True Fit FF w/seat belt questions

So I just spent 45 minutes trying to get my TF installed FFing with the seatbelt in a rental car -- Chevy Cruze. The first issue is that there is part of the seatbelt that has extra fabric -- I don't know how to describe it but I think it's the part that prevents the belt from sliding through the latch plate -- and that part sits right where I need to put the lock off. So I can't actually close the lock off with both the lap and shoulder portion of the belt. Do I have to include the shoulder portion in the lock off?

Does anyone know the weight limit for UAS installation in a Chevrolet? I couldn't find anything in the manual. If I can't do what I've done as described above, then I can try to install with UAS if that's an option.

Also, I'm having a hard time tightening the top tether in this car. How tight does it actually need to be?

Thanks in advance!

48lbs in a Chevy for UAS use.

You do need to have both the shoulder and lap belt in the lock-off. If you can, twist the female part of the buckle (the part it 'plugs' into) up to three full times to lower it, to hopefully get the thick part of the belt out of the lock-off.

I've found with the True Fit that you can adjust its recline a tad depending on where you weight the seat when tightening - try pushing the front in a bit, or letting it slide out a bit. Fiddle with that a bit and see if it helps? So long as you get it tight to within 1" or less of movement either is ok.

The top tether needs to have the slack out of it but not as tight as a UAS strap. Mine is like that in my Civic, so close it's almost impossible to tighten. Would installing in a different seating position make a difference? Sometimes the centre is configured a bit differently. Note that if you do use the centre, you can't use UAS with it and must use the seat belt - but the geometry of the belt might be different enough there that the lock-off would work. You also CAN take the head rests off if they interfere with the install.

If all of that fails - any chance you can trade it in for a different rental car?

I know what your talking about. My Silverado has the same piece of fabric on the outboard belts. Makes my TF incompatible ffing w seatbelt in those positions. Total pain! I'll see if I can find the pics...

ETA: My center belt had a plastic button to keep the latchplate from sliding. I don't think it interfered w a ffing install.

Sent from my phone using the app

Thanks, Pixelated -- totally helpful!

The female part does not twist, it's a newer kind that is all hard and set in the seat.

I tried what you suggested re: adjusting the recline a bit and it totally worked! So I got the seatbelt perfectly flat with the belt path and was able to tighten it and for some reason the double fabric part moved just enough that it was no longer right under the little clip part of the lock off so I was able to close it! If that had failed however, I could have used UAS as my daughter is only 43 lbs.

My usual car is a Civic and I have the same issue with the top tether. I have taken the car's head rest off, and then I pull the head rest of the True Fit up a bit (can just access the button for it) and pull the slack of the top tether belt through and tighten it. Then I push the car seat head rest back down until I hear it click back in place! I tried to do that in this car but was not able to get my finger in to the release button for the TF's head rest, so tightened it as best as I could.

Thanks, again!

Great, glad it worked! I do the almost the same in the Civic re the TT, except now I put the tail of the TT through to the front of the carseat before I start to install, then tighten and shove the tail of the TT into the gap without raising the TF headrest. LOL

I'm glad that worked. I've seen that loop before with a TF and had to settle for a barely acceptable install because there wasn't anything in that particular vehicle that could get it clear on one side or the other short of having the seat with a little wiggle room. It was acceptable - but just barely... Stupid webbing like that - at least buttons can be popped off...

One of these days vehicle manufacturers are going to consider child restraints when they design their occupant restraint systems in the back seat. Hopefully anyways...