[beechkid]

97 Cougar Sport. Both driver & passenger side front seat belts must be coaxed to fully retract. I'm assuming it must be a dirt buildup in the retractor. Is it possible to clean these or am I looking at having to replace the units?

 

[thewishkah]

I know in my 94 explorer they had to be replaced because when I went to take them out the retractor were a self contained unit. I would assume that if they were that way in 94 they only made them harder to work on in 97 but im not positive on that.

 

[Southpaw]

Well it's nice to know my 97 Cougar Sport's unsporty like seat belt retraction performance is the norm... :rofl:

If there's a solution short of replacing them i'm all ears.

 

[laser_red]

Mine too!

 

[girdnerg]

My driver's side is getting that way. I've shut it in the door more than once now. I'd like to know if there is a fix myself.
Rob

 

[slidebird91]

mine too, I thought it was cuz I died them black, but apparently not

 

[94TchikinV8]

If you think the Tbird's retractor is bad, you should see how poorly a Mustang's works, lol.

-Rob

 

[PCD]

Maybe we need a group purchase for good seat belts? My wife is constantly fighting with the passenger side belt and now my driver's belt is beginning to balk.

How involved is it to replace the front belts?

 

[95XR7]

It's sad. My driver's side is terrible, and I'm always closing the seatbelt in the door...but the passenger side acts like a brand new one.

 

[Casper]

guess i can join the club too, ehh?

 

[thewishkah]

It souldn't be to bed usually the belt to the floor with a t55 torx and then 2 bolts holding in the unit and the one torx holding the belt to the top of the pillar.

 

[Casper]

the bit is T-50.

 

[XR7-4.6]

i've got it off with a T-45 bit

 

[thewishkah]

lol i wasn't sure its been a while but i was close.

 

[PCD]

How much of that vinyl interior crap has to come off before I get to the belt mechanism?

 

[PCD]

Is there any better belt replacements available without putting in 6 point belts?

I know my 97 is a "Parts Bin Special", meaning what ever was leftover in the parts bin was used to build the car.

 

[Southpaw]

whatever else they were trying to use up that final year, I don't think the seat belts in your '97 are any different then what they all got from the factory... I don't know if there are any 3 point harnesses that are better then stock.

 

[_95badbird]

if the passenger side is "better" than the drivers side.....just swap them..:idea:

 

[Chris_Murder]

How do you go about removing the trim to access them... I'm in the slow winding up belt club too... vegas dirt...

Removing interior trim makes me nervous.

 

[slidebird91]

the plastic panel is held on with clips. pull carefully. with one exception, the coat hanger also holds on the panel with a phillips head screw. slide off the rubber cover and remove the coat hanger hook first