Fitting Rear Seat Belts.

RBBailey

NAS-ROW Addict
Callsign: KF7KFZ
The set up on the right hand middle row of seats is stock, with the mount plate up on the side, and the three-point retractable lap belt, etc... The center and left hand side were home-made, so I wanted to match the left to the right.

First, I went to order this: https://www.lrdirect.com/BTR5779-Seat-Belt-Outer/ but I needed the female socket end: as is noted in the print on that page, so I upgraded to this: https://www.lrdirect.com/EVL000090PMA-supplied-by-LAND-ROVER-branded-LAND-ROVER.html

However, all that came in the box is exactly what is shown for BTR5779??? There is no female socket and strap. So I'm not sure why I paid $60 more for this, over the other LR side mounted belt. I'll have to contact LRDirect to figure it out.

But the question I really have for all of you is that I bought a left hand side mounting plate for the left hand side belt: MXC3283. However, this does not fit. The PN on the bag is correct, and it matches images I see online, however it does not line up to any of the bolts or existing holes that are on my truck. The mounting plate for the right hand side sits right up next to the window frame, and there are pre-existing holes in the plate to provide for clearance of the rivets and bolts in the body panel. This new left hand side plate just doesn't fit. So.... other than the PN listed above, what is the real PN I should have ordered?
 

RBBailey

NAS-ROW Addict
Callsign: KF7KFZ
Here is a set of photos to demonstrate what I'm having trouble with. Basically, the clearance/mounting holes on the bracket don't match the truck. If you do line up the holes for one part, they won't line up for the other. And the only spot where I can see that it actually fixes to the vehicle is with the two bolts at the top, and that just can't be enough. As far as I can tell, I need to disassemble this part of the roof and rebuild it around this bracket.

If anyone has a photo of one of these properly installed,...

First photo with ? marks = no holes in the bracket for these bolts to pass through or fix to.
Second photo shows how it is supposed to line up with the top two bolts (pic is sideways), but if you do this, it won't line up with the side bolts.
Third photo shows how there are clearance holes for the two rivets, but they don't line up properly.
In the last photo you can see that if I could get the top bolts to line up, the clearance hole on the back won't be in the right spot......
 

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RDavisinVA

Technical Excellence Contributor
We typically drill clearance holes to get the later brackets to line up on an earlier vehicle.
 

RBBailey

NAS-ROW Addict
Callsign: KF7KFZ
So you drill holes into the bracket, or on some spot on the cab? I think you are confirming what I'm thinking needs to happen, I had it in my mind that the seat belt would come with both male and female ends, and that this bracket was worth the money to make it an "easy" job! LOL........

Does this bracket fit flush against the wall, or does it actually "hover" just off the skin of the cab?

I think if I grind down two bolts, drill a mounting hole, then drill two or three clearance holes in the bracket, I might make it fit. But I'm now rethinking this job for a later date as it looks like there is no shop space for the Defender, I may need to pull the front cover and all myself in order to fix the noise issue.

BTW--I have this bracket on the other side of the cab, but the previous owner evidently ran into the same problem, so they just drilled through the skin of the cab and mounted it a bit off to one side. It works, but... I'm trying to see if I can do it the proper way.
 

Shearpin

Well-known member
I have an ‘84 110 and ordered the same brackets from lrdirect. Both required drilling to clear various fasteners.

The research I did at the time indicated it was required on earlier trucks.

Henry
 

RBBailey

NAS-ROW Addict
Callsign: KF7KFZ
After some cutting and grinding....... I managed to get that bracket into place where it belongs. Annoying to buy an original part that does not fit the spot. But whatever.

Now I'm trying to figure out why it is so difficult to get the right seat belt for this thing.

I'm looking for the center row, left hand side seat belt set. So I put this item in my cart: https://www.lrdirect.com/BTR5779-Seat-Belt-Outer/?keep_https=yes

However, as it says on that page, this does not include the "socket". I took that to mean the female half of the belt that would attach to the floor on the other side. Right?

So I switched to the PN they suggest: EVL000090PMA https://www.lrdirect.com/EVL000090PMA-Seat-Belt/?keep_https=yes

And ordered, thinking that I would have the three point inertia reel, and the socket side that attaches to the floor. But no. I only got the three point harness (male) side, and I can't figure out a: what is the PN for the socket side? and b: why wasn't it sent to me as a kit in the first place, as LRDirect suggests? and finally c: why doesn't the three point harness actually fit? -- it is too long, and does not actually reel back into place properly, but instead hangs loose with about 6" of belt never being able to fully retract. Yes, I'm using the factory mounting bracket and mounting points.

LRDirect did get back to me, but it was on the day before I left for Africa, I was not able to replay, and they seemed totally oblivious to what I was on about.

So I'm asking you if I'm making sense here before I try to contact them and make sense of it to them over the phone. Yes? No? Sort of?
 

RBBailey

NAS-ROW Addict
Callsign: KF7KFZ
Thanks for that PN. I had seen this as an option, but the images don’t really indicate length. There seems to be four or even five variations on the middle row buckle end, and this one looks too short to reach.
 

RBBailey

NAS-ROW Addict
Callsign: KF7KFZ
The easiest thing for me to do is to just ignore the fact that I ended up paying more and not getting the "full kit" they seem to be indicating on their web site, and to just buy the fixed socket side separately. However, LRDirect does not seem to have this part.



I can find the part from Rovers North and a few other places, but I'm afraid that if I order it will be too short, or it will not be compatible with the latch I am currently stuck with. To reach the factory mounting hole on the floor, go through the seat, and have enough end to lay on the seat, I need at least 14".
 
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