Shoulder Vs. Lap belts?

[muddpile]

Since I am upgrading most of the interior of my truck, I have been thinking about maybe upgrading the seatbelt system as well. I have the stock bench with stock grubby/broken white seat belts right now, but will be replacing them with 92ish chevy buckets and console. I will be buying new seat belts from Julianos, but my question is, what does everyone prefer with newer buckets, lap belts or shoulder? I figure since this will be my daily driver, safety should be a concern, but are the holes in the upper cab at a nice level to be comfortable and such? Thanks!

[70rs/ss]

Originally Posted by muddpile

Since I am upgrading most of the interior of my truck, I have been thinking about maybe upgrading the seatbelt system as well. I have the stock bench with stock grubby/broken white seat belts right now, but will be replacing them with 92ish chevy buckets and console. I will be buying new seat belts from Julianos, but my question is, what does everyone prefer with newer buckets, lap belts or shoulder? I figure since this will be my daily driver, safety should be a concern, but are the holes in the upper cab at a nice level to be comfortable and such? Thanks!

Shoulder belts. I know they came with laps, but that was thirty years ago, shoulder straps keep you from being paralized. My brother was just killed in a car wreck, and he was wearing a shoulder belt. If he had been wearing a lap belt he would have died instantly rather than surviving for two weeks. It is serious and if you are in a bad accident no seatbelt in the world can save you, but for most accidents shoulder staps are better than lap belts.

mike

[Joe67]

I got rocked pretty good in my '67 with only lap belts.
I will run at least a shoulder setup when it is redone

[JimKshortstep4x4]

We installed seat belts out of a 93 S-10 into our 71 daily driver and the upper mounts work well for us with the stock seat. The belts are comfortable and we have made some fairly long trips while wearing them with no problems.

Since you are going with different seats it may be different for you but I think it should be ok. Shoulder belts with the lap belt are certainly desireable from a safety standpoint as they can make a big difference in the event of a wreck.

Jim

[4x4Poet]

Sacrifice a little comfort for safety's sake. For instance, if the shoulder belt crowds your neck way beyond good positioning, there are those little feaux sheep wool slip covers that keep the belt from digging into your neck and also the clips that wrap around the shoulder belt and clip to the lap belt to reposition the shoulder belt to, again, move the shoulder belt away from one's neck. These measures shouldn't compromise proper belt position, of course.

[HeavyD]

I vote for shoulder belts, helps keep you from eating the steering wheel..

[special-K]

Yeah,and it keeps dumb cops from having an excuse to pull you over,not realizing that these trucks didn`t come standard with shoulder straps.I`ve been pulled over alot around here for that.It`s just an excuse to fish.That and a good ol`revenue grabber.They always look so disappointed when they have to let you go,no ticket.BooHoo.

[muddpile]

Looks like I'll be buying shoulder belts. Might as well, as my steering wheel doesn't look that tasty. I already got rearended in the truck, but it was two newer vehicles that ran into the back of me, so they buckeld instead of slamming the truck forward. It bent my back bumper (it was thrashed anyways) and toasted the other two pretty good. These trucks are pretty solid and safe as it is, but might as well add shoulder belts as cheap insurance. Thanks!

[70rs/ss]

Originally Posted by muddpile

Looks like I'll be buying shoulder belts. Might as well, as my steering wheel doesn't look that tasty. I already got rearended in the truck, but it was two newer vehicles that ran into the back of me, so they buckeld instead of slamming the truck forward. It bent my back bumper (it was thrashed anyways) and toasted the other two pretty good. These trucks are pretty solid and safe as it is, but might as well add shoulder belts as cheap insurance. Thanks!

Its funny that you said these trucks are solid. I have heard that opinion and because the new junk buckles and bends compared to how out trucks hold up is really a misnomer. The new stuff folds up to absorb the energy from impact, and in our old trucks our bodies absorb the shock that our non-folding up trucks do not absorb. I am thinking I'd rather walk away from a folded up new car than go to the morgue and have my truck live on? I own both new and old, but I sometimes think we get stuck on "they don't build them like they used , as a good thing." They don't build them that way because it was unsafe, period. I'll take my integrated seat belts built in over my lap belted Blazer any day. Like I said I own both a 67, two 72's and an 05 so am I a hypocrit?

[HeavyD]

No, you make valid points. Side impact beams, airbags, and crumple zones make newer vehicles safer than they used to be. Despite all this, I still feel all vehicles are rolling coffins.

[70rs/ss]

Originally Posted by HeavyD

No, you make valid points. Side impact beams, airbags, and crumple zones make newer vehicles safer than they used to be. Despite all this, I still feel all vehicles are rolling coffins.

Ironic that you would say that, as my brother was killed in a car accident a few months ago. It does not matter how "safe" these vehicles are new or old, you can still be killed. He was a passenger in a Ford Ranger and the driver fell asleep and went off the road at 70-80 MPH and hit a culvert in the median. My brother survived for two weeks and we thought he was good to go, but the internal injuries were too bad. I think today's vehicles are safer, but if a drunk crosses the center line and you head on at 70-80 mph, it is over. Just my thoughts, and I am by no means an expert, I have just lost people close to me in accidents so I can speak from my experiences.