1988 Ford F250 XLT Lariat, 7.5L, 4x4, C6, regular cab, long bed.

The retractable seatbelts on my truck are shot, both left and right sides.

I purchased a set of Ford original NOS seatbelts on ebay thinking I had the problem solved. Well I didn't do my homework and the seatbelts I purchased were for the extended cab version of a 1988 F250. They won't work on a regular cab. I learned the hard way (the expensive way) there is a difference in the seatbelts for an extended cab vs regular cab.

Anyway, I'm having a heck of a time finding nos seatbelts for a regular cab. Hitting up the junkyard is an option, but not my first choice for a safety feature like seatbelts. I looked a LMCtruck and was stunned that they had nothing for a 1988.

Now, getting to my question...has anyone had experience installing "Universal" retractable seatbelts in their eighth gen truck? For example, on ebay you can find universal 3 point retractable seatbelts that claim to fit my truck. I'm always skeptical of "universal" anything, and am especially shy after already throwing money away on seatbelts that won't work.

 

 

Too bad the LMC ones are different, that sucks. My dad and I just put wrecker belts in his.

 

These are supposed to be application specific:

https://www.seatbeltplanet.com/ag-17...-f-series.html

 

And they also offer repair of your existing ones:
https://www.seatbeltplanet.com/p-358...r-service.html

 

Thanks for the input on this topic. I've placed an order with "the planet". I'll let everyone know how it works out.

 

I received my new seatbelts. Unfortunately they don't fit. I'll be contacting Seatbelt Planet on Monday and see what's up. In the meantime here are some photos.

 

 

Can you turn the new pieces around so the body of the retractor is inside the cavity of the cab?

 

ingThat was my first thought. I tried that. In that position the slot where the belt emerges from the retractor is no longer in line with the opening in the trim. And that results in the belt dragging across the trim...I'm not sure if this explanation makes sense. I also noticed that the hanger, the male buckle, and the anchor plate, are all set up on the belt for mounting with the retractor mounted like I did in the photograph. If the retractor is mounted inward like you suggested then there is a twist in the belt. The twist can be remedied by flipping the hanger and buckle, but the anchor plate can't be flipped. But again, it's not a solution because the belt is no longer aligned with the opening in the trim.
Here is a photo with some labels I added to help illustrate the problem.

And I don't see an obvious solution. Because these were sold for my specific truck I expected they'd bolt right in. I really don't want to have to alter anything to get them to fit.

 

I've talked directly to seatbelt planet dot com and decided to email them a link to this topic for the photos...way easier than trying to describe the fitment issue. And while I was reviewing this thread I noticed something in the you tube video posted in reply #2. The extension bracket depicted in that is different than the one I received. I think the off-set bracket is the solution to the problem. Hopefully I'll hear back from the planet tomorrow.



Off-set extension.

Off-set extension.