The seatbelt on my 95 Chevy pickup truck.

The buckle part is right against the crack in the seat, and can not be
pulled up further. It's not rigid, so it turns side to side. To buckle
it, I have to literally twist my whole body while pulling on it, so I
can SEE the slot to put it in. In warmer weather, this is not too bad.
In cold weather while I am wearing a thick winter coat, not only does
the coat block my view of the buckle but also makes it hard to twist
myself, not to mention I have some back problems that can make it
painful to twist in that manner.

Anyhow, it sometimes takes me several minutes to get that thing clicked,
and our local small town cops, just watch for seat belt violators to
hand out costly tickets (they got nothing better to do). So, I am
constantly getting annoyed by it. I think it was very poorly designed!

I googled "seat belt" and noticed that there are things called "Seat
Belt Extenders". Lots of them on Ebay, and elsewhere. They are
basically a short piece of seatbelt (most are about one foot long), with
a snap on one end, and buckle on the other end.

This looks like it would solve my problem, since I could get the buckle
in FRONT OF ME, (on my lap), not deep down next to me, where it's hard
to see and manuver.

I'm posting this to ask if anyone else has used them? My biggest
concern is whether the entire belt will be too long with this added????
I'm an average weight. I think these are made more for overweight large
people.

Honestly, I really dont care much of the seatbelt fits me real well. I
personally find them to be more of a pain than useful. But I dont want
to get ticketed which I last heard is around a $200 fine. So my main
concern is just to satisfy the law, which is presently very hard to do,
if I'm only driving a few blocks while running errands.

I'd rather spent $10 or $15 for one of these than get a $200 ticket.

Are you easily bored?

On Tuesday, January 6, 2015 8:17:27 PM UTC-6, SBH wrote:
Are you easily bored?

I was about to say...Jerry give it a rest, find another hobby! 8^)

On Tue, 06 Jan 2015 21:17:19 -0500, Meanie
wrote:


Are you easily bored?

I'm looking for a serious answer. I need to buy something to solve this
problem. Or replace the whole seatbelt!

wrote:
On Tue, 06 Jan 2015 21:17:19 -0500, Meanie
wrote:


Are you easily bored?

I'm looking for a serious answer. I need to buy something to solve this
problem. Or replace the whole seatbelt!

Hi,
I think he is lonely. If seat belt extension is needed, I'd go to a
dealer get a DOT approved real thing for sure.

On Tue, 06 Jan 2015 20:05:28 -0600, wrote:

The seatbelt on my 95 Chevy pickup truck.

The buckle part is right against the crack in the seat, and can not be
pulled up further. It's not rigid, so it turns side to side. To buckle
it, I have to literally twist my whole body while pulling on it, so I
can SEE the slot to put it in. In warmer weather, this is not too bad.
In cold weather while I am wearing a thick winter coat, not only does
the coat block my view of the buckle but also makes it hard to twist
myself, not to mention I have some back problems that can make it
painful to twist in that manner.

Maybe you can still learn to put the belt together without looking
When I got a new car, or if I ride in someone else's, it takes a while
to be able to find the latch, esp. the second time.

Anyhow, it sometimes takes me several minutes to get that thing clicked,
and our local small town cops, just watch for seat belt violators to
hand out costly tickets (they got nothing better to do). So, I am
constantly getting annoyed by it. I think it was very poorly designed!

I googled "seat belt" and noticed that there are things called "Seat
Belt Extenders". Lots of them on Ebay, and elsewhere. They are
basically a short piece of seatbelt (most are about one foot long), with
a snap on one end, and buckle on the other end.

AT one level I'd prefer for you to buy one, since you say there are lots
of them sitting around doing nothing, but you should know that you may
be eligible for a free one from GM.

The government requires them to do this, though I don't know exactly
what the law says about what years, but someone told me she got two of
them free at the Buick dealer. And she showed them to me.

EVen if you're not strictly eligible, they might give you one. Nothing
I read said anything about a price if one wasn't eliglbe. Maybe every
car is included.

I don't like my Toyota Solara, but even when I weighed 30 pounds more,
there was plenty of belt to reach the latch, but in her car, it woudln't
reach. At 240 pounds I had to use the extension.

I've kept track and with my build, it's 6 pounds to an inch of waist, at
least starting at 160 pounds. Both going up and going down.

Later, I was looking at an extensive webpage I thought might help me fix
my car in the future. It didnt' have that much but it had recall notices
etc. and there was an announcment from Toyota that they gave out free
ones but you had to come in for a fitting iirc. They had t hem in 6,
8, 10, 12, and iirc 14" lengths, (or 4 - 12) and you also had to tell
them what seat you woudl use it in. What if you want to sit in a
different seat!!!, like if you want someone else to drive for a while.

This looks like it would solve my problem, since I could get the buckle
in FRONT OF ME, (on my lap), not deep down next to me, where it's hard
to see and manuver.

