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1992 Subaru Loyale Seatbelts (US Model, but I am in Canada!).


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Hi,

 

I have a question about the seatbelts in my 1992 Subaru Loyale.

I am in Canada but my car originally came from the US with the

automatic shoulder belt and the manual lap belt. No other loyale

around here is set up like that. They all have regular manual 3 point

seatbelts so I cannot compare with any other car around here.

 

Here is the question:

I noticed that the shoulder belt does "jerk stop" if you pull it really

fast. But I also noticed the lap belt does NOT. Is this normal? Do I

have only half of a seat belt working? I noticed the passenger lap

belt is doing the same thing. That's why I am thinking this is

possibly normal and that they lock only in case of collision????

 

Should I replace the Lap Belts? If so, they are impossible to find here in Canada. Do you know where could I find one in the US?

 

Thanks for clarifying.

 

Marc.

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Oh sorry, Yeah i never use the lap belt anyway.

 

good way to get hung....you're better off with nothing

 

the belt's have a 'sensor' that is designed only to lock the belts in the case of a collision....the shoulder ones actually don't work as well, which is why you can trick them into locking.

 

my lap belts used to (until I ditched the whole setup and converted to manual belts!) lock up on the steep hills here in Duluth.

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good way to get hung....you're better off with nothing

 

 

That was my first thought exactly. That's why I would really like to figure out it if they are working properly or not.

 

the belt's have a 'sensor' that is designed only to lock the belts in the case of a collision....the shoulder ones actually don't work as well, which is why you can trick them into locking.

 

So what you are saying is I have no way of kowing if they work until I get into a collision?

 

I have also tried pulling the lap belt quickly going uphill or under hard deceleration and they never lock. Makes me wonder what will happen in a collision ???

 

my lap belts used to (until I ditched the whole setup and converted to manual belts!) lock up on the steep hills here in Duluth.

 

I'm curious. How exactly did you proceed to convert to manual belts? I really don't like the automatic belts. If it's not too complicated, maybe that's what I'll do.

 

Thanks.

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I have also tried pulling the lap belt quickly going uphill

 

need to be going downhill to reproduce the forces you'd be experiencing during a crash. it's extremely hard to reproduce on flat ground, but just about every time I pulled up to a stop sign while going down a steep duluth hill....it would lock up on me (don't need to be pulling hard on the belt either..).

 

as for converting to manuals. it's nothing too difficult. all the mounts are there, just need to find a donor car that's the same. pull the b- and a-pillar trim off, remove the auto seatbelt track, remove lap belt retractor on the floor, install manual belt in it's place. and you'll also need the buckle, as it's different. and the all the trim is different aswell. not a very good description, but it's pretty self explanatory once you see how it's all put together.

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need to be going downhill to reproduce the forces you'd be experiencing during a crash. it's extremely hard to reproduce on flat ground, but just about every time I pulled up to a stop sign while going down a steep duluth hill....it would lock up on me (don't need to be pulling hard on the belt either..).

 

You are talking about the lap belts. Right? Mine don't but I guess I will have to try in a really steep hill, but in all other situations they don't lock.

 

as for converting to manuals. it's nothing too difficult. all the mounts are there, just need to find a donor car that's the same. pull the b- and a-pillar trim off, remove the auto seatbelt track, remove lap belt retractor on the floor, install manual belt in it's place. and you'll also need the buckle, as it's different. and the all the trim is different aswell. not a very good description, but it's pretty self explanatory once you see how it's all put together.

 

So all I need to do is find is a donor car with manual belts? (That shouldn't be too difficult here in Canada). All the mounts are there? I don't have the car at the moment, but I might try that when I have the car. Thanks for the information!

 

Marc.

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Heres one good word of advice i've got. DON'T crash you're Roo!:grin: I've been driving since 8/17/07 and have not had any issues yet. And they say teen's are the best case for a crash.. Not me! I like my car... And has anyone seen all these clueless old people!:eek: There the one's causeing all the wrecks. I know alot of teens drive hard and aren't really responce able but i'm not really like that.

 

 

Note to my self: I'll start wearing the lap belt too!

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Heres one good word of advice i've got. DON'T crash you're Roo!:grin: I've been driving since 8/17/07 and have not had any issues yet. And they say teen's are the best case for a crash.. Not me! I like my car... And has anyone seen all these clueless old people!:eek: There the one's causeing all the wrecks. I know alot of teens drive hard and aren't really responce able but i'm not really like that.

 

You have been driving for 2 months and not had any trouble. I've been driving for 10 years, and had my first, and hopefully last, serious wreck on oct.20 this year. Got my firtst speedin ticket 2 years ago, and have got a a couple of tickets from that wreck, one of which is a failing to use a saetbelt, though you could see where it broke in the car and can still see where it caught my left arm as I proceeded to hit the windsheild.

 

There is always going to be folks who don't pay attention on the road. I see it everyday. People are too distracted with talking on cellphones, eating, yelling at the kids in the back saet, shaving,reading the newspaper, eating a bowl of cereal putting on makeup, sometimes all at the same time, while going down the road that its scary!! 8 years ago I had an 86 Brat that got rearended by a girl who wans't watching the road. Straight stretch of road, clear day. I was stoped because of a heard of elk in the road(back when I was still living in Colorado)

 

Drive deffensivly, pay attention to whats going on around you on the road. Nothing wrong with having a little fun, just be safe. And use your seatbelts. Windsheilds hurt.

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You are talking about the lap belts. Right? Mine don't but I guess I will have to try in a really steep hill, but in all other situations they don't lock.

 

 

 

So all I need to do is find is a donor car with manual belts? (That shouldn't be too difficult here in Canada). All the mounts are there? I don't have the car at the moment, but I might try that when I have the car. Thanks for the information!

 

Marc.

 

yep, the lap belts work a little better, so they're harder to trick into locking. so it's quite possible that yours are still very functional. we have very steep hills here in Downtown Duluth, and that's the only time I can trick them into locking.

 

and yes, if you find a donor car (junkyard or partout) with the manual belts, just pull them off.....they use all the same mounts and stuff. no drilling/tapping/fabricating required. the trim takes a little creativity....but is definitely doable.

 

 

heres a couple pics from the middle of the conversion. where I'd only done one side...

automatic:

PICT3229.jpg

 

manual:

PICT3230.jpg

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Drive deffensivly, pay attention to whats going on around you on the road. Nothing wrong with having a little fun, just be safe. And use your seatbelts. Windsheilds hurt.

That's why we lift our Subarus and put monstarus bumpers on them.

 

As for the lap belt. It's good to have on, it'll stop you from sliding out from under the shoulder belt and being crammed under the dash board.(First hand firefighter experience). It'll probably lock up on you in an accident. Here's a test I thought of, put just the lap belt on and try to slide down off your seat, see how far you get...even without locking it up, it shouldn't be far.

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Johnson']Here's a test I thought of' date=' put just the lap belt on and try to slide down off your seat, see how far you get...even without locking it up, it shouldn't be far.[/quote']

 

good point! even if it doesn't lock....it can only go so far anyway. definitely better than nothing.

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