Seat Belt Retractors Slow

[FordFool2]

Our 04 seat belts are getting slower and slower on retracting. This is causing them to become slammed in the door jamb when people are getting out. The retractor/belt assembly runs about $140 each. Anybody have a fix for these? Anybody gone inside one and tried to tighten up the retraction spring?

 

[Exproblems]

Our 04 seat belts are getting slower and slower on retracting. This is causing them to become slammed in the door jamb when people are getting out. The retractor/belt assembly runs about $140 each. Anybody have a fix for these? Anybody gone inside one and tried to tighten up the retraction spring?

My belt does the same thing, hangs slack and gets caught in the door if you just slide it off of your shoulder and get out of the vehicle, unless you raise the belt up over your shoulder and hold it there with your hand until it slowly retracts into the belt retractor assembly. Don't have a fix for it, just saying I have the same problem.

 

[swshawaii]

Here's the TSB. Don't know how well the teflon tape "fix" works. IMO, sounds like more of a PITA than it's worth.

http://www.revbase.com/BBBMotor/TSb/DownloadPdf?id=129323

http://www.bbbind.com/free_tsb.html

 

[ponkotsu]

Seems like a chronic problem on just about any car. I saw a youtube video of somebody demonstrating how to disassemble and tighten the torsion spring. But after he put it together and demonstrated it didn't look like any improvement. I think these springs are highly stressed and weaken quickly with time. Probably nothing can be done except buy new ones. Junkyard would be a good place to look. Some people don't use their seat belt much so their could be some good ones there. Could be to that if the prior owners were obese then the spring gets worked harder.

 

[JoshMcMadMac]

Here's the TSB. Don't know how well the teflon tape "fix" works. IMO, sounds like more of a PITA than it's worth.

http://www.revbase.com/BBBMotor/TSb/DownloadPdf?id=129323

http://www.bbbind.com/free_tsb.html

Where are they putting the teflon tape?

 

[Donystoy]

I have had limited success with pulling out the belt and spraying both sides with silicone spray. And yes this is a problem that is not limited to Explorers. Fortunately I have not smashed the plastic parts when slamming the door over it which I did with a mini-van I use to own.

 

[swshawaii]

Where are they putting the teflon tape?

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=267000
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=229125

 

[xlt03]

I bought the teflon kit thru Ford. Each kit does 2 doors. I installed on all four doors and hadn't had buckles getting caught between door and jamb, unless passenger gets the belt twisted. Yes it does go on the D ring of the belt assembly. The retraction speed didn't seem to be any faster, it just allow more of the belt to be retracted. Kit was approximately $47.00 each. IMO, it was worth it. Problem solved for my vehicle.

 

[JCR]

After reading through this post and having the same slow retraction on my 2002 Explorer XLS seat belts, I went out and sprayed some silicone on the part of my belts that never really comes all the way out. I pulled the belts on as I would when actually using them, and then pulled the rest out (approx a foot and a half). I then sprayed some silicone on both sides of the belt and wiped it in with a paper towel. The stuff I have is Berkebile 2+2 Spray Silicone and I normally use it to lube the belt on my wife's treadmill. I pulled the belts in and out a few times and low and behold they work much much better now. When someone here mentioned silicone spray as a possible solution, a light bulb went off in my head and I just had to try it. You learn the best stuff here!

 

[FordFool2]

I got the Ford kit a while back for the rear passenger belts. It helped a bit but I felt the most ripped-off ever when $47 only bought a couple pieces of clear teflon adhesive tape. I refuse to pay that much for so little.

I am going to use silicone spray on the belt. From the TSB and kit, the concern is the friction through the "up and over" loop. I am going to lube that.

Anyone ever got the retractors out and tightened or lubed the spring? Is the spring even accessible if I pull the retractor out of the B pillar?