Shoulder and lap belts that retract independently.

agave

New member

• May 14, 2013

• #1

Is it OK to instal seats or use boosters with these seat belts? We have a '94 Chevy pickup that we very occasionally have a need to carry the kids in. It has no tethers or airbags.

 

Keeanh

Well-known member

• May 14, 2013

• #2

What does your manual say? Does the lap belt have a locking retractor?

I have one of those in the front passenger seat of the Safari (same as a Chevy Astro). The lap belt has a locking retractor. According to the manual, it can be used with a FF harnessed seat, and it has a TA. So I defer to the vehicle manual if I have to install a seat there, since it's obviously meant for a car seat.

I wouldn't have any hesitation about using one of those seatbelts with a booster, even if it didn't lock.

 

agave

New member

• May 14, 2013

• #3

I'm currently about 450 miles from the truck, I'll have to see if I have the manual when I get home. Both belts lock when you pull them all the way out. When did they start putting tethers in? Honestly I've never checked just assumed they aren't there.

It's not even currently street legal but we should be fixing that soon.

We have an Evenflo booster that works great in it. I also want to see if I can get the Radian in FF with the lap belt.
http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=225638

 

Keeanh

Well-known member

• May 14, 2013

• #4

Not sure when they started putting TAs in Chevys. Is it a Silverado or an S-10? Are you talking about the front seat, or back? Extended or regular?

 

agave

New member

• May 14, 2013

• #5

It's the full size. Front seat, there is no back seat.

 

featherhead

Well-known member

• May 14, 2013

• #6

agave said:

It's the full size. Front seat, there is no back seat.

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Is the belt attached to the door?

 

agave

New member

• May 14, 2013

• #7

featherhead said:

Is the belt attached to the door?

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No it is not. I was just looking through a Parkway manual and it says not to use if the belt has 2 separate retractors.

 

katymyers

Active member

• May 14, 2013

• #8

My parents have an old Chevy with that type of seat belts. Car seat wise I've only ever been able to install Ella's infant seat baseless.

 

Keeanh

Well-known member

• May 14, 2013

• #9

agave said:

No it is not. I was just looking through a Parkway manual and it says not to use if the belt has 2 separate retractors.

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That's what most manuals will say. I'm okay with deferring to the vehicle manual.

ETA: Generally speaking, I mean. Where it's obvious the car seat manual is just using that as a catch-all for weird seatbelt configurations. If you don't have the vehicle manual, I would phone Chevy and see what they have to say. I would personally not have a problem using a belt positioning booster with the belts you're describing.

 

Last edited: May 14, 2013

Brigala

CPST Instructor

• May 14, 2013

• #10

The problem is that many of those two-retractor belts do NOT switch to automatic-locking position, and car seat manufacturers don't want to open the can of worms that is a "belt shortening clip."

For a booster, I would probably defer to the manual of the booster. Because I don't know why they'd say you "can't" use it, and if I don't know the reason, I'm going to err on the side of just following the instructions.

But I know why they do it for harnessed seats, and I know how to work around it.

If the belt locks at the lap belt's retractor, and the latch plate is "fixed" (doesn't slide up and down the belt) then all you have to do is lock the lap belt at the retractor. If it doesn't lock at the retractor, you use a belt shortening clip on the lap portion. In both cases, once you've "locked" the belt (whether at the retractor or at the belt shortening clip) the seat belt no longer retracts at the lap belt and therefore it's no longer in conflict with the car seat manual. Make sense?

 

agave

New member

• May 14, 2013

• #11

So, short version is lock the lap belt?

You just reminded me of a completely unrelated question. My parents have a conversion van the 3rd row is crazy wide and has no head support. It would be perfect for seats if the female end of the buckle wasn't so ridiculously long. The buckle always interferes with the belt path. Could I use a belt shortening clip on the female end? They are mounted to the floor.

 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob

Staff member

• May 14, 2013

• #12

Yeah, like car seats forbid ELR lap belts with sewn-on latch plates, but they can be used if necessary with a BSC.

 

Brigala

CPST Instructor

• May 14, 2013

• #13

agave said:

So, short version is lock the lap belt?

You just reminded me of a completely unrelated question. My parents have a conversion van the 3rd row is crazy wide and has no head support. It would be perfect for seats if the female end of the buckle wasn't so ridiculously long. The buckle always interferes with the belt path. Could I use a belt shortening clip on the female end? They are mounted to the floor.

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In my tech class, we were told that, yes, it can sometimes be done. But it would have to be really long (like an airplane seat almost) for it to work. I don't think a BSC can be appropriately installed on less than about 6" or 7" of webbing (that's a total approximation; it might need more or it might not need that much, I'd have to experiment with it). If you're talking about a long belt of webbing coming up from the floor and ending a few inches above the vehicle seat bight, yeah, it would probably work. I don't know that you'll find it in the "curriculum" but a belt shortening clip is intended to shorten the belt, so I'm not sure why it would be any different from a non-locking retractable lap belt.

 

jess71903

Ambassador

• May 14, 2013

• #14

My DH's truck is a '96, so same era. The lap belt does lock, and there are no tethers. The manual says that there are pre-drilled holes and tethers can be added.

 

agave

New member

• May 14, 2013

• #15

Brigala said:

In my tech class, we were told that, yes, it can sometimes be done. But it would have to be really long (like an airplane seat almost) for it to work. I don't think a BSC can be appropriately installed on less than about 6" or 7" of webbing (that's a total approximation; it might need more or it might not need that much, I'd have to experiment with it). If you're talking about a long belt of webbing coming up from the floor and ending a few inches above the vehicle seat bight, yeah, it would probably work. I.

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I'd estimate it's at least a foot of webbing. If I could shorten the belt I think I could put just about any seats in there.

 

ketchupqueen

CPST and ketchup snob

Staff member

• May 14, 2013

• #16

Yes, that's an appropriate use for a BSC.

 

agave

New member

• May 14, 2013

• #17

ketchupqueen said:

Yes, that's an appropriate use for a BSC.

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Yay!