Rear Seatbelt/Seatback Collar Bolt...

[Frank]

I think, way back when, I may have asked this but here goes again: How do you remove the bolt that holds the rear seatbelt retracts (mine need replacing) which mount to the wheelwell? Am I missing something? Is there some hidden weld somewhere? The bolt passes through a collar which secures the rear seatback in the up position. I ruined several Torx wrenches trying the bolt and ended up drilling though the collar and bolt with a 1/8" drill, inserting a brand new Craftsman 1/8" punch and proceeded to shear the punch when I turned the collar with a pipe wrench. This happened twice to two new punches. The next step is to my mechanic and his heat wrench! http://www.ifsja.org/ubb/mad.gif

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Frank
'88 Grand Wagoneer, "Sluggo"
Box Stock, 2" Bodylift

[BobBarry]

That bolt passes through the wheelwell sheetmetal to a captive backing plate. Some of the bolt extends past that; if that is covered with undercoating or rust or the like, it may get hung up.

I've been looking for an indestructible T-50 Torx bit for removing seatbelts; I find they tend to break LONG before the bolt is going to come out. I think I'll need one of those $150 titaniaum/depleted uranium impact torx bits for use with a 3/4" drive impact gun to get some of these bolts out... http://www.ifsja.org/ubb/frown.gif

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Bob Barry<UL TYPE=SQUARE>* '78 Cherokee 4-door
* '88 Grand Wagoneer[/list]http://studentweb.providence.edu/~rbarry/wheels/

[wn]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by BobBarry:
That bolt passes through the wheelwell sheetmetal to a captive backing plate. Some of the bolt extends past that; if that is covered with undercoating or rust or the like, it may get hung up.

I've been looking for an indestructible T-50 Torx bit for removing seatbelts; I find they tend to break LONG before the bolt is going to come out. I think I'll need one of those $150 titaniaum/depleted uranium impact torx bits for use with a 3/4" drive impact gun to get some of these bolts out... http://www.ifsja.org/ubb/frown.gif

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I spent 3 hours at a junk yard last week and the guy broke every ratchet he had trying to get these suckers out. Finally, he just took a chisel and cut the belts (bolts and plates) out of the fender...I took them to a welding shop to see if they could get them out and they broke one of the bolts and the other had to be ground off to get the bolt out (This was in a vice with professional tools). The bolts thread into the metal plate on the outside of the wheelwell. I had new plates made to match the old and plan to use a longer bolt with a nut on the outside of the plate instead of having the bolt thread into the plate. It's also ironic that you have this tremendous amount of steel bolted through a thin piece of sheet metal. I think if you get one out without breaking a socket it would be a miracle.

[smithhl]

We heated mine with a torch and it came right out. That was after breaking two torx bits, one of which was a craftsman and it sparked when it broke.

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81 Wagoneer Brougham
327 Vigilante T-18 NP-208

74 Volkswagen Sunbug
Superbeetle

95 Olds Achieva
4cyl 5-speed

[Chris Bishop]

Frank I use a small pipe wrench on the head of the bolt,sometimes with a cheater pipe on the handle.
GoodLuck
C.B. Over and Out
PS Watch your knuckles!

[Frank]

Hmmmm.. Smithhl, where did you apply the heat? I tried it with my Bernz-o-matic and the plastic at the retract started to melt and the carpet started getting 'well done'...

Chris, I can't get a pipe wrench on the bolt head as it's countersunk into the seatback locking collar, which rotates on the bolt.

Given the recent spike in the temps, I think I'll let my mechanic sweat this one... http://www.ifsja.org/ubb/tongue.gif

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Frank
'88 Grand Wagoneer, "Sluggo"
Box Stock, 2" Bodylift

[smithhl]

I don't know, I confess, my jeep mechanic heated it and got it out. The powers that be don't trust me with the flame. Although it was the font seatbelt bolt in the floorboard and not the rear seat in the wheelwell.

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81 Wagoneer Brougham
327 Vigilante T-18 NP-208

74 Volkswagen Sunbug
Superbeetle

95 Olds Achieva
4cyl 5-speed

[smithhl]

I also didn't care if he burnt the carpet or melted the plastic, and he knew that. This is not my "go out on a hot date vehicle".

P.S. It does have the unusual ability to atract women!