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Re: seatbelts - real story

To: Phil Smith <smith007@mindspring.com>
Subject: Re: seatbelts - real story
From: Dean Paige <ecopaige@metro.net>
Date: Wed, 10 Dec 1997 15:53:09 -0800
Cc: triumphs@Autox.Team.Net
Organization: City of Santa Rosa
References: <v01540b02b0b4c1fcb742@[209.86.50.147]>
Phil Smith wrote:
> 
> >Roger G. Bolick wrote:
> >        > Thankfully, he was wearing his OEM TR6 seatbelt.  The retractor
> >didn't
> >        > catch.  It caught him as he face-planted the steering wheel and 
>saved
> >        > his life, but ?????
> >
> >Good story Roger.  IMHO, I am very doubtful about the safety of the OEM TR6
> >"inertia" seatbelts, ie, the ones that require you to be driving and then hit
> >the brakes to test the inertia mechanism.  When I pulled apart the retractors
> >and saw the small amounts of corrosion and the tolerances required for the
> >mechanism to operate correctly, I ditched them and replaced them with a 3-pt
> >shoulder/lap belt available at most of the vendors.  In time, I will
> >replace them with a 5-pt harness.
> >
> >I urge all folk with the original retractors to examine them very carefully,
> >or even replace them (you should replace the webbing if original anyway!).
> >I beleive we had a thread on this group some weeks ago, to the effect that
> >there are no companies out there who will refurbish the OEM retractors.
> >Am I right?  If so, that should be sufficient warning.
> >
> >        Safety first.
> >
> >        Shane Ingate in San Diego
> 
> On the subject of seatbelts, I plan on spending the extra $$ to get the 3
> point seatbelts and will probably put in a rollbar. These are small cars, I
> personally am not concerned ( I've already totalled a spitfire, in 1975)
> but I would never forgive myself if anything happened to my wee copilot>
> especially if I could have made things safer? Maybe some food for thought?
> 
>    Phil Smith
>    69 TR6
>   " More Dreams than money "


FWIW,

Certainly anyone with a set of those old KANGOL inertial reel seatbelts 
should consider replacement. But I wouldn't hesitate to put in a set of 
SECURACON I.R. belts. Keep in mind that most new cars are equipped with 
I.R. belts and failures are not common. The SECURCON belts I put in my 
TR-6 lock up at the least provacation acceleration, deceleration, around 
corners and they have strong enough coil springs to hold the belt tight 
against the body. Very comforting after driving around with KANGOLS that 
I had modified to remain locked in one position permanently. Hell, in 
reality I was one who resisted seat belts as an impositon on my freedom 
in my less responsible days of youth.

Deano

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