of the truck that I am). Does this mean the MT might have damaged the car's seatbelt? I'm going to remove the MT when I get home, but how can I keep the car seatbelt tight enough to hold the carseat? It does lock when you pull out all the slack and slowly let it retract. Since I am also looking into getting a new Convertible car seat, will I install it the same way?

Thanks in advance.

[stayinhomewithmy4]

I hope it's ok posting my concern in this post rather then making a new post.


I'm now concerned with my daughters SnugRide currently being belted with the Mighty Tite. The reason I bought it in the first place is b/c the lap/shoulder belt would not keep the seat tight (over time it would loosen). And also b/c the person we bought the truck (friends of ours, our kids went to Daycare together, they take great care of their vehicles) from used it with no problems (they used it on the same side of the truck that I am). Does this mean the MT might have damaged the car's seatbelt? I'm going to remove the MT when I get home, but how can I keep the car seatbelt tight enough to hold the carseat? It does lock when you pull out all the slack and slowly let it retract. Since I am also looking into getting a new Convertible car seat, will I install it the same way?

Thanks in advance.

I suppose it might have damaged the seat belts, but the only way to know would be to have it looked at. Did they use a MT in all positions in the back? If not, I would move the seat to a different position until you can know for sure that the seat belt wasn't damaged.

Yes, definitely take that MT off and reinstall the SnugRide by locking the seat belt.

If you have ALR belts, you will thread the seat belt through the belt path in the car seat and buckle it, just like you have it now. Then you will pull the shoulder portion of the seat belt out all the way and start feeding it back in. Put some weight in the car seat by pushing down on it with your hand or kneeling in it while you pull all of the slack out of the seat belt and thread the excess back into the retractor. Or you can get behind the car seat and push into it with your hips/tummy and pull the slack out of the belt that way. I like to pull all of the slack out of the lap belt on the side of the car seat where the buckle is (by pulling on the shoulder belt right above the latchplate) and use my other hand to feed the excess back into the retractor.

If it causes the seat to tip to one side too much, you can use a locking clip. SP&J and Aidensmom both described how to use a locking clip in their posts above.

When you get a convertible seat, you will use the same method to install it.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

[CDNTech]

I hope it's ok posting my concern in this post rather then making a new post.


I'm now concerned with my daughters SnugRide currently being belted with the Mighty Tite. The reason I bought it in the first place is b/c the lap/shoulder belt would not keep the seat tight (over time it would loosen). And also b/c the person we bought the truck (friends of ours, our kids went to Daycare together, they take great care of their vehicles) from used it with no problems (they used it on the same side of the truck that I am). Does this mean the MT might have damaged the car's seatbelt? I'm going to remove the MT when I get home, but how can I keep the car seatbelt tight enough to hold the carseat? It does lock when you pull out all the slack and slowly let it retract. Since I am also looking into getting a new Convertible car seat, will I install it the same way?

Thanks in advance.

You have a switchable retractor. Definitely get rid of the Mighty Tite. You can either lock your seatbelt by pulling it all the way out and let it slowly retract back in. Make sure you kneel on the base and pull all the slack out of the lap portion feeding it back into the retractor. This could cause a slight tilt in your seat over time, which is why you *may* want to use a locking clip to lock your seatbelt INSTEAD of locking the seatbelt by pulling it all the way out.

If you read over the posts above there are instructions on how to use a locking clip. Your carseat manual will also have instructions on how to use a locking clip if you choose to go that route.

Make sure you read your carseat manual cover to cover! Also pull out your vehicle owner's manual and read the section on Child Restraints, usually found under the safety section.

After you have read these manuals post back with any questions you might have.

[snowbird25ca]

I would definitely install the seat in another seating position until you can have the belt looked at. With having had 2 different users of the mighty tite on it, there's no way to know how tight they ratcheted up the belt.

If you have LATCH in your vehicle in that seating position (check that center latch is allowed if you're talking about a middle seating position,) you could always use LATCH instead until the seat belt is checked.

But in the meantime, I would NOT use that seatbelt for either a car seat or a passenger. Seatbelts go through a lot of testing and are incredibly strong - but they're not meant to be wound around a little spindle and ratcheted up tightly. They could be stretched right on the spindle and being held in that position, and could spell disaster in a collision. :twocents:

[abttrflykss]

Where can I buy a locking clip? I'm guessing I can use the same one on the convertible car seat when I get it?
I have noticed that the infant base ends up crooked with the Mighty Tite also, is there a way to correct this? Is it ok for the seat to be crooked (by crooked I mean leaning sideways towards the middle of the benchseat)?

