Seats w/ integrated belts (ABTS)

Hi everyone, I just joined and am currently looking for the right van, but am trying to plan ahead a little.

Has anyone installed front buckets or a rear bench w/ integrated seat belts? Assuming you can find something that fits, I'm wondering how you did it and where/how you reinforced the brackets and mounts. I'm looking at some of the original brackets on these vans and they seem pretty skinny - I'm wondering if they should even be considered when trying to adapt a seat with built in belts.

Welcome To VV..!!!.. ..Most guy's use the "Hummer" 3 point seat belt but on mine I used the universal buckle lap belt and screwed them in the factory holes...Good Luck on your search... http://www.ebay.com/itm/Chrome-Lift-Vintage-Buckle-Non-Retractable-Universal-Lap-Seat-Belt-60-Black-/251777777016?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3a9f1ffd78&vxp=mtr

It is best to attach the belts to the van frame rather than to the seat.

Barnabas wrote:It is best to attach the belts to the van frame rather than to the seat.

Just wondering why you think that? If you can find some seats that were originally designed to have integrated belts and if you mount/reinforce the brackets securely to the floor (I'm thinking simply some 1/8 plate underneath or similar), then it seems the only weak point to consider would be the seat brackets. I don't know how beefy the brackets need to be to handle a couple hundred pounds coming to a sudden stop.

I haven't been around a lot of the integral set ups, just a couple trucks. But the ones I have had have a lot of structure to them that might be hard to work with height wise. Width isn't the only obstacle in the Chevys anyway. To high and it's like sitting on a lawn tractor.

I plan on using seats from chevy extended 2001 cab or similar in rear, integral belts. and other models hit the bone yards to see whats out there. I hope to hit atleast 1 crossmember and add a crossmember when need be. Use caution metal will sheer like paper with the right amount of force. I would think 1000 2000 lbs of force in a server crash.

these have integral belts






from  a 1994 ford aerostar van with the fold down seat option.  Good for camping
The brackets I made make the seats interchangable to either spot.
Any seat with integril belts has to be fastened to the van real well otherwise the only thing the belt is going to do is keep the seat attched to your ass as you go throught the windshield. If its a bench seat it might have three people on it when in an acident so it would have to suport that possibly 5oolbs of people under a 6 or 7 G load break away force.

just something to think about.

m1D