seat belt installion
- Thread starter rodder25
- Start date
ACJC
New Member
Wow, I'm glad somebody asked this question as I was prepared to go purchase a length of flat steel and tie it in across the frame and incorporate the flat with the body mount points and then mount the seat belts to that combo versus mounting them to the plywood floor only with large washers or plates.
I guess I've under estimated the strength of 5/8" plywood and the guilliotine concept.
I guess I've under estimated the strength of 5/8" plywood and the guilliotine concept.
blownt
Member
NOT to frame
THIS is why you do not mount the seatbelts to the frame
http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk165/lumenal/WreckedT-Bucket.jpg
http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk165/lumenal/WreckedT-Bucket2.jpg
But I am not sure I would want to be strapped to that body either. You make the call.
THIS is why you do not mount the seatbelts to the frame
http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk165/lumenal/WreckedT-Bucket.jpg
http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk165/lumenal/WreckedT-Bucket2.jpg
But I am not sure I would want to be strapped to that body either. You make the call.
Duke
Member
As soon as I get my body back from the painter I will be going together and seat belts have been on my mind also. What I have decieded to do is bolt the belts to the body. The body I am bolting down with 5/8 bolts with large fender washers, also I am putting a 3/16 plate about 4" square between the fender washers and the body. My thinking is to increase the surface area of the attachment point to the frame. Not saying it is right, just my idea. :neutral:
tfeverfred
Well-Known Member
I have my belts bolted to the body. My opinion is this, considering how small these cars are, it wouldn't matter if they were made of steel or glass. The true results are not only going to depend on what hits you, but how fast it or you, were going.
I've read it all recently. Strapped to the body, ya fly with the body. Strapped to the frame, ya get cut in half. Not wearing any, you fly out and away, hoping for a patch of grass in the median. It's going to be what YOU the driver needs to ease your mind while scoottin' in traffic. These are not practical or logical cars and that is the bottom line.
It would be so benificial to find out what the guy in those pics has to say about all this, but even then, it was HIS fate and couldn't be held as a standard for a crash. Every crash is going to be different.
I've read it all recently. Strapped to the body, ya fly with the body. Strapped to the frame, ya get cut in half. Not wearing any, you fly out and away, hoping for a patch of grass in the median. It's going to be what YOU the driver needs to ease your mind while scoottin' in traffic. These are not practical or logical cars and that is the bottom line.
It would be so benificial to find out what the guy in those pics has to say about all this, but even then, it was HIS fate and couldn't be held as a standard for a crash. Every crash is going to be different.
tfeverfred
Well-Known Member
Rick said:
Opps. I meant floor.
bentbaggerlen
Member
OK, I’m not trying to feed the pro and anti seat belt thing, or the debate over mounting them to the body or floor. Each has its pros and cons.
But there must be a better way to mount a body so that it would not separate from the chassis. Maybe it’s time to rethink the whole idea of plywood and fiberglass floors?
Using a metal floor, and mounting the seats and the seat belts to the floor and chassis. Then the body could be bolted to the steel floor much like the body of VW bug was bolted to the pan. The body would then be little more then decoration, it would no longer be a structural part of the car. And using a metal floor would make it so much easer to reinforce the body for the windshield and doors. Maybe just making a metal floor that covers the entire inside of the tub would be enough to prevent the body pulling off the chassis. The body could still be torn off the chassis, but the steel floor would keep the seats and seat belts attached to the chassis. If the body separates from the chassis it was a poorly built car
Then we have the problem of a roll over, that’s another problem all together. It’s true that insurance companies don’t like to see roll bars. With thinking like “If it has a roll bar it must be a race car” But just how many production convertibles sold today have no rollover protection at all?
I know a T-Bucket will never be a “safe” car, but I think we could do it better.
And yes I would love to have an all steel body, but original steel is getting rarer every day, and piecing a body together using re-pop tin is expensive, and the few new steel bodies are huge bucks. So for right now it looks like fiberglass, until I get a chance to build that steel C-cab pick I’ve had in mind.
But there must be a better way to mount a body so that it would not separate from the chassis. Maybe it’s time to rethink the whole idea of plywood and fiberglass floors?
