Just like title states, what are the benefits of 4th gen seatbelts? I've done my searching people say that they like em, but they have different angles on the bottom. But no one said what the benefits are? so please fill me in.

mo

 

the only advantage I see is that they retract unlike the broken stock ones..

 

With the different angle and the bottom you can fit 4th gen door panels on. Otherwise the stock one will hit.

 

Thanks! exactly what I wanted to know

 

They are also a lot cheaper!! That is the reason I got them, I couldn't afford a new set of third gen ones. I know you got your answer already but I thought some extra info cant hurt.

 

Hey the more info the better!

 

More readily available, much cleaner, the retractors work, if you get a new headliner, you dont need slots for the seatbelts to slide into due to no lower retractor. Also along those same lines, if you have 4th gen seats, you can leave the closed seatbelt guides since you can pass the lower part of the belt through it. Doesnt have to be split.

My main reason was to work with and update the look for the 4th gen leather, and also so that the retractor works. I had a tan set of 4th gen belts in my 87, and now have a black set in my 86.

The only downside, is it leaves a weird opening down by the rocker because there is no retractor or retractor cover. However...if it bothers you, you can get away with using the factory lower retractor cover. I put the dirvers side on the passenger side and visa versa and it works pretty nice.

J.

 

Isn'r that one of the neatest things GM ever did, making the interior near the same on all gens.

Know a guy selling a 79 2nd gen Aro with a complete 4th gen interior, dash and everything, fits like a glove.

To bad he wants $8-10,000 for it, its on Ebay right now.
start of 8, BIN of 10

 

Do you mean this one?? 8K is cheap for what you are getting. @nd gens are not east to swap the 4th gen stuff into. You need A LOT of cutting trimming, fabrication to make it fit that nice. He is a member on another board I am on. Wants $8k for it.

 

thats pretty coo,

but can any 93-02 seatbelts work or only certin years?

then question anyone have some for sale, that would want to trade for some soft seal- weather stripppin ( roof rails for a hard top) part # 3101 on soft seals site?

 

Any of them will fit. just make sure that you have matching receivers and belts, because there are two different size male ends. Basically broke up between the LT-1 and ls1 years.

 

so just get a full set from a ls1?

 

Thats what I did, got mine off ebay, but people sell them on here also.

 

Any 93-02 Belts will work.

The advantage?

THEY WORK! and most are not as faded as third gen belts. Also you will be saving 3lbs(1.5lbs per side) because they do not use a lower retractor.

I use or used I should say them in my car.

 

LOL you barly drove your race car. gona take a break for a while?

 

i always thougth that my seat belts were the only ones that didnt retract. i have fourth gen seats in my car and had never even considered the seatbelt swap!!! ebay has tones of seat belt sets for 60$- $200. if this is as easy as the seat swap. I will have to do it. thanks guys!!

 

It is an easy swap. I'm using 4th gen belts in my 85 T/A with thirdgen seats.

 

What do you all mean by retract?

Cause mine do, might just be all rusty as that area back there rust out first and you cannot see it from outside the car. Once the whole rear stuff n carpet is gone ya find a rotted seam fropm water fling and water got down to your belts.

Though it can be lubed up and working again.

Nothing is allow to break on seatbelts systems, so they last near forever.
Member how GM has to safety buckles only cause the blue stick on them faded with wear, which was illegal as no partis allowed to wear out.
Thay gotta build em that tough.

First hand experience, nothing was visable form the out side. tar undercoats in wells hide it all, still water got through cracks. Nothing was visable from the outside.

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/v6/1...ghlight=halfed

 

Nothing "breaks" in the thirdgen belts. Atleast most of the time. They will retract. The problem is, going down the road, the belt will gain slack. Not going to be effective in a crash if you have 2ft of slack behind you.

I recently completely disassebled a few retractor units to swap parts, and I learned quite a bit. 1) I dont want to take one apart again. 2) The reason the thirdgen belts dont like to pull back, is that the clock spring starts to get weak, and the parts start to get grungy. To properly fix them, you'd want to get a new spring, and clean and lube the bushings that are in the retractor.

Atleast, thats my experience with them.

J.

 

Are the rear belts the same as the third gen ones? Or ary they abit different and may take some modification to install?

 

There is no down side to this at all. All you have to do it get a set of 82 and possibly 83 sill plates. The 82 and maybe the 83's didn't have a bottom re-tractor. I know 82's were like this, and others have said 83's were also, although I've not confirmed this myself.

Here is a pic of my car with 4th gen belts and 82 sill plates. I actually have a set of tan 82 plates I picked up that I'd sell if anyone is interested in them. Second pic is of the tan plates I have. You can see the difference in the opening for the belt.

 

only if they where black, how much do they go for in good condition?

 

Haha...thats still a "downside"... Ive been looking for 82 sill plates ever since I did the belt swap with no luck. They are tough to find...either that or Im not looking in the right places. However they look FANTASTIC! I wish I would run across a grey set.

Ide love to buy them off of you...but I dont want to paint them grey. Too much contact with door seals and shoes and what not. They'd scuff right up.

I actually forgot about the 82 sills, and had to adapt my old lower reciever covers since I couldnt find any when I was looking. I completely forgot to mention them.

J.

 

The 82 plates are around and relatively easy to find. I've passed up a number of sets in u-pull-it yards. Just didn't need them. The tan set I have I got before I found the black ones just in case black were hard to find, but they weren't.

If people are interested I'll keep my eyes out for more sets and post here.

 

sure keeep an eye open

 

I'm assuming gray and black are the colors everyone wants?

 

I would like black but how much do they go for?

 

Depends on which yard I get them from, and if I get them. Always seems like when you don't want something they are everywhere, but when you want it there are none to be found.

If I ran across any I'll post and let you know what I have in them.

 

Ide probably be down for a set of grey depending on how much and how much shipping is... I like the way those look better than my set up.

J.

 

Personally, once I installed mine, they just felt smoother, the stitching used in them was better. The material that was woven into the seat belts feels real slick, much like that of a new car. They are just better

 

Bringing this back from the dead, I know

Does anyone know yet if the rear seat belts are a bolt-in?

 

( completly forgot about this thread) No idea, but i still have not bought my self a set, ive been busy with other stuff so if anyone got a black set ill take em

 

Prime the rears do fit but they sit a little higher then the third gen's do.
Alloy have you found any in grey ?