Seat belt reinforcement plates, rust

patrickr90 · 2025-09-08T09:04:25+0100

Hi

I want to improve the fixings for the lap belts on the bench seats of my Ninety (1986). I'm thinking of installing these:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/276315545098

....bolting through the wheel arches. But I'm concerned about galvanic corrosion over time between the steel and aluminium. Any advice on a barrier between the two? Duralec is one product I've been using a bit. Do strips of rubber work maybe?

Thanks

the_wolf · 2025-09-08T09:40:02+0100

Just use thick rubber or foam tape

miktdish · 2025-09-08T09:55:52+0100

Where are you fitting these plates ?

Edit:
Just read your post again ...

Like @Anaconda said the alloy sheet that makes up the rear wheel arches isn't strong enough to anchor seatbelts too.
Also you should consider that if you have seatbelts in the back then they have to meet the MOT regulations, even if they are not used and using the tub/wheel arch as an anchor will likely amount to a fail.

Anaconda · 2025-09-08T10:15:25+0100

Not strong enough on a flat ali panel.
Bench seats(belts) have a long mount rail which bolts through the tub with a brace going to the rear crossmember.
What did your model have originally?

patrickr90 · 2025-09-08T12:53:32+0100

miktdish said:
Where are you fitting these plates ?

Edit:
Just read your post again ...

Like @Anaconda said the alloy sheet that makes up the rear wheel arches isn't strong enough to anchor seatbelts too.
Also you should consider that if you have seatbelts in the back then they have to meet the MOT regulations, even if they are not used and using the tub/wheel arch as an anchor will likely amount to a fail.

Anaconda said:
Not strong enough on a flat ali panel.
Bench seats(belts) have a long mount rail which bolts through the tub with a brace going to the rear crossmember.
What did your model have originally?

Hi

I'm not sure it had anything from the factory. The way the lap seatbelts and the bench seats (looks like Britpart) were attached when I bought it didn't look strong enough. So is there an after market rail I can buy to work with lap seat belts? I'd like to have the bench seats in the back but obviously want them to be safe.

Anaconda · 2025-09-08T13:16:26+0100

patrickr90 said:
Hi

I'm not sure it had anything from the factory. The way the lap seatbelts and the bench seats (looks like Britpart) were attached when I bought it didn't look strong enough. So is there an after market rail I can buy to work with lap seat belts? I'd like to have the bench seats in the back but obviously want them to be safe.

Bench seats are by their very nature unsafe, even with seatbelts. To cover yourself it's probably best to do what Land Rover did. Seatbelt mount rails come up on Ebay now and again. The brace to the rear crossmember is available new, YRM probably sell them.
Is yours a van?

patrickr90 · 2025-09-08T16:00:38+0100

Anaconda said:
Bench seats are by their very nature unsafe, even with seatbelts. To cover yourself it's probably best to do what Land Rover did. Seatbelt mount rails come up on Ebay now and again. The brace to the rear crossmember is available new, YRM probably sell them.
Is yours a van?

Hi

Thanks for that. It's a station wagon - rear windows etc. Found a couple on ebay:

Not sure how these fit:

Land Rover Defender rear bench seat belt mount bars | eBay UK

Land Rover defender rear bench seat belt mounts bars

www.ebay.co.uk

.... these seem to fit on top

Pardon our interruption...

I contacted YRM and they are getting back to me.

Cheers

And these

Anaconda · 2025-09-08T17:23:17+0100

The bar goes on the top of the tub and bolt through using spreader plates, pictured in your 2nd link.
These are the brace bar brackets.

Pardon our interruption...

110 ones might be different, the ones in your first link look more like mine.
Yours might have rear windows but has someone retro fitted them ?
I can get some photos from my TD5 if it's any help?

the_wolf · 2025-09-08T17:52:02+0100

miktdish said:
Where are you fitting these plates ?

Edit:
Just read your post again ...

Like @Anaconda said the alloy sheet that makes up the rear wheel arches isn't strong enough to anchor seatbelts too.
Also you should consider that if you have seatbelts in the back then they have to meet the MOT regulations, even if they are not used and using the tub/wheel arch as an anchor will likely amount to a fail.

I've had military bench seats fitted in mine using the original fittings, none of which are bolted to the chassis. Passed an MOT every year for the last 11 years with zero problems.

