Rear Seat Belt Hardware

[locoqueso]

I don’t think the rear seat belts in my 78 westy have ever been used, or even installed. I received them from the PO in a box without any extra hardware. I removed one of the attachment bolts from the body of the bus and it had two rubber washers, one black and one red. I was expecting a metal washer to be on the bolt, but now I'm thinking the rubber was used to keep fumes from getting inside. Did the factory only use rubber washers with the bolt or am I missing some of the hardware?

I checked my manuals and couldn’t find any info about the seat belts. If I’m supposed to reuse the rubber washers, I’m assuming they’re installed in this order…

Body >>> Black Washer >>> Seat Belt >>> Red Washer >>> Bolt

Can anyone confirm how the rear seat belts would have been installed from the factory?

[Amskeptic]

I don’t think the rear seat belts in my 78 westy have ever been used, or even installed. I received them from the PO in a box without any extra hardware. I removed one of the attachment bolts from the body of the bus and it had two rubber washers, one black and one red. I was expecting a metal washer to be on the bolt, but now I'm thinking the rubber was used to keep fumes from getting inside. Did the factory only use rubber washers with the bolt or am I missing some of the hardware?

I checked my manuals and couldn’t find any info about the seat belts. If I’m supposed to reuse the rubber washers, I’m assuming they’re installed in this order…

Body >>> Black Washer >>> Seat Belt >>> Red Washer >>> Bolt

Can anyone confirm how the rear seat belts would have been installed from the factory?

Your thinking is sound. Is there a metal washer over the red washer to keep it from deforming under compression?
Colin

[locoqueso]

No metal washers at all, just two rubber washers with slightly different diameters. The black washer is a little wider than the red washer. It looks like all four of the bolts were assembled with the same pattern:

Body >>> Black Rubber Washer >>> Red Rubber Washer >>> Bolt

The rear seat belts look brand new so I’m guessing the bolts may not have ever been removed. I’ve removed one bolt and the red washer is slightly deformed on the face that touched the head of the bolt, but it doesn’t look too bad. The washers feel mildly hard from age although they don’t feel like they’re going to crumble or break.

[locoqueso]

I went ahead and installed the seat belt over the weekend. I decided to go with a metal washer along with the two rubber washers. I ended up installing them in this order:

Body >>> Black Rubber Washer >>> Red Rubber Washer >>> Seat Belt >>> Metal Washer >>> Bolt

I thought keeping the rubber washers together would make a better seal against the body and the metal washer would help between the seat belt and bolt.

[Amskeptic]

I went ahead and installed the seat belt over the weekend. I decided to go with a metal washer along with the two rubber washers. I ended up installing them in this order:

Body >>> Black Rubber Washer >>> Red Rubber Washer >>> Seat Belt >>> Metal Washer >>> Bolt

I thought keeping the rubber washers together would make a better seal against the body and the metal washer would help between the seat belt and bolt.

I am an idiot. I was thinking of "not deforming the red washer with the bolt by use of a metal washer". . . . well, duh, the seatbelt anchor IS the metal washer in this case. BUT, no problem here.
Colinidiot