I'm posting this to ask if anyone else has used them? My biggest

Just that one time (and maybe on an airplane last year.) By not
attaching at the place where the seat bottom meets the seat back, you
lose some of the effectiveness of a 3-point harness. Even with a belt
that fit perfectly whn I only weight 200, when I slid on the ie and hit
a car head-on (neither of us were going that fast) my chest slid under
the belt, and my knee hit and broke the plastic panel below the
instrument part of the dash board. With an extension, the shoulder
strap would be of even less value.

My friend put ice on it, but the next day, the muscles in my leg didn't
work I wanted to get out of bed and I expected my leg to straighten
automatically. When it didn't, I told it to, but it still didn't. I
had to use my hands to straighten my leg, go to the batroom, and then I
went back to bed to check further. I had to use my hands to bend my
leg, and then I poked all over my knee and nearby and nothing hurt at
all. I stayed home though, and the next day everything was back to
normal, and it's never bothered me since. To me it was clear that my
leg knew it had hit something hard and my leg decided to take it easy
for a day, to have time to heal, even though it probably wasn't actually
hurt. Fantastic to see the body at its smartest.

concern is whether the entire belt will be too long with this added????
I'm an average weight. I think these are made more for overweight large
people.

Honestly, I really dont care much of the seatbelt fits me real well. I
personally find them to be more of a pain than useful. But I dont want
to get ticketed which I last heard is around a $200 fine. So my main
concern is just to satisfy the law, which is presently very hard to do,
if I'm only driving a few blocks while running errands.

I'd rather spent $10 or $15 for one of these than get a $200 ticket.

I don't think latches are standardized yet, esp. not in 1995. If you
get one online, it probably shoudl be for a Chevy, or at least GM and
'95 or close. And of course the color should match.

On Tue, 06 Jan 2015 20:05:28 -0600, wrote:

The seatbelt on my 95 Chevy pickup truck.

I'm almost sure you can what you need from Chevy,

but finally one that I missed.

http://wescoperformance.stores.yahoo...-extender.html

This seems like it would work where all others didn't, and like their
webpage says, seems to do it the right way, by lengthening the
adjustable belt, not the fixed length belt nearer the center of the car.

You can't lengthen the end of the belt that rolls up, but you can the
other end of the same belt, and that's what this is for.

Drawings at home page.

$14 plus 10 s&h, for one, in black tan or grey. If the color is bad,
one could make a simple cover for it.



BTW, USA Today had an article on this, by manufacturer, and appears to
have gotten some makers wrong, so for some cars there are conflicting
statements. http://www.ifisher.com/getbelts.asp Not Chevy.

On Wed, 07 Jan 2015 02:31:51 -0500, micky
wrote:




BTW, USA Today had an article on this, by manufacturer, and appears to
have gotten some makers wrong, so for some cars there are conflicting
statements. http://www.ifisher.com/getbelts.asp Not Chevy.

Maybe you should check out GMC too. OTOH, maybe since the GMC re-org,
some phone numbers have change??

This is rich. For example, Mercedes:

Mercedes-Benz
USA Today reports that Mercedes-Benz has no extenders
Customized longer seat belts available
On 10/26/2001, Steve Chisholm reports that he has been corresponding
with Mercedes-Benz about their "Extended Belt Kit." While they do offer
it, it costs around $1200 PER SEAT to purchase and install.

They're expensive in the first place and then they soak you for stuff
like this!!


If you think only the government has bureaucracy, read the Saturn entry!

On 1/6/2015 9:05 PM, wrote:
The seatbelt on my 95 Chevy pickup truck.

The buckle part is right against the crack in the seat, and can not be
pulled up further. It's not rigid, so it turns side to side. To buckle
it, I have to literally twist my whole body while pulling on it, so I
can SEE the slot to put it in. In warmer weather, this is not too bad.
In cold weather while I am wearing a thick winter coat, not only does
the coat block my view of the buckle but also makes it hard to twist
myself, not to mention I have some back problems that can make it
painful to twist in that manner.

Anyhow, it sometimes takes me several minutes to get that thing clicked,
and our local small town cops, just watch for seat belt violators to
hand out costly tickets (they got nothing better to do). So, I am
constantly getting annoyed by it. I think it was very poorly designed!

I googled "seat belt" and noticed that there are things called "Seat
Belt Extenders". Lots of them on Ebay, and elsewhere. They are
basically a short piece of seatbelt (most are about one foot long), with
a snap on one end, and buckle on the other end.

This looks like it would solve my problem, since I could get the buckle
in FRONT OF ME, (on my lap), not deep down next to me, where it's hard
to see and manuver.

I'm posting this to ask if anyone else has used them? My biggest
concern is whether the entire belt will be too long with this added????
I'm an average weight. I think these are made more for overweight large
people.

