Repair for Seat Belt Retractors?

Anyone know of how or where to repair seat belt retractors that won't retract anymore?

72_EB said:

Anyone know of how or where to repair seat belt retractors that won't retract anymore?

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Well. I have done this many times. It is fairly simple once you take a look at how they work and then get your tongue set just right. It depends on whether something is broken or not as to how easy it is to repair. Most times it is just the spring that is getting tired, in which case you just go in there and, using all three hands, give it another turn to tighten it up. There is a ¾ inch nylon sleeve that sometimes cracks, and if so you might need to go looking for a piece of pvc or something and cut the appropriate slots in the ends.

The last time I did it the wife watched me and actually wrote out the repair steps because she thought somebody else might like to know how simple it is to repair these. Then I promptly filed the note somewhere. If I can find it this weekend, I will post it here.

For now though, I guess the answer is that it is a fairly straight forward repair. You just need to take it apart and scratch your chin a little.

MarsChariot said:

Most times it is just the spring that is getting tired, in which case you just go in there and, using all three hands, give it another turn to tighten it up.

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X3

Take your time, hold the spring.

Go to your local wrecking yard and find a late 60's to early 70's pickup with working re-tractors. The plastic cover should look just like the one on your Bronco. Check for broken or cracked plastic. Lift the plastic cover and loosen the nut on the bolt that goes through re-tractor. Remove the bolt while holding everything together. Re-install the bolt to keep the re-tractor assemble together. Make sure you keep drivers and passenger side separate. They are not interchangeable. Springs are wound in opposite directions.

Cut the belt (pickup). Get a 14mm X 12 point X 3/8 drive Craftsman socket and push the cut belt and metal clip off of the mechanism. Toss the belt. Some wrecking yards get Pixxed if you have a couple hand fulls of cut belts in your hands when you visit the cashier. Check the plastic for cracks. If they are cracked they won't last very long. keep looking.

When you get home use the socket to remove your mechanism and then install the new one in its place. Push the socket back out of your belt with the new re-tractor. Make sure it goes in the same direction as the one you took out. Reinstall the re-tractor assembly in its mount. Set the tension in the spring just enough to retract the belt. If you did things right the belt should be unwind off of the side closest to the door so it doesn't drag on the plastic cover.

If you lift the cover off of one of your belts the above will make more sense. A little practice at the yard will help also. I learned the above the hard way.

It takes longer to type the instructions than it takes to replace the re-tractor.

Thanks guys. Took a look tonight and the clear plastic retainer for the spring is cracked. Learned something new tonight thanks. Now my only issue will be finding a replacement. The only stuff around the yards around here is late 80s (at the earliest!) if your lucky. On the hunt.