Help needed with rear armrests upgrade

[Keshav]

Hello all. I am in the process of modifying my 1973 rear armrests to those from the 1974/75 ones with the plastic inserts for the belt to slide by. Now the problem I have is that the seat belt 'roll' anchor (behind the Rest Seat, below the C Post) is too low for the belt to actually benefit from the sliding function. The roll needs to be way higher, like 10cms. For me to relocate the roll higher requires fabricating and welding a new bracket further up, like the current one. Am i making sense? Can some one with a 74/75 PLEASE send me a pic of where and how the belt roll is located/ bolted on the 'inner wheel well'
Alan, maybe you can send me a pic or two since I know you are restoring your 1974.
Much appreciated
Keshav

 

[aearch]

fairly straight forward you could just tap a thread in the existing frame no need to weld antthing

 

[Keshav]

Perfect. Thanks a million! Keshav

 

[Markos]

fairly straight forward you could just tap a thread in the existing frame no need to weld antthing

I find it hard to believe that there isn't a nut welded to the back side of the frame.

 

[Keshav]

Marcos, in my '73, the anchor for the retractor ive been using (with the bolt behind it for strength) is way way lower, as if for a rear seat belt. The pic from Alan shows the fixture directly into the frame rail and also way above, almost to the top end. I have no other bolt on points further above on the frame rail. Maybe BMW did infact weld in a screw inside the frame rail (unaccessible) during the face lift! Would just drilling a hole and threading the bolt in be strong enough? Please elaborate! Thanks

 

[aearch]

SURE BECAUSE ITS TENSION IS ON THE BOLT THE METAL BWM USED IN THIS CAR IS THE HARDEST STUFF IVE EVER SEEN
EVEN HARDER THAN MY 52 CHEVY TRUCK STEEL
IF YOU WANT TO BE SUPER SURE TAKE A PIECE OF THIN PLATE STEEL DRILL TWO SMALL HOLES -USE HEADLIGHT MOUNTING SCREWS TOP AND BOTTOM TO THE FACE THEN DRILL THE STEEL ALSO
THE SHEAR IS DIRECTLY AT THE BOLT NOT THE METAL

 

[Markos]

Marcos, in my '73, the anchor for the retractor ive been using (with the bolt behind it for strength) is way way lower, as if for a rear seat belt. The pic from Alan shows the fixture directly into the frame rail and also way above, almost to the top end. I have no other bolt on points further above on the frame rail. Maybe BMW did infact weld in a screw inside the frame rail (unaccessible) during the face lift! Would just drilling a hole and threading the bolt in be strong enough? Please elaborate! Thanks

Some great info in the thread below. I would have a sleeve for the bolt at the very least versus tapping sheet metal. You could have the strongest bolt in the world, rendered useless when screwed into mild steel sheet metal. I've never seen a seat belt anchor without an insert or a captured but on the backside. If the area fails in a collision, you not only lose your seatbelt, but you are sending a 5lb projectile towards the back of your head.

http://www.e9coupe.com/forum/threads/superb-period-correct-seat-belts-from-uk.11797/

 

[Gary Knox]

My '74 has a threaded 'nut' welded into this location, similar to the ones that fasten the seat belt receivers to the central tunnel.

 

[Keshav]

Thank you ALL. Marcos, very right on the security issue. Followed the link you provided and saw what Bert did, exactly what I want to do too! Although his car is a 72 and mine a 73, seems his has the secured points way up on top as per his pictures and mine has none up there. Maybe US vs Euro model.......... So it will boil down to some fabricating before I can securely mount the reel. What a pity that it isint a plug 'n play!

 

[Keshav]

OK....... I have some answers which i want to share. Apparently BMW themselves came up with a solution for those who wanted to upgrade from pre 74 to the facelift version for the seatbelt retractors behind the arm rests. Needless to say, one needs the 'new' armrests which upon close inspection are differently designed to the older ones, so as to accommodate the retractor and the plastic slide insert.
What apparently BMW came up with is relatively simple, no welding required. They took a metal strip, 10cm by 1.5-2cm with a hole on one side and a welded nut/ hole on the other side. The metal strip with the hole is for the standard fixture point and the other end ends goes into a, to be, drilled hole on the side of the frame rail to accommodate the welded nut. Insert nut into the hole and fasten the retractor to that nut. Apparently it is recommended to rubber hammer a slight base in the wheel well so that the retractor is as 'straight' as possible, which depends on which retractor/ sealtbelts one has. Some retractors are larger and bulkier than others. I'll get the parts in a few days and post pics of the end job. Although this is a 'unimportant upgrade', for me it's definitely the most esthetic seatbelt solution. Nothing is in the way and barely visible.

 

[Markos]

OK....... I have some answers which i want to share. Apparently BMW themselves came up with a solution for those who wanted to upgrade from pre 74 to the facelift version for the seatbelt retractors behind the arm rests. Needless to say, one needs the 'new' armrests which upon close inspection are differently designed to the older ones, so as to accommodate the retractor and the plastic slide insert.
What apparently BMW came up with is relatively simple, no welding required. They took a metal strip, 10cm by 1.5-2cm with a hole on one side and a welded nut/ hole on the other side. The metal strip with the hole is for the standard fixture point and the other end ends goes into a, to be, drilled hole on the side of the frame rail to accommodate the welded nut. Insert nut into the hole and fasten the retractor to that nut. Apparently it is recommended to rubber hammer a slight base in the wheel well so that the retractor is as 'straight' as possible, which depends on which retractor/ sealtbelts one has. Some retractors are larger and bulkier than others. I'll get the parts in a few days and post pics of the end job. Although this is a 'unimportant upgrade', for me it's definitely the most esthetic seatbelt solution. Nothing is in the way and barely visible.

Sounds perfect. So the upgrade is held in place by the factory mount, just shifted. Those nut strips are common in factory installations. You see them a lot with factory hitch installations, bumpers, etc.