55.2-59 3 Point Seat Belts

[cab4word67]

I am not sure where to post this, but need the help.
I have a 57 big window cab and want to know if I can install 3 point belts in the B pillar without to much difficulties. I have looked up the post with a mini camera. I just dont want to drill a hole in a finished truck to find out that there is a hidden object?. Please help Chris

[Hcb3200]

No issue. The top point has clearance and no problem at most any height along the pillar even has plenty of room to get up
From bottom for backing plates just takes a little effort. No issues of course on floor. Plenty of room there.

[cab4word67]

Thank you thats what i wanted to here. I looked up there with a scope and it looked good. Thanks again

[_Ogre]

a word of caution here: i rolled a small window tf back in 1975 the doors flew open and the roof came down. a big back window could be fatal if you're held upright in a crash, i would not trust a two inch wide pillar with my life. seatbelts maybe for the wife's blessing and low speed safety, but even seatbelts in a vehicle that is not designed for them is cra cra. our trucks do not have crumple zones or reinforced areas to push the motor down. my 07 ford fusion seats have seatbelts attached and have 4x4 square washer plates, i'd expect them to pull through the floor in a serious crash.

[cab4word67]

Thank you for the word of caution Ogre. I get it but in most any crash a 3 point will likely be better than none at all. Let hope this never happens. I was just looking to install for a good friend that requested the install and was hoping that I could just drill the holes and fish in and up the plate.

Thanks again to all that responded
Chris

[slammed57]

check on my build page ... post 297 page 12 shows where i mounted mine. not hard at all.... on the pillar its not just a single layer of 18 ga sheet metal, there are a couple of layers of 18 gauge under that pilar... you'll be fine.....

[Dan in Pasadena]

I installed three point shoulder belts in my big window '55. It's somewhere in my build thread but I'll post the pics again here in case someone does a search in the future.

The pillars in these trucks is nothing more than folded sheet metal. The cost of owning and driving any 60+ year old vehicle is in a serious accident you ARE going to get hurt to some degree. Metal dash boards, non collapsing steering columns and protruding metal knobs are completely unforgivable to flesh and bone.

That said, I still want to keep my face from meeting the steering wheel in a violent crash. Note that you should not make the one mistake I made. Do NOT put the mount location for the shoulder belt in the center of the pillar. It seems logical that you should but by doing this the hanger for the belt cannot hang straight down. It bumps against the metal of the window surround. This makes the belt a pain to pull out and retract. It still works, I just have to fiddle with it every time.

PS: Sorry the first pic rotated and is a bit out of focus but you can see there's nothing in there. I used a 1/8" by 6" piece of strap with an ordinary lug nut welded to it. It was TIG welded to the piece of sheet metal, then the sheet metal TIG'd back into its original spot and smoothed over. Hope this helps someone, Dan

[cab4word67]

Thanks everyone. First up it looks like both of you put them on the back side of the piler. I thought I was to put it on the face? Also, this is a finished truck so I can only do it one time. Is the back side better, easier? I know I have to slide my plate up from the bottom and find the hole I just want to be sure i drill in the right side, place. I really do help all of this input.
Chris

[cab4word67]

HCB3200 Would you have a pic of your belts installed please?

Chris

[Hcb3200]

don't have my big window around but the current project truck is a small window. here are picks from that one.

I will not go with old school buckle again. that bare metal beats the hell out of the door. chips the paint etc. especially when my son was in the teens. lol
the plastic wrapped ones will be the next buckle on next project.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by cab4word67

Thanks everyone. First up it looks like both of you put them on the back side of the piler. I thought I was to put it on the face? Also, this is a finished truck so I can only do it one time. Is the back side better, easier? I know I have to slide my plate up from the bottom and find the hole I just want to be sure i drill in the right side, place. I really do help all of this input.
Chris

Putting the mounting bolt on the side facing the interior will work but the thing the belt actually rides on will stick into the space where the door closes. It won’t interfere with the door closing but I didn’t do that because I wanted to use the widest side of the pillar - not that it is truly wide either way. It provides only minimal protection in the event of a truly hard hit so your idea is probably as good as mine.

[unclebrad]

Glad to have found this posting. I am about to install 3-point seatbelts into my '55.2 Big Back Window truck myself. But, after watching a couple youtube videos, I have been a little worried about how I was going to mount that upper anchor point. In those videos, it looks like the inner face of the pillar on the BBW trucks (which is recommended in the instructions found on the Julianos website: https://www.julianos.com/Articles.asp?ID=278) does have some interference inside, which prevents drilling and feeding the backing plate up there. (If you have looked into this job, you have probably already seen where the guy cuts a hole in the back face and then cuts out the interfering bit and then welds the plate back in and has to fill, sand, paint. I don't want to do that.)
Below is a sketch of what, I am gathering (after watching those videos) a top-view cross section of the pillar would look like.
Can anyone here say whether this is right?

[cab4word67]

That looks like what I thought it was from what I could see with my scope. i went with the back side with no problems. hope this helps. Thanks everyone.

[Dan in Pasadena]

^^^ Your mount point looks a little higher than mine but what I really notice is that your retractor is oriented differently than mine. I should rotate mine 90* and see if the hassle of pulling the belt out goes away. Thanks!

[cab4word67]

i dont know where my pic went but about the retractor. On my 67 I find I have to pull them out slow or they lock up. This isit happing on the 57 so maybe thats why.