Successful Radian install but know question about the Graco

steph

steph

New member
Okay I had a successfull install of the Radian in a Acura TL center FF. I did have to twist the female end once but I didn't have to recline the seat. We put the safestop on since she is only 28 pounds and forward facing.

I locked the seatbelt and that puppy is in there tight!!! The only thing is it looks like it leans ever so slightly to the left (if facing it) and I am assuming its because the shoulder part of the belt is holding that side down a little. I hope thats okay!

As for the Graco...I installed it in her DH's nissan passport in the center which had a lap belt only. The lap belt was different. Instead of pulling on a loose end, the end was alltached to the belt (hope that makes sense). So you could only pull the belt so tight. I used a locking clip on it because with the slack it would wiggle free, Is that okay??? I hope that I explained it well enough.
 
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crunchierthanthou

crunchierthanthou

New member
You can't use a locking clip on a lap belt only. They are for 3-pt lap/shoulder belts only. Locking clips are designed the hold the seat in place until the ELR of the shoulder belt kicks in. They can and will pop off in a crash. If so, then the unlocked belt suddenly has several inches of slack and is in no way safe or effective.

Edit: try getting it as tight as you can, then unbuckle it and make the seatbelt an inch or two tighter (either by allowing the lapbelt to retract or feeding more through the lightweight locking latchplate. Then kneel on the seat as hard as you can and buckle it again. This may take two people, but should give you a sufficiently tight install.
 
snowbird25ca

snowbird25ca

Moderator - CPST Instructor
I saw a lap belt like that at our check the other day I think - the end just slides through a plastic piece that keeps it against the lap belt portion, but you could separate the 2 pieces and get your hands onto the tail end up by the buckle by sliding the end closer to the latch plate. Is that how this one was?

Lap belts you can't use locking clips on, but you can flip the male end of the buckle a half turn if the locking latchplate isn't doing it's job. I'd first try twisting the buckle stalk though to see if you could get the latch plate low enough that it's not on an angle.

The Radian sounds perfectly fine. The one side will naturally go up like that from the seat belt. Glad to see you got a good install. :)
 
crunchierthanthou

crunchierthanthou

New member
snowbird25ca said:
I saw a lap belt like that at our check the other day I think - the end just slides through a plastic piece that keeps it against the lap belt portion, but you could separate the 2 pieces and get your hands onto the tail end up by the buckle by sliding the end closer to the latch plate. Is that how this one was?

Lap belts you can't use locking clips on, but you can flip the male end of the buckle a half turn if the locking latchplate isn't doing it's job. I'd first try twisting the buckle stalk though to see if you could get the latch plate low enough that it's not on an angle.

The Radian sounds perfectly fine. The one side will naturally go up like that from the seat belt. Glad to see you got a good install. :)
Click to expand...

okay, now I understand the description more. If it won't lock and stay tight, then flipping the male end 180 degrees is a great suggestion; as is twisting the buckle stalk.
 
steph

steph

New member
How does twisting the male end 180 degrees lock it??? I can get it tight but the problem is that it seems to loosen up as I shake it.

It's like all the extra belt allows for it to loosen???

I also don't like how the extra section of the belt just sits there in a loop (maybe that's a pet peeve of mine though and not related to installation).

I'm going to try and get pics.
 
steph

steph

New member
What I actually did was twist the female end of the buckle 3 full times and it made it tight enough that I could pull the slack out. It's just that at the other side there is a loop of extra belt that bugs me but that thing is in there, the whole car shakes now! I think it just aesthically bugs me!!!

Thanks
 

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