'57 Big Window seat belts with shoulder harness????

[CoachH]

Just wondering if anyone has put seat belts with shoulder harnesses in a 1957 chevy big window? I'd like the extra safety as my daughter will be driving this truck, but not sure if they fit ok or how they would look. They worked good in our '54 but it wasnt a big window.

[BIGglaSS]

It can be done. I made an anchor bracket, and tried to fish it up into the B pillar with no success. I haven't had time to try another method, yet. Most guys cut into the pillar to make it work. Do some searching. There are plenty of examples. Dan in Pasadena recently had it done, but I don't have the page saved. Here is one I have bookmarked
Post # 143: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...=648712&page=6

[dsraven]

the thing is, the bbw cab is about 3 layers deep in the pillar. the inner skin has a reinforcement bracket welded on vertically before the outer skin goes on. check one of the parts suppliers for pics and you may find one that shows the extra pieces in the kit with the inner panel. it makes it almost impossible to fish something as big as a belt mounting pad bracket up inside the pillar. if you're gonna do it you may have to just cut out a piece and weld in your bracket with the nut. in that case you are really only relying on the inner skin sheet metal to hold the inpact. another reason why I went with newer style seats with the belts integral to the seat. bolt the seats to the floor and install reinforcement under the floor. again though, you may not have room in the cab for the newer style seats because the cab angles forward at the top rear so the seats rub. then the seats get the back angles forward so it's not that comfy to drive for any distance.

here is a pic of my inner panel installed with the reinforcemnt panel welded on top of that. before the outer wall panel was put on. I know, a bit confusing, but mine is an extended cab now so I can have those tall seats and still fit between the seat and the steering wheel.long story, still not done.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by BIGglaSS

... Dan in Pasadena recently had it done, but I don't have the page saved...

Thanks BIGglass for remembering my thread.

To the OP, Inside the B pillar is just several layers of folded sheet metal. Nothing truly substantial so we cut a large but neat hole through the sheet metal, then TIG welded a lug nut to some 1/8" bar stock and that to the sheet metal we cut out. Then the whole assembly was welded back into the B pillar and ground flush and it looks as though it was factory installed.

In a REALLY substantial accident or a rollover the B pillar will probably bend or distort - and obviously that would be bad. But you've got to remember you're choosing to drive a 60+ year old vehicle and this crashworthiness comes along with it. But in a fender bender or even something quite a bit worse the shoulder belt will keep your face from impacting the steering wheel, metal dash & hardass chrome knobs.

Here's the pics, sorry they came out sideways. I have no idea how to change that.

[BIGglaSS]

In my initial attempt, I drilled the hole so it will mount on the side of the pillar. But when I fished the plate in, it wont fit that way. It will work if I mount it to the back of the post, like Dan did.

My truck project has been on hold for 6 months. Seat belt anchor is the next thing I'm going to do. Hopefully, I can get back to work on it in July.

[Dan in Pasadena]

Biglass - Notice how the shoulder belt doesn’t hang straight down in my final photo? I wanted it to but it couldn’t because we couldn’t mount the interior plate off center. There was no room in there to do so. If the hole could be closer to one edge then there would be room for the metal belt hanger to hang straight. If we’d mounted the lug nut further to one side on the plate it would have reduced its effectiveness all the more. And what are we REALLY trying to do? Have it work right/save a life, or look good?! But UGH, it bugs my OCD that it looks like that but I suppose few will notice. The ones that do will think “they did it wrong”!

[CoachH]

I can't thank you guys enough for the input. It is super helpful! I will try what Dan in Pasadena did.

[BIGglaSS]

I'm hesitant to do that much welding there. It's a lot of shrinkage in an area that you can't hammer. I haven't abandoned the idea of fishing a plate up there, yet.

[Dan in Pasadena]

I don't really see the heat concerns but if you have them TIG weld it, or have someone do it for you.

The lug-nut-to-heavy-plate weld will be off the truck so no heat worries there. The plate-to-sheet-metal welds don't need to be continuous, they're not structural so just a couple spot welds will do.

The only real heat concerns is welding the sheet metal patch back in. You can readily do that with MIG spot welds. Just WAIT between each spot weld and of course move around.