Would you install a car seat in this car?

pastrygirl

New member
I have a 1996 GMC Sierra. No LATCH, no top tether anchors (no retrofit available according to the LATCH manual, if I read it correctly), no passenger airbag. I'm not sure if it's an ALR, switchable, or ELR -- I can check later. The middle belt is a lapbelt only with a working locking latchplate.

My husband uses the truck to go to the dump each week and also when he needs to buy big things from home improvement stores. He's hoping to have some good father-son trips in that truck, even if it's just to the dump a few minutes away.

My initial thought? NO WAY. We have two other cars so it's not necessary for driving Toby around. But I thought I'd check here to see what you all think. He's RF in a MA, at 2 years old and about 29 pounds. I doubt there's anywhere to tether RF in that truck. Would you RF anyway? FF as long as there's a harness, even without the top tether?
 
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crunchierthanthou

New member
I think you might be able to get a TA retrofitted. Read the GM Technical Service Bulletin on page 129 of the 2007 LATCH manual. The only excluded vehicles are the EV1 and the Prism.

There's a chance it's an ELR with a sewn on latchplate/dual retractors. I know of other GM trucks in that timeframe that are. In that case, you would need a belt shortening clip for the outboard.
 

Mama!

New member
If you could get that lap belt latchplate easily around the latch bar on the MA, I'd have no problem at all RF installing a MA in the center of the backseat. And I'd bet you 5 bucks you can find soemthing to tether to RF.

Just my :twocents:
 

pastrygirl

New member
There's no back seat. :)

I have a belt shortening clip that they gave us during my CPST class, so I can use that if I need to.
 

safeinthecar

Moderator - CPS Technician
It may be a sewn on latchplate outboard, but is should be switchable on the lap-portion. My 90 Surburban is switchable. My 79 truck needed a BSC.
 

Defrost

Moderator - CPSTI Emeritus
I have a '97 Chevy Astro and I put carseats in it every other month or so. ;)

I have never put one in the front seat, however. We do have a passenger side airbag. We also have a sewn-on latchplate on that seating position's seat belt, which means there are two retractors. The shoulder retractor is ELR-only, and the lapbelt retractor is ELR/ALR-switchable. Technically, it would be possible to install a carseat there, without using a BSC.

I would probably allow it, if it were my kid and my dh, provided I was allowed to do the install, of course. As for the tether issue - of course I do use them whenever possible, but carseats do perform well without them. The tether wouldn't be a deal-breaker for me.
 

singingpond

New member
It may be a sewn on latchplate outboard, but is should be switchable on the lap-portion. My 90 Surburban is switchable. My 79 truck needed a BSC.

Same here on a '92 Chevy pickup -- sewn-on latchplate outboard, but switchable on the lap portion only. I've always assumed this is fine for installing a carseat, since it basically provides a locked lapbelt, and that's all you need for a carseat install.

I have wondered whether it might be a bad idea to lock that lapbelt on a boostered child, though, since it's not quite the same dynamics as locking the whole belt on a seatbelt that slides through its latchplate (?). I know this wasn't the OP's question, since she has a younger harnessed child, but I've wondered about this when my 6 y.o. rides in his booster in the truck -- he is so much in the habit of locking his seatbelt when he's in a booster that he usually does it in the truck too -- so his lapbelt is locked up, but the shoulder belt is still free to move. Anyone have any opinions on this situation?

ETA: Hey, just noticed, this is my 1000th post :) Yikes!!

Katrin
 

Defrost

Moderator - CPSTI Emeritus
I have wondered whether it might be a bad idea to lock that lapbelt on a boostered child, though, since it's not quite the same dynamics as locking the whole belt on a seatbelt that slides through its latchplate (?). I know this wasn't the OP's question, since she has a younger harnessed child, but I've wondered about this when my 6 y.o. rides in his booster in the truck -- he is so much in the habit of locking his seatbelt when he's in a booster that he usually does it in the truck too -- so his lapbelt is locked up, but the shoulder belt is still free to move. Anyone have any opinions on this situation?

Interesting question. I wonder if the manual says anything about it? I actually prefer to lock it when I ride there, too.
 
U

Unregistered1

Guest
Same here on a '92 Chevy pickup -- sewn-on latchplate outboard, but switchable on the lap portion only. I've always assumed this is fine for installing a carseat, since it basically provides a locked lapbelt, and that's all you need for a carseat install.

I have wondered whether it might be a bad idea to lock that lapbelt on a boostered child, though, since it's not quite the same dynamics as locking the whole belt on a seatbelt that slides through its latchplate (?). I know this wasn't the OP's question, since she has a younger harnessed child, but I've wondered about this when my 6 y.o. rides in his booster in the truck -- he is so much in the habit of locking his seatbelt when he's in a booster that he usually does it in the truck too -- so his lapbelt is locked up, but the shoulder belt is still free to move. Anyone have any opinions on this situation?

