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SyncroCanada
Samba Member
Joined: July 10, 2018
Posts: 24
Location: Toronto
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 Posted: Sat Apr 17, 2021 6:01 pm Post subject: Rear Seat Belt Bolts |
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For those who mess with the rear seat belts. Posting this to save somebody time and aggravation. I found this out moving the rear seat from a 1986 to a 1990.
This is from a 1986 and 1990 Vanagon sold in Canada. I expect the USA delivery ones are the same.
These bolts thread into fittings welded into the body. You cannot change them.
The bolts holding down the rear seat belts are 7/16 x 20 tpi. It appears VW used metric "blank" bolts and machined them to 7/16 x 20. So what you have is a bolt with metric markings on the bolt head with inch threads. The closest standard metric bolt is 11x1.25 which is too large a diameter (I tried these first since it was obvious that a bolt with metric markings was the correct fit).
What I found on the web was that the USA seat belt bolt regulations specified a 7/16 x 20 NF "or metric equivalent" bolt. To avoid any potential liability over what is or is not "equivalent" It appears that VW decided to use the specified thread. I know from working in a regulated environment, that using the specified part is safer than an "equivalent" since the regulator decides what is "equivalent" if something bad happens.
Apparently this is an issue for some imported vehicles from the 1980's onward (Toyota and Porsche is what I found).
We are locked down pretty good up here, so you can tell that finding a weird bolt size is about as exiting as it gets these days.
New inch size bolt on the left, original metric marked bolt on the right.
Mad attempt at roof top derrick crane below.
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MarkWard
Samba Member
Joined: February 09, 2005
Posts: 17155
Location: Retired South Florida
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| Posted: Sat Apr 17, 2021 6:37 pm Post subject: Re: Rear Seat Belt Bolts |
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They didn't want a technician installing the wrong bolt accidentally. Using a unique thread insured it did not happen.
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dobryan
Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2006
Posts: 16505
Location: Brookeville, MD
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vanagonjr
Samba Member
Joined: October 07, 2010
Posts: 3431
Location: Dartmouth, Mass.
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| Posted: Sat Apr 17, 2021 7:37 pm Post subject: Re: Rear Seat Belt Bolts |
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| SyncroCanada wrote: |
The closest standard metric bolt is 11x1.25 which is too large a diameter (I tried these first since it was obvious that a bolt with metric markings was the correct fit).
etric marked bolt on right] |
Actually the M11 is a hair smaller in diameter than the 7/16-20.
Almost literally a hair smaller-0.003” which is generally considered the thickness of a human hair.
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John - 86 Wolfsburg Westfalia "Weekender"
Flint reversed 1.8T W/Passat 5-Speed
LiMBO (late model bus club) www.limbobus.org
LiMBO is on Facebook too! https://www.facebook.com/groups/
FAQ thread: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=525798 |
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4Gears4Tires
Samba Member
Joined: October 08, 2018
Posts: 3054
Location: MD
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| Posted: Sat Apr 17, 2021 8:13 pm Post subject: Re: Rear Seat Belt Bolts |
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| dobryan wrote: |
| MarkWard wrote: |
| They didn't want a technician installing the wrong bolt accidentally. Using a unique thread insured it did not happen. |
And it insured that the mechanic would f up the threads trying the wrong bolt..... |
I know I did for one bolt when I was reinstalling the interior after a period of time. I did not realize they were not metric and I just grabbed from my metric bucket o bolts. That took me longer than I care to admit to figure out.
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'87 Syncro
Ferric Oxyhydroxide Superleggera Edition |
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djkeev
Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32632
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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