Originally Posted by
vladha 
4) Anybody know what the insurance company would do in the event of an accident, as it would pertain to the restraint not being "as is" from the factory? Members of my family have been claims adjusters for "eons", and insurance companies will use any "hook" in the book(and some not in the book) to not pay out damages/injuries. In other words, how would we get this rated as safe either by said insurance company or state dmv?
Mark
I looked at this for CT because I wanted to know what was legal in terms of a 5-point harness. Most states publish the specific requirements for new and after the fact installation of seat belts. If I made this swap and for example another person hit me, the seat belt failed, their liability would normally have paid medical (too young to die, let's not go there), IF they were real preeks they could refuse payment, up to and including your own company's refusal to pay a Life Insurance claim IF they could prove what you did made your car out of compliance w/re to State law. I've worked for a few Ins Cos; all depends on the circumstances whether they would pursue it.
My biggest concern in the "save-my-life" department is that the mounting points could withstand the "4000 lbs" (which is a corrupt measurement from an engineering standpoint). Everything in the system has to hold up to that standard for local CT laws. It's ultimately State law that determines what you can and cannot do, that's what would be the reference if there was a legal challenge.
I'd consider beefing up the approach for the lower mount points given how light the sheet metal is in the B13. When I look at the strength engineered into the mount points of my '03 350Z when I was installing the 5-point harness, sheet metal even with a really good welded bolt/washer seems kind of light by comparison. They bolted into steel plates on the pillars, the lower parts bolted through the seat floor bolts using longer and higher grade bolts. The upper mounts, like my G's, bolt into about 1+ cm thick, solid metal of the pillar.
I'd use small piece of ~1/4" steel plate long enough to span the stronger parts of the sheet metal, and just bolt it in behind the sheet metal. Even a 2" washer will put a lot of load on light gauge metal. The more you can spread that load across the thin guage metal, the stronger it will be.
Then again, if I was
really worried, I'd still have the USDM steel box beams under my JDM Sunny bumpers...
I figure realistically in a 2400 lb car, considering everything else on the road is so freakin' huge, I am dog meat if I hit anything of consequence anyway. I can't ever see over the hood of 90% of the cars and SUV's next to me on the road! I can see
under a lot of them, tho...
And as I said before,
really nice work!
CT DMV -
Sec. 14-100a. Seat safety belts. Child restraint systems. (a) No new passenger motor vehicle may be sold or registered in this state unless equipped with at least two sets of seat safety belts for the front and rear seats of the motor vehicle, which belts comply with the requirements of subsection (b) of this section. The anchorage unit at the attachment point shall be of such construction, design and strength as to support a loop load strength of not less than four thousand pounds for each belt.
(b) No seat safety belt may be sold for use in connection with the operation of a motor vehicle on any highway of this state unless it is so constructed and installed as to have a loop strength through the complete attachment of not less than four thousand pounds, and the buckle or closing device shall be of such construction and design that after it has received the aforesaid loop belt load it can be released with one hand with a pull of less than forty-five pounds.
Be the first to like this post.
Let me know if any questions come up during the install, I'd be happy to help.
Back to top