Question about the tether anchors in my truck

[Kristydrosgers]

I have to put the tether in the crease of my seat to get to my tether anchor instead of over like most is this ok

 

[Jeanum]

I've not heard of putting a top tether strap through the seat bight/crease to reach the tether anchor, although I know pickup trucks might require you to thread a forward facing child restraint's top tether strap through a loop behind the vehicle seatback to route it to a top tether anchor behind an adjacent seating position. Trucks can be an interesting beast. What is your truck's manufacturer, model name, and model year?

 

[unityco]

It doesn't sound like it would be okay, but more information would help us help you figure it out.

What make/model is your truck? What does the truck's manual have to say about child seats? Where are the tether hooks? What car seat are you using and is it FF or RF? What position are you trying to install the seat in?

 

[Kristydrosgers]

FF BV in a 98 dodge ram quad cab there are no loops the hooks are right on the anchors

 

[unityco]

You had the anchors added to this truck, right? Where exactly are they - are they on the floor, on the back wall, etc.? Why can't you put them over the seat back - is the tether too short?

Sorry for so many questions - I'm just having a hard time picturing this!

 

[beebear23]

You should be able to fold down the back seat, attach the tether and then put the backseat upright again. And then install the car seat and tighten the tether.

Is the tether strap not long enough?

 

[Kristydrosgers]

I have to fold my seat up just to get it to go through the crease in the seat then put the seat down and install the seat but there isn't any room to put the tether behind the seat it won't go down through there the anchors are on the floor

 

[Jeanum]

Bumping this up to the top for more visibility and suggestions to try to help out the OP. I forgot the OP had her truck retrofitted with a tether anchor, d'oh. I would have suggested what Beebear described, too, and I can't visualize how it isn't workable to route the strap tether strap over the seatback and behind the seat to the anchor.

 

[unityco]

Is the seat back attached directly to the back wall (so it doesn't fold, or move at all?) Is there no gap between the back wall and the seat back?

 

[Kristydrosgers]

Is the seat back attached directly to the back wall (so it doesn't fold, or move at all?) Is there no gap between the back wall and the seat back?

yes your can't get your hand or anything else down there

 

[wendytthomas]

Hmmm, weird. In the past I've had to recline the truck's seat back, then install the tether loosely, then put the seat back up, install the seat, and then tighten the tether. I've never seen a truck that has had tether anchors either made with it or retrofitted that you can't get to at all. Putting it through the crease as you're doing is not safe, it's not how it's intended to be used, and since you're doing a seatbelt installation it'd be safer to not use the tether at all than how you have it now.

Does your manual say anything about using retrofitted tether anchors?

Wendy

 

[beebear23]

Does it happen to look like this? http://mobile.jlaudio.com/products_stealthbox_detail.php?fit_id=1437

 

[QuassEE]

I haven't done many truck installs, but I recall in one I had to dangle the tether strap down the seatback and then reach under the bench to attach it. Is this an option here?

-Nicole.

 

[unityco]

Is it possible the new anchors are meant only for FRONT seat installations? Where are the anchors on the floor relative to the front and back seats?

 

[Kristydrosgers]

My backseats do look like that pic, I tried to dangle it down the back but it wouldn't go. Maybe I could shove it down through there with something, there doesn't seem to be any room at all but I guess I could try again.

 

[joolsplus3]

Maybe use a wire hanger stretched flat? The hook could attach to the tether hook so you could fish it down...?