Question Britax Frayed Strap Issues, Again. PLEASE HELP.

msuarez919

New member
So I have gone through 2 Advocate 70 CS's, 2 Frontier 85's and now a Frontier 85 SICT. They all have the same issue. I purchased the first Advocate 70 back in November 2010 and the Frontier 85 in January 2011. Early March I noticed significant fraying on the F85's harness tightening strap and decided to check the Advocate (which is rear facing so I never really looked at it). Significant fraying as well. I called up Britax and they asked me to email pics which I did. I returned the seats and they sent out new ones. Last month I look at the F85 strap and it's seriously frayed, again. I call up Britax, they have me send pics and they determine, again, that the seat is not safe and want to send me another. A third F85. I figure that a third will have the same issues and know that they are going to release the F85 SICT. I get refunded for the original F85 and purchase a SICT hoping that the issue (which btw are metal edges rubbing against the strap) will be resolved on the newer "edition" of the F85. I've had the SICT for 2 weeks and yes, there is significant fraying already. I've emailed pics and a new SICT arrived yesterday. I should also mention that I've just looked at the Advocate's strap and it's fraying as well. I've googled this and nothing comes up. After a while I started to think it might be something I was doing wrong. But I've been using car seats for almost 4 1/2 years and I've never had this problem. I could even see this happening if I had one seat in the middle of my back seat and I was tightening the strap from the outside of the car. I assure you this is not the situation. I have the 2 seats riding outboard which means I'm on top of them when I tighten them. Sometimes my son does strap himself in and "tighten" the strap himself but I always have to tighten him much more than he's able to do by himself. Not to mention that BOTH seat's straps are frayed and my 17 month old daughter is not pulling her own strap, me and my husband are. So that ruled out human error. Does anyone else out there have this problem? Anyone have some insight? What would you do? Oh, and you might be asking why I'm sticking it out with Britax after my experience. My son is 4 years old with a 17.5" torso and weighs 38 lbs. The F85 is simply the best fitting seat that will keep him harnessed the longest. Not to mention that I'm familiar with Britax (we've been using them since he was 18 months old -- no fraying on our old Marathon) and so far their customer service has been incredible.
 
ADS

mlohry

New member
I had it happen with a RA 50 a few months ago, they sent me another RA 50, but the harness adjuster wouldn't stay locked right away, so they sent me a MA 70. I was very impressed with their customer service. I too have owned other Britax seats, but never had issues until the RA 50, that seat was almost a year before I had a problem.
 

Judi

CPST/Firefighter
How do you tighten? I see some people that wiggle the strap side to side while tightening, which helps it fray.
 

msuarez919

New member
Their customer service is incredible. I wonder when they started using thinner straps like the ones on the 70's. My 2007 MA has the fat straps that just seem more durable.
 

msuarez919

New member
How do you tighten? I see some people that wiggle the strap side to side while tightening, which helps it fray.

I pull the strap down and out (towards the front seat) on the F85 and up on the Advocate 70 (because it's rfing). No wiggling :)
 

NannyMom

Well-known member
and it's fraying on the SIDE of the strap, not on the top? And you're SURE you're not even pulling slightly to the side?
 

creideamh

Well-known member
Wow, that's absolutely insane, that many seats with the same fraying issue. I've owned so many seats (never a Britax) and never had a strap-fray issue. I'm lusting over the Sophia BLVD 70 right now, but this makes me hesitate... although from everyone else's reports, their service is incredible.
 

emtb79

New member
Maybe it is a batch of straps made poorly because my adjusters on all 3 of mine are just fine, but I also dont readjust mine every day.
 

cpsaddict

New member
I readjust my Marathon 70 for every ride and have not had any fraying. It's DOM is 7/2010 and I have been using it almost exactly a year. That is just odd. I will say that my older Marathon(2009) does have some fraying/fuzzing on the adjuster, but when I asked here and showed pics, was told it was fine, since the threads were not coming apart.
 

abbi_n_nadia

New member
Wow thats really strange. Could it be some sort of weird compatibility issue with your car? I have no idea, just brainstorming.

