how do you take out the seatbelt bolts without stripping them?

how do you get one with a stripped head out?

can you replace them with regular bolts?

 

how do you take out the seatbelt bolts without stripping them? The correct TORX socket T55?
how do you get one with a stripped head out? Welder

can you replace them with regular bolts? No

 

welder????

so there's no possible way to replace these dumb bolts with regular bolts

 

The bolts aren't dumb, the person taking them out is if he's using the wrong tool and f's them up. And yes, you can buy new bolts. I would suggest getting the right size torx socket (I checked it's T50). Buy a whole rack of them at sears, you'll use them again.

The bolts are a special shouldered bolt that lets the seatbelt buckle spin when the bolt is tight so I would advise against "regular bolts".

You might be able to get the stripped one out with a good pair of vice-grips...good luck!!

 

I agree, if you own a Chevy you pretty much have to get a complete set of Torx bits, you can get the kind that snap onto your socket driver at Lowes or any good tool store. Those seat belt bolts are common and cheap at any junkyard. If you do strip it, like was mentioned you can weld a nut on top of it, or use vise grips on it. Also, you could use a die grinder and grind 2 flat sides on it, and use an open end wrench to turn it, or grind 6 sides onto it and hammer a slightly undersize old socket onto it, and turn it with the socket driver. As a last resort, you can drill it out and pull what's left out with some dental picks.

 

thanks charlie that helps, i'm planning an interior swap over the winter so that's 16 bolts i have to get out, 20 if you count the rear seat strikers but i can usually get those off with a pair of channel-locks or visegrips,

 

They are tough to get out, even with the right tool. I just got done pulling my interior out and didnt strip any, just need that T-50 on a good ratchet and make absolutely sure it is seated properly before trying to break it loose...GM really didnt want amyone removng them things, cause they sure did tighten them down!

Which one did ya strip? If it the rocker panel side, you can pull the plate off that the seat belt retractor is bolted to. That way you work on the stripped torx bolt in a vice or something?

 

while trying to replace the passenger seat belt reciever i stripped the head a little, also i was asking in case i strip any more in the proccess of the interior swap

what about using an air ratchet instead of a socket wrench?

 

Air ratchet is a good way to strip a torx, if the tool isn't FULLY seated, and niether the tool or the bolt itself isn't already damaged in some way. Strip it, and you'll have fun (NOT) getting it out.

 

i was answering vindoo's question, 'which one did ya' strip?'

he said GM torqued 'em down real good & to use a ratchet so i was asking if using an air ratchet would make it easier to get the unstripped ones out,

as for the one i've already stripped i think i'll try one of charlie's ideas, but i'm a little concerned about a couple things

1. wouldn't welding/grinding wreck the carpet?

2. welding/grinding the rear seatbelt bolts that close to the gas tank

 

If you go the weld route, all it would take is a quick tack weld. Like 2 seconds worth.

Surround the point of welding, with a soaked paper towel or something, to keep the heat from building, and catch sparks. Put up sheet metal panels/drape wet towels to block paneling, etc.

 

Do you have a part number for the front and rear ones by any chance?

 

Do you really need a part #? just go to the sponsors on the side of this site. Modern day muscle will sell them to you for like a dime. Will take you maybe 30 seconds to find them on the site.

 

Well I was placing an order from gmpartsdirect, so I figured I'd order the bolts since I was at it.

 

oh.... I see. If they don't have them moderndaymuscle is the next best thing. Also the part #s are in their cataloge.

 

The part # for the buckle side (both front and rear) is 9658870. The one for the front retractor to the floor and the rear retractor to the floor is 10225190. Both are still available new.

 

If the threads are visible from below, spray the heck out of them with PB Blaster. Use the T50 torx bit (this is the only size you should use) and set it into the bolt head fully by tapping it firmly into place with a hammer. Then, keeping the bit centered in the head and not at an angle, apply your torque. Use cheater bar if necessary.

 

I resorted to getting my wife to push down on the socket while I turned it. It worked pretty easily that way. The bolts on my car required just a little bit more down force than I could apply by myself.

 

i bought a set of torx head sockets today & i'm gonna' try to take the seatbelts out sometime this week... wish me luck

 

Don't forget: T50, and tap it into the head of the bolt so it's seated. Keep us posted.

 

i got the rear seat strikers, rear seat belts & the retractors on the sill plates out of one car, as soon as i get the front seats out i'll get the front receivers out,

 

i got all the bolts out of one car without stripping a single one,

 

That's awesome to hear.

 

I didn't read a the replies to this post so this may have been said but if you have the bolt backed out a little, enough to get a saw zaw blade in there cut off the bolt, drill it out and replace it with a new bolt. Or is that not possible? I have beaten on these bolts with a hammer and broke off the heads in a junk yard car to ****** up the black seatbelts. But I didn't care that the bolt was still in there.
If it is not stripped very but just rusted, put a 3ft long pipe over the socket ratchet and a the proper torx and back it off slowly. Use some WD 40 or penetrating oil as well.