RMW Seat Belt issues

The seat belts on my 96 RMW are starting to fray and the retractors are pretty weak. I have searched the forum and the rest of Google and so far haven't found a company that makes direct replacement belts for the B body. It looks like Safety Restore has strong reviews refurbishing factory belts but I'm having a hard time spending $610 rebuilding four seat belts. Car-part.com is always an option but they are still 20+ year old mechanisms and probably similar condition to what I have.

If you guys can offer up any experience or advise I would appreciate it.

Mickey wrote:

The seat belts on my 96 RMW are starting to fray and the retractors are pretty weak. I have searched the forum and the rest of Google and so far haven't found a company that makes direct replacement belts for the B body. It looks like Safety Restore has strong reviews refurbishing factory belts but I'm having a hard time spending $610 rebuilding four seat belts.  Car-part.com is always an option but they are still 20+ year old mechanisms and probably similar condition to what I have.

If you guys can offer up any experience or advise I would appreciate it.

I replaced my frayed driver's-side seat belt on my '96 Roady wagon with a good used one from a '94 Caprice in the salvage yard.  Color match is perfect, but it has the older-style full-metal buckle, not the 96-only style with the interior-color plastic trim cap.   I actually like the older style a lot better, and am planning to replace the front passenger side to match soon.   EASY job and the entire belt assembly was a whopping $12 from the yard.  

The 94-96 Roadmasters and I believe the Caprice are the same colors.   Easy job!

-Michael

I created a Public Facebook photo album on replacing that belt, along with adding a driver's-front headliner grab handle. Link here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10215664245269857&type=3

Was easy to add that grab handle while I had the pillar trim removed to do the belt. Goofy that GM removed that handle on the '96 cars, the older ones all have it.

-Mike

The belts are the same from side to side, and can be swapped, but the retractors are different. 94-96 colors are the same. 91-93 colors are the same. The 93s also have the ruby red interiors on some cars that matches the 94-96 ruby red. Some 93s also have a dark tan that is different than all other models. The early 91s have a different upper anchor for the front belt on the sedans, and rear belt on the wagons.

GM removed the handle to save the price of the handle on every car.

The buckles can be removed from the belts, and moved to another one. The metal ones can be forcibly pried off, and the plastic ones can be gently pried off. I can give specific instruction to someone wanting to move a buckle. I have 3 tan plastic buckles off of the belt, and 3 tan grab handles.

Safety Restore just did the passenger seat belt for my 93 Fleetwood for $75, including shipping. That is just to fix the retractor, not replace the belt. I am supposed to get it this week. They got excellent reviews online, and when I called, were helpful. I'll report back once I get the belt. I hope they are as good as reported, since my wagon driver belt is slow, and my Fleetwood driver belt is frayed. I can live with the cost, and it's another $75, I think, to replace the belt too.

Fred clued me in to the belts being the same side-to-side, so I grabbed a good belt from a passenger side junkyard car, since the driver's belts are usually the ones to go first. I fixed the tension issue by slightly overwinding the spring when I did the belt swap. That's probably not ideal but it worked for me.

How many turns did you wind it?

I recall an additional one full turn

Let me edit that- you'd have to feel it when you overwind it since it depends on how much slack it has developed.

I got my belt back from Safety Restore, and it works like new. It was $75, including shipping. There was a delay of several days getting it back, which they couldn't explain, but othrt than that all is fine.

Any updates on getting direct replacement belts of the same color ?
I am having a similar issue with me Driver Side Buckle, and I think I may junkyard it but I read somewhere once that after twenty years the belts can break when you actually need them.

Thanks for any updates !
Shrimp

As long as the belt has not been "used", and is not frayed, it should still be good. Check for wear at the bottom body anchor. If that is not worn, the belt should be good.