C-Forum

Please check your ratchet release and make sure it will work when there's lots of pressure on the straps!
i just took the super-slick ratchet set-up out of my wb 'cause i realized that the buckles do not release when there is a lot of pressure. i tried 4 different buckles and they all had the same problem. this is a very bad thing!
i know some of you have addressed this issue in your outfitting, but if you have not..please just check it out.

i went back to 2" webbing with ladder locks. these buckles are very secure and release is fast and fail-safe. i connect both buckles to one "ripcord" so one pull releases both straps. not as much fun to enter though, i did kind of enjoy clicking in...

I agree that snowboard ratchets can be dangerous.

I have stopped using them in my outfitting because they kept bending on me and would stick. Sometimes they will even rust slightly.

Now I swear by airplane style seatbelt buckles. I like having a clean break at the release point where there are no straps that need to feed through a buckle. Once you pull the release the buckle on an aiplane seatbelt, you are free.

HI


If some one knows where to get airplane buckless please let me know.

I would never trust Snowboard buckless either. I have snowboard buckless ofr tightening and normal use and velcro on the other end for quick release.


marko.....

I have heard that the original VW Bug seatbelts are much like airplane seatbelts.

I did a quick web search and found some for around $25.

http://www.gotbelts.com/60nochlilela.html

They also market seatbelt extenders to overweight individuals that are embarassed to ask for seat-belt extensions from a stewardess. They are more expensive:

http://www.extend-it.com/orderext.htm

Discalimer: I have not purchased products from either of the above links.

The main difference between tthe VW beetle and the airplane seat belts is weight.
The Beetle belts are steel, while the qairplane ones are aluminum.
I never used airplane belts, but I use a VW belt in my Prelude, and used to have the same belt in my Delirious.

One modification I made to help find the release while getting really worked in big hole that one should probably have avoided in the first place is to attach a short cord with a wooden grip (piece oa an old broomstick), this is much easier to find and pull on than the actual buckle.

martin

I tihnk my local carage should have Wv belts . good to know they are good.

Any problems with rusting ?

So far I have had (in 2 years, no problems with rusting. I spray them once in a while withWD40, and I do, due to the distance , no surfing on saltwater.
Make sure that they are the 2-point vintage lap belts with the lift up release, the newer styles with the push button release are, in my opinion, much less safe for boating.

http://www2.cip1.com/PhotoGallery.asp?P ... 11%2D704RD

martin