I'm so scared now that I have been using the Mighty Tite for the past 6ish months! I'm so grateful that I have not been involved in an accident! (knock on wood)

[abttrflykss]

To make it easier, I have a 95 GMC Jimmy (so no LATCH option either). From reading posts on here the last 2 days I have found out alot of info that I wasn't aware of, like the fact that I can't use the middle of my seat for a carseat. And since I have 2 girls (6 yo and 10 mo), I need to use both outer car seatbelts.
Can I buy a new car seatbelt? How do I do that, thru the manufacturer?

[snowbird25ca]

To make it easier, I have a 95 GMC Jimmy (so no LATCH option either). From reading posts on here the last 2 days I have found out alot of info that I wasn't aware of, like the fact that I can't use the middle of my seat for a carseat. And since I have 2 girls (6 yo and 10 mo), I need to use both outer car seatbelts.
Can I buy a new car seatbelt? How do I do that, thru the manufacturer?

The dealership will be able to check and replace the belts for you if needed.

Have you checked to see if your vehicle has switchable seatbelts or another way of locking the belt? Switchable belts, when you pull the seatbelt all the way out and then feed it back in just a tiny bit, you won't be able to pull any out again until the belt is fed all the way back in. If you have that, using a locking clip isn't needed - although sometimes if a seat is tilting you end up using that instead of engaging the locking retractor on the belt. (Sorry if that was gone over in earlier posts, it's bedtime and I'm just trying to reply quickly. ;) )

Your seats should've come with a locking clip - check the manual because it should have a diagram of where to find it. On an infant carrier you'll typically find it on the carrier itself. Turn it upside down and you should be able to see it. It comes from the factory attached to the spot on the seat, so unless it's been removed, there's one there already.

Most stores that carry car seats and accessories sell locking clips. It should be $3 or $4.

[skaterbabscpst]

Almost all GM vehicles of the age of your Jimmy have locking latchplates. This meant the lap portion of the belt will lock in a child seat and the shoulder portion only locks under force (like a sudden stop or crash.)

I would honestly be amazed to see a mid-90's GM with locking retractors. It's VERY rare.

You do not need a locking clip with locking latchplates. To prevent the loosening, first make certain you're getting absolutely ALL slack out of the lap portion of the belt. You do this by pulling the shoulder portion parallel to the lap portion. If the seat loosens over time, the fix is quite simple. Turn the male end of the buckle 180* (you want it backwards basically) and refasten.

[snowbird25ca]

Almost all GM vehicles of the age of your Jimmy have locking latchplates. This meant the lap portion of the belt will lock in a child seat and the shoulder portion only locks under force (like a sudden stop or crash.)

I would honestly be amazed to see a mid-90's GM with locking retractors. It's VERY rare.

You do not need a locking clip with locking latchplates. To prevent the loosening, first make certain you're getting absolutely ALL slack out of the lap portion of the belt. You do this by pulling the shoulder portion parallel to the lap portion. If the seat loosens over time, the fix is quite simple. Turn the male end of the buckle 180* (you want it backwards basically) and refasten.

Thanks Rebeckah, that's good to know. I hadn't been sure if her belts had some sort of locking mechanism or not being a 1995, and had just picked switchables since they're the ones that aren't usually obvious and GM doesn't usually use lightweight locking latch plates. :thumbsup:

[lynsgirl]

Almost all GM vehicles of the age of your Jimmy have locking latchplates. This meant the lap portion of the belt will lock in a child seat and the shoulder portion only locks under force (like a sudden stop or crash.)

I would honestly be amazed to see a mid-90's GM with locking retractors. It's VERY rare.

You do not need a locking clip with locking latchplates. To prevent the loosening, first make certain you're getting absolutely ALL slack out of the lap portion of the belt. You do this by pulling the shoulder portion parallel to the lap portion. If the seat loosens over time, the fix is quite simple. Turn the male end of the buckle 180* (you want it backwards basically) and refasten.

:yeahthat:

[skaterbabscpst]

It helps that almost every car I've had in the last ten years has been GM. lol '93 Suburban, dh's '97 Suturn, '93 Cadillac, '89 Corsica, '93 Cavalier wagon, '88 Astro, '96 Cherokee, '91 Huyundai Excel and '87 Nissan van.


They usually use the heavy locking latchplates, even as far back as '90. There are a few exceptions, but like I said, they're rare.