Having tether anchors installed

[JessicaS]

Is this legit?

I went to the Chevy Dealership today to order tether anchors for my 1999 Malibu. They should get them in about a week, and install them for free.

According to the vehicle manual, it's free of charge, but it only specified the top anchor, for forward-facing. I will need that in a couple years for sure, but for right now my DD is still rear-facing, so I asked about getting the RF anchor installed too. The service person didn't know what I was talking about until I showed him the pictures from my Marathon user manual. He took the manual to the shop, and came back saying the tech said he's done this hundreds of times, and they can install both anchors no problem once they get the parts in. Also both will be free of charge.

Does this all sound kosher to you guys? Do you think they'll put the anchors in the center, I didn't even think to ask? Is it even okay to put them in the center? I currently have DD in the center and would like to keep her there if possible, but obviously if we can't, we can't.

I'm a total newbie. Her carseat hasn't been tethered this whole time, and she's been in it for 6 months. (I am confident that the rest of the install is good, but that will be another thread... Well, she could use a bit more recline. ) I can't find anything to tether it to without the anchors. I guess I blew it off since the carseat manual says it's not *required*. After reading the posts on this site however, I wanted to get this dealt with. Okay, I'm ready to be set straight.

[all together ooky]

Most cars do not have top tether anchors for rear-facing. You just wrap the d-ring strap around something permanently attached to the car (like the front seat leg) and then hook the tether to the d-ring.

Retrofitting top tether anchors in cars for forward-facing carseats is very common and that's probably what they plan to put in your car. I'd suggest that you get anchors for all of your rear-seating positions, if available. You never know when you'll have someone else's carseat in the car too.

[JessicaS]

Thanks for that tip. I'll have to take some pictures and post them probably. I could not find a place to tether to for rear-facing. The only thing I saw bolted to the floor was the track that the front seats move along.

[scatterbunny]

Noooo, they can't install a rear-facing anchor. They can only install FF anchors. They will install one anchor for free. I'd pick center, personally, but it's up to you.

Use the D-ring for rear-facing tethering. Pics of under your front seat would help.

[JessicaS]

Originally Posted by scatterbunny

Noooo, they can't install a rear-facing anchor. They can only install FF anchors. They will install one anchor for free. I'd pick center, personally, but it's up to you.

Use the D-ring for rear-facing tethering. Pics of under your front seat would help.

Ahhh! Thanks. So much confusion. Will take pics now.

[SafeandSecureBaby]

You will probably end up removing a small piece of plastic that is covering the bolt on the track you mentioned. This bolt connects your front seats to the vehicle floor frame. Once you remove the plastic covering, you should be able to slip the D-Ring provided by Britax with your seat, around the chair track and behind the bolt to the floor. You can then loop the D-Ring webbing around the bolt in the floor and slide the metal portion of the D-Ring through the loop in the webbing. This creates the rear tether anchor location to which you can attach your top tether.

After you remove the plastic, make sure that you store it someplace safe. You don't want to leave it sitting in the car as it could become a potential projectile in a crash. When storing it, put it someplace that you can find it again in a few years when you flip your car seat to forward facing. You can put the plastic back at that time after you remove the D-Ring.

[JessicaS]

What about the seatbelt stalk? Hopefully you guys can see something other than just my dirty car. Should I take a few pictures at a different angle? Thanks.

[southpawboston]

if you look in the first pic, the left seat rail. the section forward of the bolt... can you squeeze your finger between the rail and the rug? if so, that would be a great spot to loop the D-ring strap through. the same could apply to the the other rail, however the notches cut into the side of it indicate those might be part of the seat position mechanism and the d-loop may interfere with it. but the left rail looks ideal if you can fit the strap underneath it.

[CDNTech]

I agree, the left rail looks like a perfect spot.

[JessicaS]

Thanks guys! I'll try it out.

[JessicaS]

I took a break over the weekend since we didn't go anywhere. I'm worried that if I tether to the left rail with her seat in the center, the angle of the tether would be too great. Does that sound right? I feel like I'd have to put the seat outboard. Would it be better to have a good install in the center without tethering?

[twokidstwodogs]

Originally Posted by JessicaS

I took a break over the weekend since we didn't go anywhere. I'm worried that if I tether to the left rail with her seat in the center, the angle of the tether would be too great. Does that sound right? I feel like I'd have to put the seat outboard. Would it be better to have a good install in the center without tethering?

In that car, I'd say keep her in the center. I can't access the NHTSA ratings right now, but we used to have the same car and I distinctly remember having some concerns about the side impact ratings. I do believe that it was the front row that had the problems, not the second row, but I'd probably keep her in the center anyway, even if that means not tethering. Is the seat braced against the front seats?

[JessicaS]

Originally Posted by twokidstwodogs

In that car, I'd say keep her in the center. I can't access the NHTSA ratings right now, but we used to have the same car and I distinctly remember having some concerns about the side impact ratings. I do believe that it was the front row that had the problems, not the second row, but I'd probably keep her in the center anyway, even if that means not tethering. Is the seat braced against the front seats?

No, it's not. Would that be better? It used to be braced against the seats, but started feeling a bit loose. So, I reinstalled it very tightly, and put a lot of weight in the seat where her legs go, and ended up with a very upright install. I'm sure I could try again to get more recline, which would allow it to brace against the seats again, if that is best.

Aren't tethers a waste of money? I heard they were.

Just another marketing trick to get us to spend our hard earned !

[UlrikeDG]

Nope. They reduce head excursion and decrease the risk of head and neck injuries in frontal crashes. Additionally, they provide added protection in side impact crashes, which, while relatively rare, tend to be extremely severe.

As for it being a "marketting trick," if that's the case, car companies are going about it all wrong. It seems like most of the time parents who want to have tether anchors added have to work really hard to get it done. The dealerships often have no idea what they're talking about. Not exactly a "hard sell."

[dd9736]

Originally Posted by UlrikeDG

Nope. They reduce head excursion and decrease the risk of head and neck injuries in frontal crashes. Additionally, they provide added protection in side impact crashes, which, while relatively rare, tend to be extremely severe.

As for it being a "marketting trick," if that's the case, car companies are going about it all wrong. It seems like most of the time parents who want to have tether anchors added have to work really hard to get it done. The dealerships often have no idea what they're talking about. Not exactly a "hard sell."

Add to that, most dealerships offer at least one tether anchor for free, and some will even put at tether anchor in each location for free, not a very good trick, if they're the ones paying for it.