Factory 3 point seat belt harness.

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

shotrod69

Junior Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2023
Posts
21
Reaction score
2
Location
Florida
First Name
lacey
Truck Year
1987
Truck Model
R20 Suburban
Engine Size
350
I have an ‘87 suburban with factory 3 point retractable seatbelts. I’m trying to either replace the whole unit or replace the retractor. I have tried to look for replacements but I can only find lap belts and 3 point conversion belts.

Both front seats have various issues locking up.
 

Hunter79764

Full Access Member
Joined
Sep 1, 2021
Posts
344
Reaction score
531
Location
Grand Prairie, TX
First Name
Shawn
Truck Year
1987
Truck Model
Suburban V20
Engine Size
350

fast 99

Full Access Member
Joined
Dec 31, 2021
Posts
2,029
Reaction score
2,938
Location
Spokane, Washington
First Name
Brian
Truck Year
81,85
Truck Model
K20
Engine Size
350

Usually retractor issues are just dirt, coffee or soda spilled inside. They are overbuilt for obvious reasons.
 

shotrod69

Junior Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2023
Posts
21
Reaction score
2
Location
Florida
First Name
lacey
Truck Year
1987
Truck Model
R20 Suburban
Engine Size
350

shotrod69

Junior Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2023
Posts
21
Reaction score
2
Location
Florida
First Name
lacey
Truck Year
1987
Truck Model
R20 Suburban
Engine Size
350

Usually retractor issues are just dirt, coffee or soda spilled inside. They are overbuilt for obvious reasons.
Do you have a recommendation on how to clean them? I took them apart and cleaned/lubed them. It helped for about 2 weeks.

My seatbelt being messed up doesn’t bother me to much. However the passenger seat being messed up scares me a lot.
 

Turbo4whl

Supporting Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Oct 30, 2019
Posts
3,126
Reaction score
7,257
Location
Downingtown, PA
First Name
Wayne
Truck Year
1974
Truck Model
Jimmy
Engine Size
350
The seat belts in the later squares are the GM type B buckles. They can and have failed on impact. GM used so many of these buckles through those years on all models, a recall would have put them out of business.

Was cheaper for them to payout the legal claims. Me, I did not worry about the belts. You want the security for your passengers, buy quality aftermarket seat belts. Even if you fix the retractors, you still have the possibility of a buckle failure.
 

fast 99

Full Access Member
Joined
Dec 31, 2021
Posts
2,029
Reaction score
2,938
Location
Spokane, Washington
First Name
Brian
Truck Year
81,85
Truck Model
K20
Engine Size
350
I tried an aftermarket belt set. With carpet thickness was going to require rework of mounting hole. They might fit ok without carpet don't know. Elected to rebuild/restore original set [with new buckles] was expensive.

Did not know GM had issues with buckles. Seems like such a simple item to correctly design, guess it isn't.
 

Broken85

Junior Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2024
Posts
19
Reaction score
20
Location
Cumberland, NJ
First Name
A
Truck Year
1985
Truck Model
K10
Engine Size
350
If you reupholstered the interior, don’t be a victim of the “plush monster”. There is a pendulum it the seatbelt ratchet system that needs to move freely. When inertia moves it forward, it locks up the ratchet for safety. New carpet will also encroach on the weak plastic casing and bind the pendulum making you think your seatbelt is nonfunctional when it is actually doing exactly what it’s supposed to do. Take the seatbelt harness out and see if it works without being installed in the truck. If it does, there’s something in the environment that you’re installing it in is interfering with its desired function.
 

BobSaintClare

Junior Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2022
Posts
1
Reaction score
1
Location
San Francisco
First Name
Bob
Truck Year
1985
Truck Model
K2500
Engine Size
6.2
I have an '85 burb. My driver side was very sticky. I couldn't find any replacement that looked like the original, so I created a Saved Search for seat belts on ebay. I eventually ended-up seeing a fresher assembly showing up - bought for under $100. Took a while though
 

Forum statistics

Threads
44,168
Posts
950,797
Members
36,284
Latest member
RogerioHR
Top