Seat Belt Conversion
 

Great site! Just got my 73 C20 a few days ago and want to convert it to a shoulder seat belt setup. Wondered if there is an anchor point on my cab? Can I use a donor...year? If anyone can point me in the right direction, it owuld be appreciated.

Yes there is...at least my 73 has them.

I always wondered why they put them there and didn't use them until the mid 70's. I think 3 point belts weren't used until 76.

I think there is an anchor behund the plug on the B-pillar. I never pried mine loose, but there is a plug.

Yep all of them have this provision. Reason they didn't use them earlier is because it wasn't government mandated till '76 as far as I can tell.

Was it an option on the early years? I thought someone posted that a while back that it was an option. I guess if I weren't being lazy I could check my brochures... :rolleyes:

It must have been an option. Is there a plug in the interior trim? My 73 didn't have any of that either, so I just saw the cover in the metal. I ended up plugging the hole on the 85 interior parts I put in the truck, much easier than trying to match the seatbelts to the interior color I picked.

Yes, shoulder belts were options from 67/68 till mid/late 70's when the feds mandated it on trucks. If you are not aware the earlier shoulder belts were just like a lap belt that went over your shoulder. Not real greeat in my opinion. I put ones from an extended cab C1500 (93-96). They bolt into stock locations and work smoother than the stock setups of any of those years. You have to use the extended cab model though, the reg cab belst use a different mounting that won't match the stock holes.

Yep it was an option. They did not have recoil. Just manual adjusted so once it was on you couldn't lean foward (no wonder they were never used). If you wanted them you just bolted it to the wall and it had a peice the lap belt buckle slipped though.

Hey, I remembered a usefull truck fact. I'm not loosing it after all.... :metal:

My recollection is that many vehicles were required to have the provision for 3-point belts, but not the belts themselves. The rear seats in cars, for example, had the anchor points in the late 60's (?)and for sure into the 1970s and 80's, but not the 3-point seat belts themselves-- lap belts only. It's possible that the regulations of the day made a similar provision for the trucks-- not mandated as standard equipment, but to have the provision for them either as an option or an aftermarket add-on.

Even my 1986 Suburban has anchor points underneath the pillar trim for 3-point belts in the rear (2nd row) seating, but only the stock factory lap belts installed.

Meets europeon standards. ;)

Re: Seat Belt Conversion
 

Hi All,
I bought the 3 point shoulder belts from LMC and am about to install in my 71 C10. To get access the floor bolts, do I just need to brute force the plastic housing up from the stock lap belts? Is there a trick?

Thanks!

Re: Seat Belt Conversion
 

It should unscrew....but some brute persuasion may also be needed.

Re: Seat Belt Conversion
 

At one time I knew the dates for this stuff, but for passenger cars, the provision for front AND rear shoulder belt anchor points has been there since the late 60's, maybe 1970. I don't have them, but rear shoulder belts for my Nova was a $17 option. Having had the interior out of it, I can confirm that there is a threaded anchor point for rear shoulder belts in the car. I have never seen a pre-mandated domestic car with rear shoulder belts though.

Alex.