Question forward of the bight buckles.

bobandjess99

Senior Community Member
Are there any seats that are known to install well with FOTB buckles?
My friend has these awful buckles in her 98 altima..they are FOTB AND on these long-webbing stalks, such that it is nearly inpossible to install ANYTHING...she , on my recommendation, looked ta and fell in love with the truefit. bought it..but the buckle stalk, even with 3 full twists,falls right IN the stupid lockoff! If she didn't HAVE to use the lockoff, the seat would be GOLDEN..in nice and tight, solid, perfect...but there is literally no way to tighten the stupid lockoff on the buckle side.
We *can* install the seat in the middle with the lap belt with oinly minimal interference from teh buckle stalk, but her middle seat convexes outward, such that the aqdjuster is absolutely buried...

So, we went and looked, and the EFTA seemed perfect..it sits UP so high, we though he long buckle stalks would be less of a problem..except the knobs got burid and again, she was left with a seat she couldn't adjust.
The AOE hs that low beltpath, and she just hates it, so we didn't honestly try that hard...
She needs the highest shell possible, her dd is REALLY tall, and she wants to RF to the max ( her dd will be 2 yo in MAY, a lightweight 22 lbs, but tall..not sure the exact msmt..has about 3 inches over her head in the truefit, if that helps)

So..what? At this point, she is ready to just chuck carseats altogether and hold her dd..LOL..ok, not really, but that's the level of frustration....despite being a tech, this is actually my first foray into the world of FOTB seatbelts with crazy buckle stalks and awful, highly curved seats..basically,the vehicle is a nightmare for CRS's.

My only other thought was a radian, but I know it has installation issues anyway, and honestly, at this point, since she'd have to order it sight unseen, I'm not sure she even would...the frustration is pretty high.

Any ideas for how to help, seats that are known to work well with fotb belts? Anything?
Right now, we have an acceptable install with the TF in the center, she just can't adjust it - I taught her how to use the continuous harness to her advantage, but even that is really hard, given how differently the seat fits from day to day..(i dont care what anyone else's experience is, different cloth diapers cause as much as an inch of torso height difference from day to day.... they just DO.)
Oh, and the $190 for the TF is her absolute max budget, it was tax refund money, and all she has, period.
 
ADS

racesmom

Senior Community Member
Have you tried not twisting and letting the buckle be up in the belt path? Reach through the opposite side to pull the belt tight, then lock the lock off. I've had this work in an older Saturn with a RF C/S. Also, have you tried different locations? Center, both outboards?
 

bobandjess99

Senior Community Member
Have you tried not twisting and letting the buckle be up in the belt path? Reach through the opposite side to pull the belt tight, then lock the lock off. I've had this work in an older Saturn with a RF C/S. Also, have you tried different locations? Center, both outboards?

The problem is that when the belt is pulled tight, it puts the actual buckle, the metal and plastic part, right IN the stupid lockoff. With or without twists, doesn't matter, the buckle ends up laying right on the stupid yellow lockoff area, and you can't close the lockoff on it, obviously. If the stalk webbing were a little longer, we might be able to just get the buckle all the way up IN the beltpath, but we can't...and even with 3 full twists, we can't get it short enought to be compeltely not in the beltpath..both ways, it ends up laying right on the damnable lockoff. The stupid thing is..the seat is in ROCK solid, withOUT the lockoff. PErfect. Her seatbelts lock and we can ratchet it back in and get a really tight, awesome install..just NOT WITH the stupid lockoffs. :mad:
Yes, we tried center and outboards..we can NOT get it to work in the outborads, because nothing you can possibly do purs the buckle NOT in the lockoff.....in the center, due to slightly different spacing I think, with 3 full twists, we can keep the buckle just barely out of the lockoff is, - it gives an *acceptable* but not rock solid install. But then the adjuster is buried because the middle seat bows outward(i dont think anyone is truly supposed to sit there, it is more like a puffed out buffer between the two very scooped out outboard seat, IYKWIM?).
I've never been so frustrated.
 

finn

New member
We have fotb buckles that are recessed into the car, so you can't twist them or anything. I found most seats install ok rear facing, especially if they are a bit deeper, the radian might be good as it has the boot that moves it away from the seat back a bit.

What I have huge trouble with is getting a good install forward facing, if a seat doesn't use the long belt path then it doesn't work, you think you have it tight but it just twists so that it is inline with the buckle :(
 

Splash

New member
I'd skip the lockoffs, at least the one in the way. If your belt is already locked, they're pretty redundant. I know they're "required" but in this case I'd still skip them.

Marathon? That might work.

You're gonna have an even bigger problem FF, and in that situation I think the TF is gonna be your best choice.
 

bobandjess99

Senior Community Member
I'd skip the lockoffs, at least the one in the way. If your belt is already locked, they're pretty redundant. I know they're "required" but in this case I'd still skip them.

Marathon? That might work.

You're gonna have an even bigger problem FF, and in that situation I think the TF is gonna be your best choice.

*sigh*
honestly, if it were MY kid, I'd probably feel okay not using the 1 lockoff in the way..I mean, with a tight belt, and 1 lockoff, the seat isn't going anywhere..but I feel like I can't tell her to disregard the manual...you know?

I did suggest the marathon, but she really likes the "bowl"shape of the TF, and the EFTA. :rolleyes:

Ya..we talked about that, but she's hoping for 2 more years of Fing, and the plan is to have a better vehicle by then....so we'll see....
 

Defrost

Moderator - CPSTI Emeritus
Marathon. :thumbsup: It's not always a cure-all, but it's the most likely to be compatible and easy enough for her to duplicate.
 

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