We have both a MA70 and a FR85 and no issues at all with them that I've noticed. I think I'll go out and check the straps and doms really quick.
 

sweetpea3829

New member
I had some fraying issues with a FR80 (one of the older versions...I think 2008 or 2009). The fraying was actually occuring on the harness itself down on the lap portion. There was not any fraying on my son's slightly newer FR80 and when I compared the crotch buckles, I noticed that my daughter's had the metal lip which rubbed against the straps as they were tightened. My son's did not...his crotch buckles were solid plastic.

I'm fairly certain that all of my FR seats had some minor fraying on the tightening strap itself, but I never considered it of serious importance because that strap (in the part that was slightly frayed) doesn't bear any of the load in an accident.

The fraying on the harness itself concerned me because I was concerned that, in an accident, the fraying might easily tear, kind of like a piece of duct tape does when it has a very small notch.

Anyways...I contacted Britax and they actually sent out a replacement harness. They did not send out a replacement seat.

Regardless, they were excellent to work with.
 

abbi_n_nadia

New member
Just looked at mine. They both look totally perfect. We haven't had them that long tho. Got the MA70 in march and the FR85 in april I think. I dont readjust them everytime either so I guess if they were going to fray it might take longer? I really don't feel any sharp edges anywhere tho.
 

Baylor

New member
How much do you loosen and tighten? I never have to do more than a small adjustment when tightening the harness. Pretty much only gets changed seasonally. Most times, I don't need to adjust at all.

Do you loosen all the way to get in and out then tighten all the way?
 

msuarez919

New member
Wow thats really strange. Could it be some sort of weird compatibility issue with your car? I have no idea, just brainstorming.

We have both a MA70 and a FR85 and no issues at all with them that I've noticed. I think I'll go out and check the straps and doms really quick.

Not sure... I never thought of the car (2003 Nissan Altima) but it's a possiblity. No one else seems to have this problem?!
 

msuarez919

New member
How much do you loosen and tighten? I never have to do more than a small adjustment when tightening the harness. Pretty much only gets changed seasonally. Most times, I don't need to adjust at all.

Do you loosen all the way to get in and out then tighten all the way?

I loosen quite a bit. I get it so my son can hop out without getting all tangled up in the open harness straps. But I don't pull the harness straps all the way out, just enough so that they can "lay" on the armrests (on the F85). Same deal with my daughter's Advocate 70. She's wiggly and unaware that she's getting caught in the straps so I need to get them out of the way.
 

Baylor

New member
I have never had my kids get tangled in them. At 4 he should be able to pull his arms out and in without getting tangled. I would stop pulling it out so much. Just undo and and tuck behind him in the seat, so he can get out. Don't pull them out to the sides.

Does that make sense? I take my sons one arm out and tuck it behind him on that side.. Then the same on the other side. I never loosen more than an inch or so.
 

msuarez919

New member
I have never had my kids get tangled in them. At 4 he should be able to pull his arms out and in without getting tangled. I would stop pulling it out so much. Just undo and and tuck behind him in the seat, so he can get out. Don't pull them out to the sides.

Does that make sense? I take my sons one arm out and tuck it behind him on that side.. Then the same on the other side. I never loosen more than an inch or so.

It makes sense, but am I the only one who pulls the straps out farther than the bare minimum it takes to get your child out? It's good advice, I just want to make sure I haven't been missing something...

I'll try this method of getting my son out on the new SICT that I just installed. Fingers crossed. Although I still have to call Britax back again to clear up the Advocate's frayed straps issue, too. Yuck.

Thanks!
 

Baylor

New member
When I came here I adjusted more than I had to also. When I started reading about the right amount of slack and tightness I realized it was not necessary. I also have not had any twisted straps or fraying at all.

I don't over tighten them either. I used to, I did not realize it. IT just has to be tight enough so you can not pinch slack at the top of the chest/shoulder area. It does not have to be so tight they can not move at all.

It is much easier to put my son in and out now because all I have to do is stick him in and click it all in. Much less work.
 

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