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Old 11-10-2011, 07:13 PM   #1
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Seat Belt Warning!!!

I don't know if SMB or Ford is aware of this, seems like a major liability.
I searched around briefly and didn't find anything on the web.

So head's up, you may want to check your seatbelt attachments...
The other day I went to put on the drivers side seatbelt.
When I reached for the assembly (the "male clip" that connects to the "female receptor" on the seat) came off in my hand, disconnecting from the side on the van!

Apparently the nut had come loose over time, eventually coming off completely.
Fortunately this happened in the garage and not during an accident or sudden stop!!!
Needless to say this could have very bad consequences.

The fix is simple: Pop off the plastic cover (pry off gently w/ screwdriver), there are little tabs on back to hold it on (see photo). Apply loctite to threads. Tighten nut back on. Pop back on plastic cover.
Apparently they didn't put on enough loctite at the factory...

I also checked the passenger side which was nice and tight.
FYI- My SMB is a 2006 Ford.


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Old 11-10-2011, 08:45 PM   #2
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Re: Seat Belt Warning!!!

I'm sure SMB had it off for wiring. Somebody probably forgot to re-apply Loctite.

I had mine almost come off too after I got my van back from paint.
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Old 11-11-2011, 04:39 AM   #3
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Re: Seat Belt Warning!!!

I am not sure what is up with yours but I have had mine off a few times for various repairs and cleaning and such and my stud comes out past the end of the nut. You might check to make sure that the bolt (spacer/bushing part) is centered over the belt buckle...

Your nut is NOT on there very well....Compare how far the passenger side bolt sticks out of the nut and you will see what I mean and why it might have loosened up....

Loctite will not make up for not enough threads for the nut to tighten on....
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Old 11-11-2011, 11:30 AM   #4
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Re: Seat Belt Warning!!!

Quote:
Your nut is NOT on there very well....Compare how far the passenger side bolt sticks out of the nut and you will see what I mean and why it might have loosened up....
You're right, I should have clarified, the nut isn't tightened all the way in the photo (which has been removed). I realize that loctite won't be effective if the threads don't penetrate the nut completely.

I added a new photo for sake of clarity that shows:
When tight, the head of the threaded stud protrudes slightly out of the nut.

In any case, it seems insane that SMB (presumably, not Ford) would "create" a situation where the seat belt could fail! I think it would be prudent, to say the least, for them to send notification to SMB owners of a potential issue...
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Old 11-15-2011, 12:05 AM   #5
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Re: Seat Belt Warning!!!

Well no matter why it came off you were safe at least...and the new picture looks like it fits great now...I think this is a great safety tip to all of us (no matter what brand or who did the work) to keep an eye out for. Loose seat belts are not a good thing at all...Thanks for bringing to our attention.
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Old 11-15-2011, 01:03 PM   #6
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Re: Seat Belt Warning!!!

I still don't like the look of the final photo - you should have at least two threads fully extended beyond the nut. Will it tighten any more? If not, I wonder what's up with this. I'm going to take a closer look at mine and get back to you if I see any other differnces (like a longer bolt).
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Old 11-16-2011, 08:19 PM   #7
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Re: Seat Belt Warning!!!

Quote:
Originally Posted by joey2cool
I still don't like the look of the final photo - you should have at least two threads fully extended beyond the nut. Will it tighten any more? If not, I wonder what's up with this. I'm going to take a closer look at mine and get back to you if I see any other differnces (like a longer bolt).
That is as tight as it will "reasonably" go, which is exactly the same as the passenger side seat belt in my van.
I tightened it till is was good and snug (didn't use torque wrench since I had no idea of specs), came to what felt like a "natural" stop. I didn't want to risk over-tightening it and compromising the integrity of the stud.
I'm curious to see if yours looks different...
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Old 11-19-2011, 07:36 PM   #8
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Re: Seat Belt Warning!!!

Checked both driver and passenger side seat belt anchors clips. Found no difference in thread count. Appears to be same bolt and nut used in yours. Looks like SMB used a grease marker to help verify it stays put. Both nuts were snug and still in line with the grease marks. Seems to be tightend with a torque wrench (probably to some spec). I'm not familiar with this type of nut (it's got a broad base - almost like a cap screw). The way the bolt is installed, it seems like it's not going to turn on its own without tampering. Plan and side view photos below. Thank you for bringing this to our attention. It was very easy to check and important enough to make it worth doing too!

[photo][/photo]

[photo][/photo]
Attached Thumbnails
Plan View Seat Belt Clip.JPG   Side View Seat Belt Clip.JPG  
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