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A warning for tall
people!
Chris Hunt Cooke has spotted a problem where the seat belt
webbing just above the side anchor point can rub against the backrest release
lever and create serious wear on the webbing. Here he explains what he has found
and provides a cautionary note for enthusiasts with long legs! (Aug
13)
The space occupied by the seats in an MGB is rather narrow,
bounded by the transmission tunnel on one side and the door sill on the other,
and this can lead to the problem illustrated here. In the photo above the black
knob of the backrest release knob, which allows the backrest to be tilted forward
for access behind the seats, is just forward of the lower seatbelt fixing on the
door sill. In the case above the seat is not as far back as it will go, and if
it is moved further back, the lever of |
the backrest tilt mechanism
rubs against the seatbelt
every time the seat is tilted. This can lead to
abrasion of the seatbelt webbing which over time may become quite serious, as
shown in the second photo.
As this section of the webbing is not normally
visible (as the wear is on the reverse side when you look at it from the door
opening) it is very worthwhile for those whose seats are routinely in the rearmost
position periodically to make a point of checking the condition of the webbing.
Finding there is serious wear when the belt gives way in a collision would be
unfortunate, to say the least! Replacement belts may have a plastic grommet fitted
inside the fixing, which should go some way to preventing this problem.
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