Slow seat belt fix

[Mike W.]

I don't know if I posted about it or just searched about it, but my front seat belt was reaaaaaaaaaaaly slow to retract, and wouldn't unless I straightened out the belt. Other places I've read it relates to the flexibility of the belt and being dirty. I did a light try at cleaning several years ago to no avail, but decided to get more aggressive.

I pulled the belt out and clamped it with a spring clamp to get as much as I could. Then grabbed a plastic coffee can, filled it with water and a squirt of dishwashing detergent. Worked it a bit and let it sit overnight. Next day no suds so I squirted some more in and worked it a bit more. Rinsed it a bit, then pulled it out the door and shut the door. Sprayed it with a hose, both sides, vacuumed it off and let it dry overnight. Next day, bam, retracts

every
single
time.

If it was any faster it would hit me in the chin. OK, slight exaggeration there, but it's nice and fast like it should be.

Maybe fewer steps would work, but I'm just happy it won't get stuck in the door all the time anymore.

A curious aside is the belt if relatively non porous. Trying to vacuum it dry I could feel no air passing thru the belt. Sticking my hand on the other side made no difference. I guess it's just a really tight weave.

[VStar650CL]

My wife has a big beach bag made out of old seat belts. It's a monster, you could literally cart a motorcycle engine and it wouldn't even notice. Two summers ago it accidentally got run over by a lawnmower at the cabin we were renting. The mower lost, the bag stalled it instantly and survived with only a frayed edge. That belt material is very, very tough stuff.

[Mike W.]

Actually they're not as strong as I thought they would be. I tried pulling an engine with one in a junkyard one time and before I had it out it started making creaking noises like it was breaking some strands. Now that was probably 400+ pounds of engine, exhaust and turbo, but I thought it would take it. And I have heard of people breaking them in an accident, pre airbag cars, and living thru it with minimal injuries.

On the other hand, with most of my driving miles in pre airbag cars I wouldn't think of not using one, they're incredible safety devices, but I would have thought they'd have lifted that engine easily, and it did not. Don't recall the brand.