Safety Issue : seat belts aging ?

[Nick1]

Hi there,

I would like to know if anyone out there changes his seat belts every 2 years or so ? Or at least recertified ?

the reason I'm thinking about this is that nylon looses it's strengh over time and is influenced by UV exposure. My belts have been sitting on a shelf for 2 years now and I'm a bit worried about using them.

Since the first FFR there has been almost 10 years so some must be up for a change.


Nick

[sachem]

Heres my question...

When was the last time you got your daily driver belts re-certified? I think the certification is only for those that put their car on the track.

However, if you want to get your belts re-certified just send them back to Simpson. (or whoever made them) I believe that Simpson will re-cert them for 25 dollars. I have heard that the recert process involves looking at the belts to check for fraying. If none then remove the old tag and sew on a new one.

Sach

[JasonD]

Mine expired on the shelf still in the box. Talk to Simpson, I sent mine back and they retagged them for $5.00 a set. I don't believe they reweb and recertify anymore. They also do a trade in program where they give you a credit towards new belts if you send in expired belts.

Yes, the nylon does lose its strength with UV exposure, heat and time. More importantly though, I believe they lose their elasticity.

If you want to be anal, theoretically I think you could be cited for wearing a race harness on the street, as they are not DOT approved. Doubt you'll ever run into anyone that would take it that far.

[Wayne Presley]

If you do decide to upgrade your belts to a cam lock belt or just replace the ones you have, I am a Crow dealer.

[Jeff R]

For HPDE events, do they check the certification?

[dukegrad98]

You know what's downright scary about my Simpson belts as provided by FFR?

They arrived with the kit in JUNE, 2004. The packing box had the punchouts for date of manufacture as AUGUST, 2004.

You talk about serious potential product liability for a manufacturer...claiming that an "expiring" product is newer than it really is... Yikes.

Did anyone ask how old Dale Earnhardt's belts REALLY were? (Yeah, I know he wasn't wearing them properly, and it's a stretch...but it's just a matter of time before something like that costs a company BIG BUCKS...and rightfully so.)

Cheers, John

[RRCOBRA]

Uh............I believe that the punched out date on the tags on the belt is the expiration date, not the date of manufacture.

[dukegrad98]

I'd have to double-check the box, which naturally isn't nearby (or even in the same state at the moment). I'm pretty certain that mine had date of manufacture, though... If FFR sent me belts two months from expiration, even though I'd be 99% confident nothing is wrong with them, I'd be requesting another set that hadn't been on a shelf for a couple of years.

Now I'm curious...anyone have a recent Simpson box handy where they can see if it's date of manufacture or date of expiration which is punched? I forget...wasn't there also a marking on the belt tag itself? Someone take a peek!

Cheers, John

[Brian Moore]

Restraints must be maintained, inspected and replaced or re-webbed every two years because they degenerate over time and from exposure to the elements. Prolonged exposure of seat-belt webbing and thread to sunlight can cause degradation of the fibers and loss of restraint integrity.

The webbing used in motorsports restraints is typically made with DuPont Nylon 6-6 or a similar product. According to data derived from tests on the nylon webbing material, the strength of typical webbing can be cut in half with only one year’s exposure to outdoor weather and sunlight. After two years of this exposure, the strength of the webbing can be reduced to 20 percent of its original strength.

Read the rest of the article here

[dukegrad98]

ttt - anyone got their Simpson box of new belts handy to check out whether they stamp date of manufacture or date of expiration? I swear mine was date of manufacture, or I'm going nuts! [img]smile.gif[/img]

Cheers, John

[JerryH]

I checked my simpson belts not the box. They have the manufactured date punched/marked on them.

[Nick1]

On my belts it says date of manufacture,

The other issue I have is that if someone takes a ride in my car (as a passeger or as a driver), gets into an accident and gets injured, that person could come back legally the owner of the car (me in this case) because I knew this is a problem and I didn't act upon it.

Maybe I'm going nutz with this but my belts are 2 years old, I can just imagine those who have a FFR number in the 1000 serie, Those belts are now 6-8 years old, and the car doesn't have a roof so sunlight can react with them...

Nick

[dukegrad98]

That's what I thought. And Canuck is right -- there are potential actions against the manufacturer and the owner of the car if something goes wrong and can be traced to the belts.

This isn't quite redline worthy, but I think it's a potentially MUCH more serious issue than a lot of people think. I'm going to double-check the dates on my belts and demand new ones if they sent me a set that is old.

Of course, if I received them in JUNE and they are punched as manufactured in AUGUST, then Simpson has a fraud problem.

Man, this could be very deep and potentially very ugly. Never thought about it till this thread -- I think we're onto something important.

Cheers, John

[PhysicsGeek]

Hey John,

My Crow belts from the group buy had a date punched on them a month or two after I purchased them. I think they figure the sit on the shelve for a bit before installation.

[da grump]

I thought it curious that the belts were included due to having an experation date and due to build time of most cars, however if the belts are kept in the package untill the car is finished they are good as new for everyday use, racing is a different matter, get them recertified.Don't try to think like lawyers, you'll never leave the house.

[RButton]

I have actually never even looked for the date punchouts on my belts. I wear them, then as they stiffen up from rain and weathering I replace them. It turns out that looking back I have been replacing them every 2 years since 1998.

I just recently did a upgrade to the Crow belts with the "cam" knob. Turn the knob and the belts all fall off. They are a bit more $$ vs the Simpson's with the lever belts I had been using. BUT are much easier to use! So ... and it pains me to say this... Wayne was right! I'd love the new belts with the cam lock design!

Also the H belts work much better than the old Y belts. Better length adjustments. Just bolt the 2 shoulder belts at the same place the single Y bolted to on the frame.

[JimmyZ]

Question:
Is the webbing material used by (as an example - Simpson) for their safety belts the same material used in your daily drivers safety belts. If it is, then why is there no experiation date associated with the daily drivers belts?
JimmyZ

[dukegrad98]

I have a hunch the material in the daily driver is different, or is at least treated differently.

Also, unless you have a convertible, remember that glass naturally stops about 92% of UV light. Even without tint or treatment. That factor alone should greatly reduce the "environmental" wear and tear on the nylon webbing material.

Now, you're supposed to have your airbags checked (and possibly replaced, depending on how that check goes) every ten years. But how many people do that? Airbags have been in nice cars for about 20 years now, and in even cheaper domestic cars for about 10 years, so this may become a larger matter of public awareness soon.

Cheers, John

[dukegrad98]

I have a hunch the material in the daily driver is different, or is at least treated differently.

Also, unless you have a convertible, remember that glass naturally stops about 92% of UV light. Even without tint or treatment. That factor alone should greatly reduce the "environmental" wear and tear on the nylon webbing material.

Now, you're supposed to have your airbags checked (and possibly replaced, depending on how that check goes) every ten years. But how many people do that? Airbags have been in nice cars for about 20 years now, and in even cheaper domestic cars for about 10 years, so this may become a larger matter of public awareness soon.

Cheers, John