rear seat shoulder straps

Hi,

I have a 89 Cherokee.. and I wish it had shoulder strap seat belts in the rear.

I think they didnt start until 1990 correct ?

Well, I am poundering if it is possible to upgrade my seatbelts in the back. I havent looked at my jeep and a newer with shoulder strap seat belts to see if its possible. But, I am thinking, I'd need seat belt assembly/bolts/ pilar trim panels, then the big part.. the nut plate.. perhaps it is just spot welded in place ?

I guess I need to go look at some jeeps at the JY.. but I was wondering if anyone else out there has looked into this ?

I think Jeep once had an upgrade kit for this, but I don't know if it's available. Your Jeep has all the cutouts required in the structure, but no anchor nuts or reinforcements. If you go to a boneyard and look at a disassembled later XJ you'll see how it all went together. The nut is spot welded in place, I believe, so you'd have to be creative in retrofitting it. I can't remember the details, but I think it's in a sort of retainer that is spot welded.

Insert customary consumer warning about home made bodges with safety items here......and then....

If you're careful I don't see why you couldn't extract the parts from a later Jeep and make a good job of it, as long as you make the anchor points strong.

Did you ever get the rear shoulder belts retrofitted?

I have the add-on rear shoulder straps. If you don't find what your looking for PM me and i'll snap some pictures.

I pulled the shoulder straps out of my donor 90 and put them in my 89.
The mount under the seat is in a slightly different location but it will work.
The retractor unit will bolt in.
You may want to grab the plastic fender covers from a doner that have the holes. My donor interiro color matched.

The upper mount is the only issue.
I tore (yes, the were tack welded) the plates out of the donor. BJ welded on a couple on nuts. The plates are cupped so the JB welded is as deep as the nuts.
Then bolted them in.

All the needed holes are there so it is not to bad.

You could just measure the holes where the upper mount is then use some plate and drill and weld on the needed nuts.

If you do use a doner make sure you get all teh bolts and mounting parts.

you jb welded your seat belt mounts in?

I have done it to two xj's. Got the parts from the junk yard. If you get them from the junk yard make sure you get all the parts, and both ends of the belt. The first set I brought back
had wider buckles than my stock ones so i had to go back and
get the other half of the belts. lucky for me no one had taken them. Oh and if you go to the junk yard take pb blaster, It makes taking the belts out a whole lot easier. Good luck. Now my kids can ride in the back seat.
John McHorney