Safe or not...

[Abyss]

Few points I can add. After installing a swivel base I noticed a few things to do with both my front single seats and bases.

They were modified to in order for the saab seats to sit on a wider rail. OK so far. I had to modify the swivel base a bit to get them on my modified seat bases. I bought hundreds of nuts and bolts from screw fix @ 12.9 high tensile, so i figured i would replace my drivers nuts and bolts since i had a load of these and they were better than the stock 8.9.

To my disgust they only had two nuts on ( two had gone walkies?)

I then grabbed the seat and rocked it, and yes, it moved about,, now the extra stress on just two nuts could have been fatal for me on my non air bagged model?

Promptly replaced with said stronger bolts and used locking nuts. Starting to become a bit of a theme on my van bits falling off, units coming away from wall when van properly used in europe, bolts from bed panels being found on the floor after every trip (shaggin me thinks), sliding door lock mech fell off at first t4 meet (not embarrassing?) whats next eh? Im so glad i'm building my next t4, gonna check every friggin nut?!

Moral? Check your nuts Better to be safe than sorry

[Spanners]

Originally Posted by stumpy1972uk1

oooooooh that jap bed took peoples choice award at bude didnt it . nice van andy , we like it .

Don't you mean that "jap junk", I was actually quite impressed with the engineering of the seats and rails, but what would I know

Mind you I did know someone who was really good with a sewing machine

[colonial_jim]

Originally Posted by bobley

I will gladly lie on the floor and allow you to drop the back seat of my mini on my head from a small height. It will accelerate at 9.81m/s² and strike me with a small force. I will not allow you to do the same with the Reimo 333 seat I bolted into the back of my T5 last year. Even though it will still accelerate at 1G (the afore mentioned 9.81m/s²) the force required to bring it to a halt will do substantial damage to me.

The seats will undergo the same decelleration in a crash as the passengers do (maybe 10 or 20G, maybe more in a big accident). The belt will be designed to stop you as best as poss, and from the factory the seat will be designed to look after itself. If the seat isn't nailed down properly then it will start to move forward thus crushing you against the seatbelt and doing you serious harm. My back seat is a big 2 man lift, if that started moving in a crash and I didn't I'd be in big trouble. Same goes for wooden interiors and seats without belts. If they come free in an impact then they'll move forward and possibly hit the driver. The seriousness of any injury depends on the time its moving under a given decelleration and its weight. A empty tupperware box left on the kitchen worktop isn't going to do anthing to you but an anvil (which you were taking to your mates house like you do) will rip your head and shoulders clean off.

I've not got anything against people bolting aftermarket seats into vans, you just need to anchor them down well. Plenty of 6mm spreader plates and 12.9 rated bolts. It'll all be underneath the van anyway so the more the merrier. There are Reimo TuV approved seat belt plates and to be honest the OE spreader plates in my T5 don't look massive.

As far as swivels go, its hard to say whether unbranded units are pull tested. Either buy good quality units or get something and compare it to a known branded swivel, not easy though. Its just going to be easier to buy the branded/tested ones.

When you talk about bolting in aftermarket seats, presumably there must be certain mounting points or fixings at various locations under the rear floor? I ask because Im just trying to work out a good layout for the back of my van, and it would be handy to know if I'm restricted as to where the seat/bed can go. If it can go anywhere with the addition of a few spreader plates that would give a whole lot more options...

Cheers

[hawk]

im not sure if this is th e right place to post this, if its wrong im sorry and could someone move it to the correct place please. anyway my question is regarding my front double seat in my t4. is it possible for the bolts to be removed for longer ones to be put in place or are they welded in? i thought i would ask here first before i go fannying around underneath!
many thanks

[Tallwallfitter]

OK. Tell me i'm wrong. I pick up an r&r bed from dave farnes tomorrow and intend to fit it myself.It comes with two, 3 point seat belts already attached. My plan is to drill 8 holes into the base, continue these through the floor of the van and bolt them in. I have bought m8 80mm bolts sping washers, flat plate washers and have had made some spreader plates. They are 100mm square with a 10mm hole in the middle and are made from 2mm thick steel. So from the top....M8 bolt and spring washer through the bed frame, then through the floor, then through spreader plate then flat washer and to finish a lock nut. Once its all bolted in, I will have the spreader plates welded to the under side of the floor. On a 3/4 r&r bed I think that should hold it down in case of a shunt. However, its not the bed moving in a shunt that would worry me, as said before, its all the loose bits in the back flying around that can do the damage.

[Parker2435]

I think no one is safe in this world...

But we must wear our seat belts in Car...

We can only try to save our self....




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