Thread: Seat Belts For a SII

Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

Just a comment on the legality of seatbelts,yes John is correct about 2a's pre-dating the ADR for compulsory seat belts. However the fittings shown in the book are the same fittings used in the SIII right through to Stage 1 when seat belts were mandated by ADR.

The parts books show a variety of fittings for the upper mount.

Whether they would meet testing requirements under AS/NZS is debatable.

I would assume the parts fitted in Australia to Series 3 would in fact meet the testing requirements - by the end of S3 production the requirements were fairly tight. A couple of points though - the inertia reel mount has a force on it almost parallel to the panel, so that it is quite likely to meet requirements. Also note that the inboard seat belt mounts are required to have reinforcing brackets if fitted to a tub, and with the tray back a stay down to the chassis.

The inertia reel shown in my pic is one on a SIII Stage 1 and the reinforcing on the back of the panel is an aluminium rectangle spot welded in place during the manufacture by JRA. The seat belt stalks are secured by parts numbered 395292 and either 395254 or 395255 dependant on whether they were fitted left or right.

Any inspection station examining an SII fitted with the same fittings that were fitted by JRA for a Land Rover where seat belts were mandatory would be required to pass the seat belt anchorages whether or not they pass 2009 requirements. (Unless a notice was issued by DOTARS mandating a recall and refitting of vehicles fitted with substandard equipment, as far as I am aware no recall has ever been issued for SIII seatbelt fittings.)

Regarding the improved safety of inertia reel, John is once again correct about the differences between correctly adjusted fixed seat belts and inertia reel seat belts is minimal. HOWEVER, analysis of injuries sustained by occupants in vehicular crashes has revealed that many of the injuries would not have occurred or have been less serious had the belt been worn and adjusted correctly. I guess the differences in theoretical and the real world is the basis for inertia reel to be the minimum standard for front outer seat fittings in all new vehicles.

What is still, as far as I can see, a very grey area, is seat belts fitted to a pre-ADR vehicle using the fitting kits of the time. If done competently, they would be in all probability as safe as using the S3 parts. What is even greyer is when these belts are replaced with modern belts using the existing mounts.

Black and white is the fitting of belts to a pre-ADR vehicle that has never had them - and while legally this has to be engineered, my idea would be to fit the S3 bits - no inspector is going to query this, as Diana says. And even if fitted with non-engineered non-factory mounts, there is no way an inspector can be certain they were not fitted before they were required to be engineered, and cannot be faulted unless actually unsafe, as far as I can see.

John