Noisy, stiff front seat belts on 93 XLT | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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Noisy, stiff front seat belts on 93 XLT

Jimk

New Member
Joined
January 9, 2005
Messages
4
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City, State
Tempe, AZ
Year, Model & Trim Level
93 xlt 2wd
My wife has a 93 XLT 5 spd 2wd. We bought it new and she really loves it. One nagging problem has been both front seat belt retractors have become stiff (as if they need lube) and make a "rusty gate" squeaking noise when the belts are pulled out. Both belts do this but the right side is worse than the left. They also fail to fully retract the belt which sometimes results in the buckle getting slammed in the door preventing it from closing and latching. They have been doing this for a few years and I'm getting tired of the hassle. I just discovered this awesome site so I figured someone will have a solution.

I have removed the belts, drilled a small hole in the plastic retractor housing and sprayed dry Teflon lube into the drum area. This gave immediate relief to the noise and friction problem. However, it only lasted until I got them re-installed then they both started tightening up again.

The belt winds onto a metal hub but there are some plastic rotating parts in there too, so I have been hesitant to use any type of petroleum (wet) type of lubricant. I don't want to get the nylon belt full of oil and possibly weaken it.

Is this a common problem with the gen 1 xplos? Is there an easy fix? The rear seat belts work like new. Are they interchangeable with the front? I would dread having to remove those sidepanels in the back. UGH!

My 95 F250 drivers seat belt is also starting to do this but to a lesser extent. Must be a Ford thing.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.
 



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welcome to the forum...no advice but you have my sympathy as mine do the same thing only my belts get oily from the door latch when the belt gets caught in the door, piss me off too!!!!
 






Yeah, that grease from the striker gets all over our belts too. I know what you mean.

The guy who designed it. :shoot :fire:
 






I use the clear silicone spray on my interior squeeks. Also 'sposed to be good for weather stripping. It doesnt attract dust like WD-40.....
 






Spraying silicone on the seat belt itself, and cleaning the "D" ring helps to make belts retract faster. If there is a noise coming from the retractor, I don't think that it's worth yours and you passengers safety to modify them in any way.
 






No, I don't intend to modify the retractors in any way. The winding mechanism is where the squeaking noise originates. It sounds like a kids wagon wheel that needs oil. There is also noticable friction in the retractor when trying to extend the seatbelts. To me, this all points to a need for some type of lube and getting it to the right place.

I figured the Teflon dry lube spray would last a bit longer than plain silicone. Spray white lithium grease would probably be best for this high friction application but I don't want that stuff on my belts. If I could get the plastic cover off the winding mechanism, I could then lube the axle bearing point for the winding drum. A plastectomy may be in order. :chug:
 






...there was a recall on the belts .....shoulder restraint....check with your dealer ....mine were the same way , and they were replaced ...mine is a 91 ....took a little bit of manipulating the service writer , but got it done ...I don't remember where I found the recall info ...I think it was on one of Autotrader.com's sites....ashley
 






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