Seat belt doesn't retract

[Metalface]

Here's my two cents, feel free to disregard, but.
Yeah the belts are different in the 2 doors vs the 4 doors.
Don't open it up so the spring decides to turn from a spring to a cool useless piece of thick metal ribbon.
I've heard great results from DIYers who like to roll the dice, on them using trans fluid to re-lubricate the spring. Since it spreads because trans fluid is full of detergents which makes it wanna wick, and creep against gravity, it gets in there really well and sometimes 'fixes' them. You may of course then wick trans fluid up on your belt, but that is what it is..
would I do it on mine? Yeah. Would I expect to replace it anyway and possibly make the issue worse? Oh, definitely. So that's all up to you... Haha

 

[mhill73]

kinda like this View attachment 443806

No. I don't see the idle pulley.

 

[mhill73]

Here's my two cents, feel free to disregard, but.
Yeah the belts are different in the 2 doors vs the 4 doors.
Don't open it up so the spring decides to turn from a spring to a cool useless piece of thick metal ribbon.
I've heard great results from DIYers who like to roll the dice, on them using trans fluid to re-lubricate the spring. Since it spreads because trans fluid is full of detergents which makes it wanna wick, and creep against gravity, it gets in there really well and sometimes 'fixes' them. You may of course then wick trans fluid up on your belt, but that is what it is..
would I do it on mine? Yeah. Would I expect to replace it anyway and possibly make the issue worse? Oh, definitely. So that's all up to you... Haha

Thanks metalxface. I'll see if the lithium grease can get me close. I'll move to the trans fluid if that doesn't work.

Thanks. Can it be further disassembled to get to a clockspring or whatever's driving it?

I'd rather not mess with that clockspring.

 

[Metalface]

Thanks metalxface. I'll see if the lithium grease can get me close. I'll move to the trans fluid if that doesn't work.


I'd rather not mess with that clockspring.

Lithium will probably do it for sure! I know it doesn't last forever though. But forever is a reach when 20 years might be more than enough.
I think you'd need really just a few drops to make sure it's "fully lubricated." Couldn't say because my belts aren't totally beat yet though they are finnicky.

 

[donalds]

I would use silicone brake caliper grease

 

[J_C]

I was thinking the original grease was probably lithium, but so old now that it's hardened.... at least on mine, which still works until it gets cold out. If just hardened, maybe adding a very small amount of light oil with a touch of gasoline and moving it around a few times, let it sit to evaporate away most of the gasoline (doing this outside the vehicle). That's if it can't be disassembled to clean all the old grease out.

 

[mhill73]

He all. I went ahead and swapped my belt out for the one I got from the 01 Ranger. I took some pics of the stock seat belt in case someone down the road comes across my same issue. I'll probably send the stock one off the group on eBay to get repaired. Thanks to everyone that replied to this thread, the info was very helpful.

 

[J_C]

Now seeing it looks like it's plastic holding that spring, I could probably drill a little hole and put some lube in to help mine in winter. I guess I could do that with metal as well, just didn't ever prioritize doing it.