Using seatbelts while going *******

[Sweetbutterfly]

Hello everyone!!

New here, and have a question. My husband and I have taken the top off of our 95' bronco. The only problem is that we have no clue how to use the seatbelts for the backseat. Does anyone know how to do that? We want to be able to have friends sit back there when the top is off, but in Illinois seatbelts are the law.

Thanks !!

Jen

 

[Roadkill]

3 options:

1) Purchase and properly install aftermarket lap belts for the outside seat postions. (not very expensive, check your local part store or use google)

2) Get the whole seat out of an older model that had all three lap belts mounted directly to the seat. (don't know how much $$ since I've never priced a back seat)

3) Install roll cage and mount the original belts in almost the same location as stock (expensive)

 

[Seabronc]

You might want to go for the roll cage option. There is little protection in a rollover for the rear passengers with a top on and "0" protection with it off. It'd be a shame if some one was riding there and got crushed in a rollover.

>-

 

[bidibronco]

On that note, how good is the top portion that doesn't come off? Seems like it would have some extra bracing since the top is removable?

 

[19Bronco93]

what i do when i have my top off, i just use the "roof hung" belts as lap belts, because the seat belts are the law in Delaware too. If you are concerned about safety, go for the roll cage or lap belts, but the cheapest way is using what you got. getting pulled over with the top off, and the 5-0 checking for belts, all of the ones in the back passed his visual inspection, so there is no sense in even getting a new belt system, unless you cut the old belt instead of dropping the hangers off the cap

 

[Broncobill78]

On that note, how good is the top portion that doesn't come off? Seems like it would have some extra bracing since the top is removable?

It does, take a look at your roofline. That's why the last 5"-6" of the cab are thicker than the rest of the roof. It's not as good as having an honest-to-God rollbar but if you look you can see it's a whole lot thicker than the same section of roof on an F-truck.

As far as the original question goes, I'd second RoadKill's advise to either buy the complete rear seat from an earlier truck (not as expensive as you'd think, I just priced one at a local boneyard for $50) or go with the rollcage option. The rear cage would offer greater versatility, you'd have the mount location for your factory seatbelts, greater rollover protection AND the option of running a small bikini top over the rear sections which not only looks nice but keeps the sun off passengers while still giving everyone the open air feel. The older seat is a cheap & easy solution especially since it can be swapped in & out with the original seat in less than 5 min.

 

[Roadkill]

Broncograveyard is now offering a pretty nice roll cage. They've got lots of pictures on their "myspace" page. (they only have one photo on the regular website) You have to do the welding yourself but the pieces come pre-bent so the hardest part of the job is done for you. The only thing I don't like about it is that I see no provision to connect it to the frame. But that would not be too complicated to bend a couple of elbows to bolt up underneath the floor plates (on the outside) to tie it to the frame. Here are a few photos of the rear part, they also offer the front section but I can't find any photos. (hopefully the pictures show up; they are linked from the Bronco Graveyard myspace page)

 

[Broncobill78]

DAMN that's nice. run thru the body down to the frame that would be one ****** of a rollcage. I'd maybe add a couple diag's (then again it's NOT a competition cage and it's awfully nice looking) but the bulk of the work is done FOR you and it looks to be done well. Seems like you need to find an actual chassis shop if you want a proper roll cage these days, but either a shop or a good welder could easily marry that cage to the frame with just a few downtubes, braces & feet. I don't see that as being much more than a full day's work, maybe a weekend if you have a lot of extra beer or it's the Superbowl or something. Do they offer a matching cab kit ? THAT would be worth dropping the bux on. Probably CNC bent & square as $hit. Those are some nice tubes. fits any 80'-96' I asume ?

 

[Roadkill]

Here is the page at the Roll Bar page at Bronco Graveyard website. They offer the front part but don't have any pictures. I've been considering that kit myself. It cost a few bucks, but you find a shop to custom build it any cheaper. Being in the military, I have access to the Auto Craft Shop on Ft. Hood, they have pretty much all the tools you could need, including a machine shop and welding shop. You do the work yourself for a $5 an hour bay usage fee. They also got profesionals (machinist, welder, etc) to give you advice and make sure your not building a deathtrap. Making an external part to marry up with the bolts on those feet (maybe also with a slightly smaller diameter "slug" inside the tubes for lateral strengh) should not be teribly difficult.