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Important info regarding the new Radian buckle tongues!
- Thread starter supercrunch
- Start date
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supercrunch
New member
If the harness straps are wider than the belt path through the buckle tongue...you will eventually get fraying.
Here is a close-up of one of our current Radians that is being replaced
you can see how the straps fold at the edges because they are wider than the belt path.
I hope that helps!
Here is a close-up of one of our current Radians that is being replaced
you can see how the straps fold at the edges because they are wider than the belt path.
I hope that helps!
doriansmummy
New member
stayinhomewithmy6
Senior Community Member
Poor Russ! Sometimes I think he doesn't really get it, though, you know, that you have to be so careful with car seats. I'm waiting on (another) reply from him regarding my puppy (or kitty) pee straps that he told me I could get as wet as I needed to wash them and I finally told him that it goes against everything I know about cleaning harnesses to saturate them like that and that I don't know if I feel comfortable using the seat after the straps have been saturated in urine and then saturated with water & cleaning products, too. So, now he says he's going to check with the harness manufacturer to make sure they're still safe to use after being saturated. 
And, I can't help but think... what if it's not? What about the poor other parents that he has given that same advice to and they're still using their seats and thinking everything's fine?!
He's definitely over worked, though. Sometimes I even feel bad for bugging him so much!
And, I can't help but think... what if it's not? What about the poor other parents that he has given that same advice to and they're still using their seats and thinking everything's fine?!He's definitely over worked, though. Sometimes I even feel bad for bugging him so much!
Misty-Bug
New member
thanks!
Misty-Bug
New member
If the harness straps are wider than the belt path through the buckle tongue...you will eventually get fraying.
Here is a close-up of one of our current Radians that is being replaced
you can see how the straps fold at the edges because they are wider than the belt path.
I hope that helps!
WOW!! You can totally tell that the harness doesn't fit in there! wow!
Beckers
Active member
I emailed him yesterday as soon as I read Doriansmummy's post and told him I had just bought a radian last week, but a friend had recently received a replacement seat b/c of the buckles.
He replied today with this:
I'm definately going to have them send them to me, but I have my doubts about gettingthem on the seat.
He replied today with this:
I'm definately going to have them send them to me, but I have my doubts about gettingthem on the seat.
Simplysomething
New member
So, when I saw this thread, I totally couldn't figure out what was the deal, the buckles looked the same to me. Reading the descriptions on this thread (the one I'm posting in. lol)....the light suddenly dawned and I see what you all were talking about. I just thought I'd share that.
futuresoccermom
New member
If they do send out replacement buckles how are you supposed to get them on? I thought we weren't supposed to remove the chest clip?
supercrunch
New member
Russ actually told me how to remove the chest clip in his last email to me :shrug-shoulders:
MsFacetious
New member
Okay is it buckle TONGUES or buckle TONGS... these little things annoy the crap out of me!!
I am officially scared away from a Radian. Just not even on the list for me. Too many issues and weird things. I've never been too thrilled with SK in the first place... so this is no surprise.
I am officially scared away from a Radian. Just not even on the list for me. Too many issues and weird things. I've never been too thrilled with SK in the first place... so this is no surprise.
doriansmummy
New member
joolsplus3
Admin - CPS Technician
It's really ok. IMMI is the company they get their harnesses from, and those people make almost nothing but exquisite harnesses and buckles...for most of the carseat companies, for buses...everything...and they've been doing it for years. They wouldn't sell a thicker buckle tong(ue) without being absolutely sure it would work with the current buckle. They probably have loads of the current stock to use up and aren't going to switch to the wider ones till people ask for them, or they'd be looking at a huge expense that's not really necessary for them to make (throwing away perfectly ok harnesses...probably thousands of them...).
The warning to not use anything that doesn't come with the seat really does not apply to 'the new ones the company sent me...' but rather to, 'gee, I like this cosco harness better, I'll put it on my Radian', see the difference?
The warning to not use anything that doesn't come with the seat really does not apply to 'the new ones the company sent me...' but rather to, 'gee, I like this cosco harness better, I'll put it on my Radian', see the difference?
solmama
Active member
The last time I dealt with SK, I talked to them because our chest clip BROKE after 1 week of use! Some kind of defect, pretty scary though. Fortunately the old seat still fit my daughter and was not expired. Anyway, through all my dealings with them (it took 2+ weeks to get a new chest clip), I learned that SK has only 4 employees. Each of them wears several different hats. So, that's why Russ is so busy and does so many things. I plan on writing them about the buckle tongues as well.
supercrunch
New member
WTF? Remove the chest clip?? Why?
in order to get the new buckle tongues on the straps
no need to panic
doriansmummy
New member
in order to get the new buckle tongues on the straps
no need to panic
ohhh ok, I thought that was a thumbs down lil guy on your post!
I thought Russ was giving another off the wall response.
The clip is very hard to get on and off FYI.
snowbird25ca
Moderator - CPST Instructor
I can't speak for US standards, but my understanding for Canadian standards, is that the seat is certified independently of a specific harness system. Harness systems themselves are certified to a specific code & it's the manufacturers choice of which harness & buckle system they wish to use in the seat. Same as the fabric color.
So I personally wouldn't worry about it as long as it's an approved harness buckle for car seat use. It's not a design change within the seat, so won't affect the crash performance. :thumbsup:
So I personally wouldn't worry about it as long as it's an approved harness buckle for car seat use. It's not a design change within the seat, so won't affect the crash performance. :thumbsup:
southpawboston
New member
you're saying russ doesn't know as much about carseat design/safety/testing/components as people here?
Starlight
Senior Community Member
Ahh, Jools, the voice of reason.
Maybe I'm the only one who didn't read Russ's original email and panic, but the Radian has been extensively crash tested... an extra 1/4 of an inch in buckle tong(ue) isn't going to mess it up. The harness will still work the same, it won't effect the crash performance at all.
And removing the chest clip is not difficult. Not that you should remove it just for fun, but if you need to remove it to clean it, or to better clean the straps, it's not a big deal. I remove the chest clip on my Marathon's all the time - every time they go from rear to forward facing (so that I can remove the HUGS for RF) and it's not a big deal, provided they're put on correctly again.
The buckle tong(ue) thing is interesting to me... but my Radian, which has been in constant use since 10/05, has NO fraying. I like that the tong(ue)'s stay in place, it makes it easier for my ds1 to buckle himself.
Maybe I'm the only one who didn't read Russ's original email and panic, but the Radian has been extensively crash tested... an extra 1/4 of an inch in buckle tong(ue) isn't going to mess it up. The harness will still work the same, it won't effect the crash performance at all.
And removing the chest clip is not difficult. Not that you should remove it just for fun, but if you need to remove it to clean it, or to better clean the straps, it's not a big deal. I remove the chest clip on my Marathon's all the time - every time they go from rear to forward facing (so that I can remove the HUGS for RF) and it's not a big deal, provided they're put on correctly again.
The buckle tong(ue) thing is interesting to me... but my Radian, which has been in constant use since 10/05, has NO fraying. I like that the tong(ue)'s stay in place, it makes it easier for my ds1 to buckle himself.
joolsplus3
Admin - CPS Technician
Um... yeah, we are...but only on one or two finer points. I met the actual guy who designed the Radian, Russ had to admit he didn't know chest clips are supposed to break or slide down in a crash, but the main guy did (he also invented that airbag-safe infant seat... smart fella).
It's ok, though, I think Russ knows plenty, and is just suffering from the massive hen-peck attack we put him through (it takes a strong soul to be the front man for a carseat company, we are HARD on these poor people!)
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