Anaconda · 2025-09-08T19:18:17+0100

Anaconda · 2025-09-08T19:24:39+0100

I haven’t got a photo of the brace bracket from crossmember to tub as I took them off to replace them but haven’t done it yet.
The spreader plates are somewhat larger than the ones you linked but not massive. Most of the strength is within the bar itself and the fact it's tied into the crossmember and bulkhead behind the seats along with the tub.
As far as I am aware that is factory and yes it does look a bit rusty and I need to get round to doing some work, sometime in the near future I hope to get my driveway back so I can get on with it.

Anaconda · 2025-09-08T19:26:56+0100

the_wolf said:
I've had military bench seats fitted in mine using the original fittings, none of which are bolted to the chassis. Passed an MOT every year for the last 11 years with zero problems.

If that is how it was from factory at the time then it would pass.
Side facing seatbelts are a waste of time really in my opinion.

the_wolf · 2025-09-08T21:07:33+0100

Anaconda said:
If that is how it was from factory at the time then it would pass.
Side facing seatbelts are a waste of time really in my opinion.

Better than heehaw. If I had the chassis brackets I'd fit them but I'm actually looking at removing one of the benches for the time being anyway

bluedog333 · 2025-09-08T21:07:39+0100

the_wolf said:
I've had military bench seats fitted in mine using the original fittings, none of which are bolted to the chassis. Passed an MOT every year for the last 11 years with zero problems.

Same here. I had 2 x bench seats fitted (not by me) in my OneTen CSW and it never failed an MoT. Took me a few years to realise it’s only a five-seater on the V5. No idea why, but I never used them anyway.

the_wolf · 2025-09-08T21:16:45+0100

bluedog333 said:
Same here. I had 2 x bench seats fitted (not by me) in my OneTen CSW and it never failed an MoT. Took me a few years to realise it’s only a five-seater on the V5. No idea why, but I never used them anyway.

I use mine to sit on when we're in the back eating while camping or whatever and I have had an adult occasionally sit in the back but other than that they never get used. Doing no harm keeping the though. Mine is a hard top so I don't think it specifies a number of seats on the v5, id need to look actually. I've only just taken out my front middle seat but even that was one I fitted many years ago

Anaconda · 2025-09-08T21:28:03+0100

I only use the rear seats in ours for having a coffee or something to eat when out for the day, never been used for carrying passengers.

patrickr90 · 2025-09-08T22:43:52+0100

Anaconda said:
View attachment 349482 View attachment 349483 View attachment 349483 View attachment 349484 View attachment 349485 View attachment 349486 View attachment 349487 View attachment 349489

View attachment 349490

Thanks for these. Shows it perfectly. Can't see why this type wouldn't fit my benches.....

patrickr90 · 2025-09-08T22:53:26+0100

Anaconda said:
I only use the rear seats in ours for having a coffee or something to eat when out for the day, never been used for carrying passengers.

Yes, I'll probably very rarely have anyone in the back. Interestingly, it passed last MOT with the seatbelts just bolted to the tin... but the benches weren't in. I'm going to check my V5 to see how many seats are listed. Here's a question (probably been asked before) - if it had the bench seats and NO seat belts, would it fail an MOT?

dag019 · 2025-09-09T08:50:40+0100

patrickr90 said:
Yes, I'll probably very rarely have anyone in the back. Interestingly, it passed last MOT with the seatbelts just bolted to the tin... but the benches weren't in. I'm going to check my V5 to see how many seats are listed. Here's a question (probably been asked before) - if it had the bench seats and NO seat belts, would it fail an MOT?

I believe it depends on the age of the vehicle (happy to be corrected) but mine (1989) had bench seats fitted for a long time with no seatbelts. I never bothered fitting the seatbelts for three reasons:
- if fitted they become MOT testable
- to fit them properly so they are secure is a real challenge (as you are finding)
- a lap belt on a side facing seat is of little use in an accident, and IMO is more to make people feel safe than to actually make them safe.

Anaconda · 2025-09-09T10:12:25+0100

patrickr90 said:
Yes, I'll probably very rarely have anyone in the back. Interestingly, it passed last MOT with the seatbelts just bolted to the tin... but the benches weren't in. I'm going to check my V5 to see how many seats are listed. Here's a question (probably been asked before) - if it had the bench seats and NO seat belts, would it fail an MOT?

Bench seats are very easy to take out, you could remove for an MOT.
If you are not going to carry a passenger then don't bother with seatbelts, cheapest and easiest option.

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