Seat belt removal

[Autostocks]

Decided to remove my seat belts and have the webbing replaced (planning to use safetyrestore.com). I was surprised to find the retractors are actually wired to something (to what, I have no idea, as I thought they were just mechanical?). The wire is hard wired at the retractor end, and the other end disappears into the B pillar. I pulled as much wire out of the B pillar as I could, looking for a connector, and nothing. Does anyone know what this is for? Whether there is a connector somewhere? I don't really want to take the interior panels off if I don't have to. I could cut the wire and splice it when I put it back together, but that doesn't seem ideal either. Anyone experienced at removing these?

 

[DCAspen]

Inside your door jam at the back you should see a black button held on by 2 screws,that is what your wire is connected to.

 

[Autostocks]

OK great, I will check it out tomorrow morning. What is its purpose? And if I take it out, it sounds like I'll need to remove the interior trim panel to fish it back down when I reinstall the retractor?

 

[Aspen500]

I believe the wire is actually a cable (?)

At any rate, it looks like this.

 

[Autostocks]

Interesting. If it's a cable there certainly is a lot of play in it. Maybe because the belt is fully retracted? Still not understanding the function.

 

[kkritsilas]

I don't know if a 1978 has one, but cars often have a seatbelt warning light and/or buzzer. It may be used to detect if the seatbelt is fastened in some way.

 

[Mikes5thAve]

I don't know if a 1978 has one, but cars often have a seatbelt warning light and/or buzzer. It may be used to detect if the seatbelt is fastened in some way.

That's in the part on the seat.

The door button thing does something to the retractor when it's pressed or opens but I also found it strange that only chryslers of that time seemed to have it.

 

[Aspen500]

This is a guess only but, maybe it locks the retractor if the door comes open in a crash?

Didn't find any info online but now it's a quest to find out for curiosities sake.

 

[XfbodyX]

Good Grief... New for 78...

The unrelated swinging pendulum is what reacts in a crash setting.

Unibelt restraint system Shoulder belt tension reliever with door actuated tension release.

Some of the most simlpe questions are easily answered in the Chrysler literature itself.

In an effort to encourage greater usage of the newly introduced integral lap and shoulder belt for outboard front seat occupants during the 1970's, a tension reliever device was designed into the shoulder belt retractor. The purpose of the tension reliever was to reduce the pressure on the shoulder and upper torso of the seat belt wearer caused by the retractor pulling on the belt webbing.
The relative merit of this device has been questioned, but never resolved. A study of Chrysler built cars involved in frontal impact accidents was made to compare the frequency of seat belt usage and the relative injury severity in comparable size passenger cars before and after the introduction of the tension reliever.
The result of this study shows (1) an increase in seat belt use in the cars equipped with a tension reliever during a time when seat belt use in all cars was relatively unchanged, and (2) the relative injury to belt wearers was less severe in cars equipped with the tension reliever.

 

[XfbodyX]

For more enjoyment, see what one can expect even while wearing them.

 

[Aspen500]

Thank you X! Seems my wild guess was exactly opposite of the actual function. I know the pendulum locks the retractor. My thought was maybe the button kept it locked if the door popped open in a rollover or something like that. I searched and searched the interweb and came up with zip info.

Did they do away with them in 79? As mentioned, my car had plastic plugs in the door jamb holes where the buttons would go.

 

[Autostocks]

Great work here, I appreciate all the input.

There is a patent number on the retractor that I looked up to see if it provided any clues, and it does deal with the tension reliever. So the idea is that when you buckle up, there's still some give in the retractor unless there's sudden deceleration. The background on the patent (which, to me, is the most understandable part of the document), is this: "In a motor vehicle, if a retractor is used wherein a seat belt will have a continually applied retractor force, the pressure of the belt against the wearer may result in discomfort, and it has been found desirable for the wearer to have the belt at a station which is other than its retracted position but have a small degree of freedom of movement beyond the station, wherein the seat belt is not under tension." So this makes sense. The belt is locked under deceleration by a little pendulum device.

What I still don't understand is the "door actuated tension release" and how that actually works, and what the purpose is. Is it mechanical, or is it electrical?

By the way, I have a factory parts catalog and a factory service manual, and neither one shows or mentions this wire/cable at all. Nor do they show, unless I'm missing something, the door actuator button.

 

[Autostocks]

Thank you X! Seems my wild guess was exactly opposite of the actual function. I know the pendulum locks the retractor. My thought was maybe the button kept it locked if the door popped open in a rollover or something like that. I searched and searched the interweb and came up with zip info.

Did they do away with them in 79? As mentioned, my car had plastic plugs in the door jamb holes where the buttons would go.

If they did away with them in 79, I'm seriously thinking about just cutting the wire and being done with it. I sent an email to safetyrestore.com asking if they know anything about it.

 

[DCAspen]

Factory delete plug 1980

 

[DCAspen]

Standard in 1979 not in 1980,these are from the back of the factory brochure

 

[DCAspen]

All the belts I’ve had with the tensioner were all colored ones, never had any black ones, 3 sets from 79, 3 from 80 all early builds and a set from an 81 Mirada with tensioners.

 

[DCAspen]

Early September 79 built

80’ 40 k original car, Chrysler quick fix for not having the correct delete plug, other photo is March 80 build date

 

[DCAspen]

Early September 79 built 80’ 40 k original car, Chrysler quick fix for not having the correct delete plug, other photo is March 80 build date

 

[DCAspen]

March 80 build plug

 

[Mikes5thAve]

They had it thru the 80s. My 88 has it.
From the service manual:
"On standard seat belt systems, spring tension keeps the belt snug at all times. On seat belt systems equipped with a tension reliever, a cable which is activated by closing the door, cancels this tension. This allows a small amount of slack to be left in the belt for comfort. When the door is opened the tension returns and the belt will retract."