Corbeau 2-Inch Retractable Harness Belts

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Flipp
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Corbeau 2-Inch Retractable Harness Belts

Postby Flipp » Thu Jan 17, 2013 7:51 pm

hey everyone,

has anyone ever used these? i like the fact it can either lock and hold you in your seat or be able to retract like a normal seat belt. my oem ae86 seat belts are not that great and i worry they wouldn't work properly if i ever really needed them to. if anyone has used them before please let me know how you like them. thanks!

Link:
http://corbeau.com/products/harness_belts/2-inch_retractable_harness_belts/
"Life happens at the corners"

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Red
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Re: Corbeau 2-Inch Retractable Harness Belts

Postby Red » Fri Jan 18, 2013 5:31 am

Looks intersting but I'd hae two concerns.

The first being where to bolt in the shoulder reel. Since the stock location is near the floor and the "B" pillar would be an odd angle for the shoulder straps. There is a hard point under the trim on the C pillar but that's also a long stretch across the back seat. I'm not sure you can get a proper angle, you'd want to check into that.

Then there's the problem with any harnes for street use. Because it holds you upright in the seat, your spine becomes the roll bar if you don't have one installed. That can be a very bad idea. The folks who make all that stuff for the track, usually tell you outright not to use a harness unless you've got a roll bar, which then requires a helmet to keep your head from being hit by the bar. Driving down the highway with a helmet...uhuh.

With the old seat belts you can often get them working nicely again by carefully opening up the reels and cleaning out all the lint & crud that jams them up after ten years. Careful cleaning, re-assembly, often all they need.
-- Original owner, 1985 GT-S

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Flipp
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Re: Corbeau 2-Inch Retractable Harness Belts

Postby Flipp » Fri Jan 18, 2013 11:12 pm

word. ill look into it Red, thanks for your input.
"Life happens at the corners"

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Red
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Re: Corbeau 2-Inch Retractable Harness Belts

Postby Red » Sat Jan 19, 2013 5:34 am

If they say it can work, and it does, let us all know.
-- Original owner, 1985 GT-S

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YoShImUrA
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Re: Corbeau 2-Inch Retractable Harness Belts

Postby YoShImUrA » Wed Feb 06, 2013 2:01 am

Red, could you please elaborate more into the seatbelt cleaning? I tried to open them up but I didn't see anywhere to properly disassemble it (probably designed not to be tampered with for obvious reasons)...

Any hints of where to start would mean a lot. Thanks!!

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Red
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Re: Corbeau 2-Inch Retractable Harness Belts

Postby Red » Wed Feb 06, 2013 9:03 am

Yoshi, I haven't done this in years, since I had to replace my stolen ones with filthy junkyard parts. As I remember it, the retractor reels are one on the floor and one under the plastic side panel on the B pillar. You need to access them both, remove the covers, and then start picking out lint and crud from everything inside. Pull on the seat belt so it unspools, that makes things easier. Put a clip or clothespin on the belt so it won't retract while you are working, and use canned air, a dental pick, toothpicks, whatever gets in there. You don't need solvents (which might damage the belt) just patience and tools that can get in to pull out some of the crud. A hemostat might help with that.

You do NOT want to pop the spring out, you do not want to disconnect anything, you do not want to actually take the retractor apart, so that way there is also no problem about putting it back together again properly. This is like too much paper jamming a paper shredder. Once you get the jamming stuff out, it works right again. And this crud shouldn't be packed in anywhere near that tightly.<G>

Once you've gotten some crud out, work the belt a few times, see what else falls out or becomes accessible. then just reassemble the covers and bolt the retractor back down if you removed it.

Kinda surprising the car makers don't use "standard" belts and cartridges that could be replaced every so often. Or maybe others do, Toyota was famous for discontinuing parts early.
-- Original owner, 1985 GT-S

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YoShImUrA
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Re: Corbeau 2-Inch Retractable Harness Belts

Postby YoShImUrA » Wed Feb 06, 2013 11:42 am

Sweet, I will try that, Red. There is only one retractor and it's bolted on to the B pillar. It's relatively simple to take out of the car.

For others that might be reading, be aware of the position of a lever that allows the retractor to roll the seatbelt before taking it out, so that you know how to put it back and make it work. I know this because it happened to me before, hehe.

Already been though a couple of seatbelts and neither locked or retracted so doing this hopefully will help making them work again! :)

Many thanks!!