The endless seatbelt update question
- Thread starter e9Leveque
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Hi Scott, just an FYI - I was going to do the same but in discussion with the mechanic he declined the work/mod and his opinion was that the gauge of the steel in that b-pillar area is not sufficient and pointed out the difference compared to the original BMW fastening point behind the rear seats.
He is correct you have to add steel on the b pillar. No question
They make a reinforcement plate with the 7/8” SAE threads in them. I used those on a 69 2002 where I installed a retractor next to the rear seats.
Rob
I really like your idea, can you share more about how you did this. From the picture I cannot tell how you did it. I cannot see where you made the drill hole?
Mike, I made this in late 2022 using BMW 72111815734
found on ebay and W&N at that time. Today I was unsuccessful on a Google search. But you can see they have a threaded stud. The headrest bumper is soft rubber molded around a steel plate which mates to the headrest bar. So I just drilled a pilot hole straight down through the center of the bumper and through the plate. Then tapped the plate with matching threads. After screwing in the clip the bit of excess thread through the plate is grinded so the modified bumper can slide back onto the headrest bar. The pilot hole through the rubber was widened a bit at the top to allow best flush fit.
But good luck finding the clip now.
But good luck finding the clip now.
An update. I had ordered the seatbelt guide from eBay linked on the last page from user “gtsclassiccarseats”. https://ebay.us/m/jAR2yL
I really like this option. It mimics what all of us have been trying to accomplish with the strap or cleat along the top edge of the shoulder bolster. In a crash, even if there is seatbelt movement the worst this can do is arc around the attachment point, and either forward or backward that is laterally, away from your neck. It’s secured on there fairly tightly with a bolt driving against the headrest post. Because the headrest post has a bend to it, this is as low as one can have the headrest, but it’s a perfect height to still allow some space above to take the seatbelt out of that holder if someone wants to get in the backseat, and it’s secure enough that it’s not falling out of there on its own. $60 total for the two of them shipped within the US.
If someone wants the cleats that I made per the spec of @Dan Wood that you zip tie onto the top of that shoulder bolster let me know and I can send them to you free of charge, you just pay shipping (likely about $12 priority mail within US).
The seatbelts shown here are the original, not my final - the guys at SeatbeltPlanet have been awesome, taking mine back and designing a set to spec for the E9 with the extension bracket option. They are looking into creating an extension bracket with exactly the bend that Dan had shown and which I had replicated. I’ll let you know when those finals come in.
I really like this option. It mimics what all of us have been trying to accomplish with the strap or cleat along the top edge of the shoulder bolster. In a crash, even if there is seatbelt movement the worst this can do is arc around the attachment point, and either forward or backward that is laterally, away from your neck. It’s secured on there fairly tightly with a bolt driving against the headrest post. Because the headrest post has a bend to it, this is as low as one can have the headrest, but it’s a perfect height to still allow some space above to take the seatbelt out of that holder if someone wants to get in the backseat, and it’s secure enough that it’s not falling out of there on its own. $60 total for the two of them shipped within the US.
If someone wants the cleats that I made per the spec of @Dan Wood that you zip tie onto the top of that shoulder bolster let me know and I can send them to you free of charge, you just pay shipping (likely about $12 priority mail within US).
The seatbelts shown here are the original, not my final - the guys at SeatbeltPlanet have been awesome, taking mine back and designing a set to spec for the E9 with the extension bracket option. They are looking into creating an extension bracket with exactly the bend that Dan had shown and which I had replicated. I’ll let you know when those finals come in.
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the beauty of the stock seats is that the headrest posts are at the outer edges of the seat. on the recaro or scheel-mann seats, that is not the case. i think this looks quite good and i believe it will work well on the stock seats.
Yeah, this is a nice "clean" looking solution. The one benefit though of going over the top of the headrest bolster is, if ever passengers get in/out of the rear seats, the belt can be slipped out of the top-side clip and thereafter it drops to the floor and is well out of the way for passenger entry. Once you go under the headrest bar the belt is affixed to the upper seatbelt until you get a wrench out. Pretty minor though.
A 3-D printed headrest bolster with a top-side slot in it would be the ultimate. Someone on the forum has this capability but I can't recall who. Probably a decent group buy opportunity.
Also if you are tall it better with the belt over the headrest bar.
Agree about the over the top, I just wish there was a better way to secure it. For me the ultimate ideal would be this exact piece sitting above the bolster with an extension off of its back side which extended down and went around the support the way this one does. Removable if needed, no screws through the top bolster, no zip ties holding the cleat in place, etc. The cleat option worked but because it is designed for rope its opening was pretty wide and the belt still slipped out. I’ll message the guy who made this one to see what he can do
My thought (not sure it is correct and hope I never find out) is that with the belt going over the top and then down to your right hip that the belt won't move off the headrest in frontal impacts at least enought to keep your chest off the non collapsible steering column. I doubt it would help much in other impacts,