Seatbelt installation question

supermoo · 07-06-2010, 09:50 PM

I just got a 3 person bench seat from a fellow SM'er and need to bolt the seat to the floor, I also need to mount the center lap belt. I was hoping to find someone with a bench seat that could show me a photo of the center lap belt mounting process. I have looked online and cant find any photos of this. Thanks for any help ahead of time.

jage · 07-07-2010, 08:53 AM

Stock Ford bench seat or SMB "50" bench or something else?

supermoo · 07-07-2010, 09:01 AM

Yep stock ford 50" bench seat. I was going to for the immediate use the center lap belt and then try and find/buy the side should belts. But for right now I just need to understand how the lap belt attaches to the seat? I see there are some threaded holes at the base of the seat frame, and I would guess that one side of the belts attach to this threaded hole? Any photos would be immensely helpful.

Thanks.

jage · 07-07-2010, 09:17 AM

They are at the top of the frame, like with the seat in seat position if I reach between the cusions, the bar I reach is the base of the belts, which I usually trace up the belt to pull through.

I have some things, let me know if you need better...

supermoo · 07-07-2010, 09:30 AM

Thanks that helps a lot. Unfortunately the bench seat I have is from the stock Ford van so it is a little different setup, but your photos do confirm that I need to attaching the seatbelt directly to the seat frame. I will look today to confirm that I dont have more questions.

Thanks for the quick photos. huge help!

carringb · 07-07-2010, 10:21 AM

They bolt thorough the holes that are in the lower rear corner of each leg.

supermoo · 07-07-2010, 10:35 AM

Thanks. That was what I thought. Any idea what size the bolts are for those threaded holes on the seat frame?

jage · 07-07-2010, 05:00 PM

Ah, yeah, mine are from the SMB "50" style bench, you were talking about the Ford 50-inch bench...

supermoo · 07-07-2010, 05:55 PM

Yep. Stock bench seat from a 12 passenger Econoline.

my3kids · 07-07-2010, 09:55 PM

On a stock Ford 3 passenger bench seat the seatbelts bolt to the bench seat uprights. Each upright has a threaded hole that you use. (Obviously, one half of the seat belt attaches to one upright and the other half of the seat belt attaches to the other upright.) I'm talking about the middle seating position, the outboard positions are shoulder belts. The standard seatbelt bolt that you use is made by Ford and its a Torx 50 head. The seat bracket (that bolts to the floor) that the uprights attaches to also uses a Ford bolt and its a Torx 55 head. Be careful using the Torx bit, they wobble easily. I used a standard 1/4 in socket wrench to start them then finished with a 3/8 in socket wrench.

I have tried matching up the Ford seat bracket bolt at HomeDepot and OSH but have come up empty. It appears to be neither SAE or metric, coarse or fine thread. The only reason I mention this is because of the threaded reinforced holes at pre-determined locations for the bench seat brackets. If you have a passenger van then just any bolt will not thread properly.

Sorry, I don't have a picture. I can try to take some picts this weekend if that would help.

Ray + my lovely wife + my 3 kids
2006 Ford E350 RB 2WD