Question Vehicle belts not retracting properly anymore?

[mommabritt]

I've started noticing that the shoulder belts in the third row of my 06 Suburban aren't retracting on their own. This is also the case on the captains seats in the middle row but I really only notice on the passenger side since the drivers side has a rf roundabout installed 100% of the time. The passenger has a frontier85 in it but I take it out periodically to clean/etc.

Is this a concern? Is there a remedy for this? Ds3 is going to start booster training this summer in the captains seat and I need the belt to work well.

Any help is appreciated.

 

[Keeanh]

I think the springs in the retractors start to get "tired". My outboard 2nd row of my 2000 Safari doesn't always retract all the way, and I know that the Suburban & the Astro/Safari share the same platform and a lot of the same parts. If I pull it all the way out and then hold the belt up so the slack feeds straight in with no resistance, it'll all go. Like those old vacuums with retracting cords. Only way to get the last couple feet in was to pull more out and let the recoiler take a run at it LOL.

It doesn't worry me at all because the recoiling spring has nothing to do with the locking mechanism.

I had a look online at one point to see if I could fix mine, and found some accounts of people cleaning their springs or adding a couple turns to make it tighter. Generally these threads were accompanied by warnings of the hours they spent trying to re-wind the spring after it got away from them LOL! If it really bothers you, it's probably easier to replace the whole seatbelt.

 

[mommabritt]

That makes sense, especially wince they've been used for years to hold down carseats.

I am only concerned because even the slightest lean of the body in a booster (not into a danger zone or anything) leave the belt loose.

My brother is a master mechanic, maybe I'll ask him about the retractors and how much time he'd need to tighten them up.

 

[Keeanh]

That makes sense, especially wince they've been used for years to hold down carseats.

I am only concerned because even the slightest lean of the body in a booster (not into a danger zone or anything) leave the belt loose.

My brother is a master mechanic, maybe I'll ask him about the retractors and how much time he'd need to tighten them up.

Oh, yeah, I can see how that would be a problem. Mine aren't that bad yet. They only leave slack for the last foot or so of recoiling. Nothing that affects them when you pull out a few feet to buckle. That would be awesome if your brother could fix it for you!

 

[mommabritt]

Yeas it's only the last foot or two on mine too but it's enough to have a loose belt across the body. No good.