Honestly, I really dont care much of the seatbelt fits me real well. I
personally find them to be more of a pain than useful. But I dont want
to get ticketed which I last heard is around a $200 fine. So my main
concern is just to satisfy the law, which is presently very hard to do,
if I'm only driving a few blocks while running errands.

I'd rather spent $10 or $15 for one of these than get a $200 ticket.



I bought a new Trailblazer when they 1st came out; a 2002 model, but I
got it in late 2001 ... right around Sept 11, my wedding anniversary and
daughter's birthday. I complained to the dealer that the shoulder belt
was uncomfortable and cutting across our necks. He provided, for free, a
set of extenders. Solved the problem. Still have the car ... probably
the most reliable car I've owned! BTW, we leave the extenders connected
to the stationary buckle and they work pretty good that way. Only
problem is that some 'visitors' will invariably do it wrong and leave
the 6" extender with 2 buckles dangling from the end of the shoulder/lap
belt. I probably should have put a screw into the stationary buckle to
prevent its removal.

---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
http://www.avast.com

micky wrote:

I had figured that if the law required wearing a seat belt,
it would be reasonable to require extenders be available, so one could
folllow the law, and maybe even free, but now I recall that it's only
antilibertarian state laws that require seat belts, Still it seems that
GM does.

If you're talking about the US, the requirement for vehicles to have seat
belts is a federal law. Wearing them is required by all states although they
differ on whether it's primary or secondary enforcement and to the priority
they place on enforcement.

I think my Toyota came with extenders. There is some sort of belt in a
plastic bag under the passenger seat that I never opened and figured out
what it was for. It might be some sort of cargo restraint.

On Tue, 06 Jan 2015 22:41:57 -0500, micky
wrote:

AT one level I'd prefer for you to buy one, since you say there are lots
of them sitting around doing nothing, but you should know that you may
be eligible for a free one from GM.

The government requires them to do this, though I don't know exactly
what the law says about what years, but someone told me she got two of
them free at the Buick dealer. And she showed them to me.

EVen if you're not strictly eligible, they might give you one. Nothing
I read said anything about a price if one wasn't eliglbe. Maybe every
car is included.


Thanks
You saved me a few bucks. I went to the local Chevy/GM dealer, asked if
they had free ones, and he said he did not know. He contacted the main
office and was told they do indeed. He looked up the part number and
found they have two different lengths. He said he'll just order both
of them and I can have both. They should arrive on Friday.

He said no one ever asked for them till now, but the main office was
well aware of them.

I appreciate you finding about this. I would have never known about it,
and would have paid $10 or more, probably closer to $20 (or more) with
shipping. Plus I'll know its made FOR my truck and not some after
market thing that may not work well.

There was no mention of color, but I dont care what color it is as long
as it works.

On Thu, 08 Jan 2015 01:41:43 -0600, wrote:

On Tue, 06 Jan 2015 22:41:57 -0500, micky
wrote:

AT one level I'd prefer for you to buy one, since you say there are lots
of them sitting around doing nothing, but you should know that you may
be eligible for a free one from GM.

The ones from GM may just be sitting around too, now that I think about
it.

Someone told me she got two of
them free at the Buick dealer. And she showed them to me.

Even if you're not strictly eligible, they might give you one. Nothing
I read said anything about a price if one wasn't eliglbe. Maybe every
car is included.


Thanks
You saved me a few bucks. I went to the local Chevy/GM dealer, asked if
they had free ones, and he said he did not know. He contacted the main
office and was told they do indeed. He looked up the part number and
found they have two different lengths. He said he'll just order both
of them and I can have both. They should arrive on Friday.

He said no one ever asked for them till now, but the main office was
well aware of them.

I appreciate you finding about this. I would have never known about it,
and would have paid $10 or more, probably closer to $20 (or more) with
shipping. Plus I'll know its made FOR my truck and not some after
market thing that may not work well.

Great. Copy to my friend with the Buick who told me about this.

There was no mention of color, but I dont care what color it is as long
as it works.

On Fri, 09 Jan 2015 23:22:31 -0600, wrote:

On Fri, 09 Jan 2015 15:42:56 -0500, micky
wrote:

I appreciate you finding about this. I would have never known about it,
and would have paid $10 or more, probably closer to $20 (or more) with
shipping. Plus I'll know its made FOR my truck and not some after
market thing that may not work well.

Great. Copy to my friend with the Buick who told me about this.

There was no mention of color, but I dont care what color it is as long
as it works.


I got them, today. They are both the same length, one has a rigid
(stiff buckle), the other is flexible. Both work well. He just told me
to take both, so I can now put the other one on the passenger side. The
best part, I can not snap my seatbelt in 5 seconds or less, rather than
taking up to 5 minutes.

The guy at the counter told me that he has always thought the seatbelt
buckles were too low on many of those mid 90's Chevy pickuups too. He
said a friend of his has a similar truck, and he has driven it a few
times. Said he will order his friend some of these now that he knows
about it.

So one or two more people benefit. That's great.