Older Suburban-3rd row shoulder belts?

[raunch]

I am trying to find a way to safely install 3rd row shoulder belts in my '83 Suburban. While talking to another about it, he mentioned that he has seen in military or Forest Service rigs a bracket that spans the rear window from top to bottom. Says it was for extra roof support but he thought you could attach shoulder belts to it also. So far, searches have turned up zero. When I called the parts dept. at the local dealership and asked them, there was only question marks popping out of the end of phone.

Has anybody here had success in installing shoulder belts in in older suburban?

Thanks.

[HH]

Might want to check with the aftermarket (van & specialty) conversion industry.

[AJMBLAZER]

There never was a factory or aftermarket conversion as far as I know.

That said...in '91 (and maybe '90?) the Blazers/Jimmy's got shoulder belts in the rear and it required some reengineering of the fiberglass tops they had to do it. Might want to check around and find a 90-91 Burb with a back seat and see what GM did those years. I'm betting upgraded roof structure.

FYI there's lots of Burb owners over on www.ColoradoK5.com . I know of several with the 90-91's.

[raunch]

That's what I am afraid of....No aftermarket stuff, because of liabilty I suppose. And no easy, or safe swap from a newer rig into mine. Not sure what I'll do, but it needs to happen soon. The kids are getting to the point where the it will be time to haul them and their friends around, and I ought to have some shoulder belts for them.

To much money into the thing to just sell and get something newer. Tub swap maybe?

[AJMBLAZER]

Not liability, just no demand for it.

Why so concerned? Plenty of kids were hauled around in lap belts for oh...7-8 decades...actually less because belts were still an option into the 60's.

I mean...if you're that concerned about it you could have a fab shop build some kind of roll bar around each seat and run a shoulder belt to it.

Probably be easier than a tub swap. Wouldn't be cheap.

[raunch]

I know what you mean. I spent my childhood road trips on a mattress in the back of a pick up truck. I was just thinking that if I could make it a bit safer, for not too much time/trouble/money, I would. It's not looking good though.

[AJMBLAZER]

Could always go the roll bar route but even for something bolted to the floor you'd still be talking a grand with fab time, bending, materials, sourcing belts, etc etc.

[joed]

Another option might be to swap in a third row seat from a newer tahoe/suburban that has the seat belts built in. I think they were equipped this way from 2000-2007, maybe even newer.

Just a thought.

Joe.

[AJMBLAZER]

joed, that is an option...

...but would require welding skills as the floors on the older trucks were NOT built strong enough to keep a seat that also has built in seat belts stationary in an accident. A lot more forces going on against the floor with a seat with built in seat belts than one where the seat belt anchors are on the body itself.

GM didn't try to hard with the seat mounting points on these things as it is.