1993 Ford Explorer Installation

[KirasMommy]

Has anyone successfully installed a car seat in a 1993 (or similar) Ford Explorer? I have a Marathon, Nautilus, and Radian and have not been able to get a safe install with any of them. The problem seems to be the female seatbelt buckle. The buckle is installed at an angle (pointing toward the front of the vehicle) to make the seatbelt more comfortable for the rider. It's rigid, unmoving. It needs to sit more upright (pointing more toward the ceiling). At it's current angle, the seatbelt gets too bunched up when trying to install a car seat and I can't get it tight enough. (Does that make any sense? I can't get pics now, but I can post some later.) I'm taking the CPST classes in 2 weeks and I'll probably bring the Explorer and one or more of my seats and see if the instructor can help me install them.

My dad suggested replacing the rigid buckle. Is that safe to do? Would I need to have the dealer do it, or could my dad or DH do it?

[NannyMae]

I have a 96 ford explorer and I think we've got the same kind of seatbelts... I currently have the AO installed on my center position (even though we can't use it ) and its pretty good. its a lap only ALR belt. I also used to have the ss1 with the base in that position and it was good. I've tried installing the ss1 base outboard behind the driver and it was rock solid-- dont really know what to tell you, but with the way the seatbelt is installed (facing towards the front rather than up) is definately a pita!! I think it just depends on how high the seatbelt path is compared to the actual vehicle seat. I've been trying to get my greedy hands on the nautilus, so if you do take your explorer to your class, could you see if its possible to install it center position?

[NannyMae]

is this the type of seatbelts you have? this is outboard behind driver..

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x53/megnjay_2007/DSCI1123-1.jpg

i've asked here before if it was ok for the seatbelt to be bunched up like that (if thats what you were referring to) and i was told it was just fine, that it was just because i had it installed so tightly.. HTH

[Defrost]

Buckles like that are tricky. You have to be really careful when tightening to pull them at just the right angle, or it bunches up and won't tighten enough. (And the PP is right, it's okay to be bunched once it's tight enough.) Do yours lock at the retractor - by pulling the shoulder portion all the way out? Or do they lock at the latchplate?

I've had the best luck with this type of seat belt by getting the seat belt tightened before buckling. The hard part is then getting it buckled. It's easier with two people - get one person to put a knee in the carseat and compress the vehicle seat as much as possible, while you finagle the buckle.

It may also help to have the carseat's beltpath more lined up with the buckle, rather than completely flush against the vehicle seatback. You'll end up with a small gap at the bottom, but the upper part of the carseat will be against the vehicle seat.

[NannyMae]

PP--if me and the OP do have the same seatbelts, which I think we do, then the outboard seats lock at the retractor and the center is ALR lap only belt.

[crunchierthanthou]

PP--if me and the OP do have the same seatbelts, which I think we do, then the outboard seats lock at the retractor and the center is ALR lap only belt.

not necessarily. The OP's may lock at the retractor like yours, but seatbelts weren't required to have a locking mechanism until 1996. It's possible it doesn't lock at all and a locking clip is needed.

[NannyMae]

thats true--sorry, must have had a moment. for some reason I was thinking it was required at an earlier year...:o