ETA: Hey, just noticed, this is my 1000th post :) Yikes!!

Katrin

I don't think that locking the lap belt would be any different than riding in a belt with a locking latchplate...
 

singingpond

New member
I don't think that locking the lap belt would be any different than riding in a belt with a locking latchplate...

Yeah, that makes sense. Just not 100% sure whether the two separate retractors on the sewn-on-latchplate belts make things different somehow in a crash -- i.e. different timing of when the two belts are locked after an impact, and whether that has some effect on how the occupant's body moves. Probably not....

Katrin
 

bethng

Active member
There's no back seat. :)

I have a belt shortening clip that they gave us during my CPST class, so I can use that if I need to.

Maybe I misunderstood at my class but I thought that you had to order a belt shortening clip directly from your cars manufacture and they were not interchangeable between makes of cars. :confused:
 

skiersnowboarder3

Senior Community Member
Maybe I misunderstood at my class but I thought that you had to order a belt shortening clip directly from your cars manufacture and they were not interchangeable between makes of cars. :confused:

I don't remember learning that. I'm pretty sure they are interchangeable. A BSC is NOT interchangeable with a LC. Maybe that's what's confusing you?
 

Defrost

Moderator - CPSTI Emeritus
I don't think that locking the lap belt would be any different than riding in a belt with a locking latchplate...

D'oh! Good point, I hadn't even thought about that.

I don't think the fact that it has two retractors would really change the dynamics when compared to a locking latchplate. The lap-retractor, when locked, would stay that way - just like with a locking latchplate, and the shoulder-retractor would lock as usual.
 

pastrygirl

New member
Maybe I misunderstood at my class but I thought that you had to order a belt shortening clip directly from your cars manufacture and they were not interchangeable between makes of cars. :confused:

I'm pretty sure they are interchangeable, but a locking clip can't be used as a BSC since they aren't as strong. The ones we were given were from Ford, who gives them out for free, so that's where my instructor gets them from.
 

pastrygirl

New member
I would probably allow it, if it were my kid and my dh, provided I was allowed to do the install, of course. As for the tether issue - of course I do use them whenever possible, but carseats do perform well without them. The tether wouldn't be a deal-breaker for me.

Oh yeah, I'd definitely be doing the install! I'd be a nervous wreck otherwise. It's really the combo of front seat plus no tether that worries me. Also, the fact that it's an unnecessary ride.

I can safely do a RF install since there's no airbag, right? Or would FF be safer in this case? I read some posts here asking whether a RF child would smash right into the glass behind the vehicle seat since there's no second row...
 

BW1426

Well-known member
If there's no airbag (I mean, NO airbag. I don't trust the turn off airbag switches with a RF seat) I personally wouldn't think twice about it. I wouldn't like it as a full time solution. One thing I would worry about is if he has a cover over the back of his truck or if he has bars covering the window. Things flying through the back at your RF son would be of greater concern to me in this case than anything else.
 

pastrygirl

New member
There is NO airbag -- I'd be leery of a switch, too! Especially since it's that old and he bought it used.

He has one of those metal boxes right under the window in the truck bed. I don't think that can come flying in, though, since it's anchored to the bed somehow. I'll have to see if there are other hazards in the back. Thanks for the idea!
 

BW1426

Well-known member
There is NO airbag -- I'd be leery of a switch, too! Especially since it's that old and he bought it used.

He has one of those metal boxes right under the window in the truck bed. I don't think that can come flying in, though, since it's anchored to the bed somehow. I'll have to see if there are other hazards in the back. Thanks for the idea!

I was mainly thinking of if he's taking anything heavy to the dump or if there are any tools in the back.

I wonder if you could order a heavy duty tether anchor and istall it in the front for while he's RF, though I don't think that would be a major necessity.
 

skaterbabs

Well-known member
A 1996 GM will likely have locking latchplates. There's a slim chance the passenger outboard belt will have a switchable retractor, but regardless a locking clip will not be necessary.
 

bethng

Active member
I don't remember learning that. I'm pretty sure they are interchangeable. A BSC is NOT interchangeable with a LC. Maybe that's what's confusing you?

no, I recall her saying that a locking clip can be bought and used on any type of seatbelt that needed one (in any make of car), which I knew, but she said that the BSC had to be ordered from the particular cars manufacture. Perhaps she was wrong. I know I am not going crazy....I hope. I remember thinking ....so what do we do at a check when a car needs a BSC? Send them off unsafe with instructions to call their car's manufacturer? I should email my instructor and have her clear that up for me. It's gonna bug me now!
 

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