Using a metal floor, and mounting the seats and the seat belts to the floor and chassis. Then the body could be bolted to the steel floor much like the body of VW bug was bolted to the pan. The body would then be little more then decoration, it would no longer be a structural part of the car. And using a metal floor would make it so much easer to reinforce the body for the windshield and doors. Maybe just making a metal floor that covers the entire inside of the tub would be enough to prevent the body pulling off the chassis. The body could still be torn off the chassis, but the steel floor would keep the seats and seat belts attached to the chassis. If the body separates from the chassis it was a poorly built car
Then we have the problem of a roll over, that’s another problem all together. It’s true that insurance companies don’t like to see roll bars. With thinking like “If it has a roll bar it must be a race car” But just how many production convertibles sold today have no rollover protection at all?
I know a T-Bucket will never be a “safe” car, but I think we could do it better.
And yes I would love to have an all steel body, but original steel is getting rarer every day, and piecing a body together using re-pop tin is expensive, and the few new steel bodies are huge bucks. So for right now it looks like fiberglass, until I get a chance to build that steel C-cab pick I’ve had in mind.
bentbaggerlen
Member
Take a look at the photos of the blue bucket that hit the mini van, the floor is still intact with the body, the complete body including the floor was pulled off the chassis.
http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...edT-Bucket.jpg
http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...dT-Bucket2.jpg
http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...edT-Bucket.jpg
http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/k...dT-Bucket2.jpg
TRoadster
New Member
Does anyone know the make of this body? I know different makes use different mounting setups. Doesn't TP use rubber inserts which fit inside a hole drilled on top of the frame and then a bolt is threaded through which flares out the rubber insert inside the frame? To me this doesn't sound very strong even though there are many buckets on the road using this type of body mount. I plan to use at lease four mounts on each side of the frame and to bolt my seat belts (its the law in georgia) to the floor/body.
I think the way to do this is to bolt the body to the frame in a way that you hope it can't come off. 6 1/2" grade 8 bolts holding the body to the frame with a 1/4 plate welded to the frame. Using BIG heavy flat washers on top of the plywood. I think you would be OK using this same bolt to hold seat belts in place.
Lets face it these cars are like motorcycles, you have an accident of any kind and you are in trouble. How much protection does that 1/8" thick fiberglass body offer? Another thought anything can be broken, we are now seeing big bridges collapse.
I have seen several T buckets that the body is held to the frame with about 6 #10 screws. I think you just asking for trouble.
Lets face it these cars are like motorcycles, you have an accident of any kind and you are in trouble. How much protection does that 1/8" thick fiberglass body offer? Another thought anything can be broken, we are now seeing big bridges collapse.
I have seen several T buckets that the body is held to the frame with about 6 #10 screws. I think you just asking for trouble.
ACJC
New Member
Yeah RPM, only the motorists tend to give our cars a lot more respect than they do motorcycles, at least they do in Beaufort.
When you get right down to brass tacks, if you get in a wreck, it's likely not going to be pretty. I've seen some beaut's in 30 years in the fire service. I haven' had been to a T-Bucket crash yet and I hope it ain't mine!
It probably matters little where you mount them, just mount them the best you can. I think it's more about peace of mind than any thing else.
Fred summed up best, it's all up to a higher calling.
Darn good discussion though. Great feedback. So it's back to plan A for me.
When you get right down to brass tacks, if you get in a wreck, it's likely not going to be pretty. I've seen some beaut's in 30 years in the fire service. I haven' had been to a T-Bucket crash yet and I hope it ain't mine!
It probably matters little where you mount them, just mount them the best you can. I think it's more about peace of mind than any thing else.
Fred summed up best, it's all up to a higher calling.
Darn good discussion though. Great feedback. So it's back to plan A for me.
thomas
Member
ACJC said:Yeah RPM, only the motorists tend to give our cars a lot more respect than they do motorcycles, at least they do in Beaufort.
When you get right down to brass tacks, if you get in a wreck, it's likely not going to be pretty. I've seen some beaut's in 30 years in the fire service. I haven' had been to a T-Bucket crash yet and I hope it ain't mine!
It probably matters little where you mount them, just mount them the best you can. I think it's more about peace of mind than any thing else.
Fred summed up best, it's all up to a higher calling.
Darn good discussion though. Great feedback. So it's back to plan A for me.
I agree.
thomas
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