SeriesEwan Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 Hi again Summer is on its way & i am considering taking off my roof, I Have a late series 3 with inertia reel belts in the front, can anyone suggest a good way of securing the top loop over of the belt? I know there are hoops that may be useful for this has anyone fitted one or can anyone recommend one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snailracer Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 I bought a roll hoop for my 109 for that very purpose a few years back. Goes in really easily using the holes either end of the rear bulkhead and has a plate either end that needs riveting/bolting to the bulkhead. I cut the horizontal hood sticks to fit to it as it has fixing points for them. I'm pretty sure it's a military roll hoop but I bought it from Beaulieu so cant be much help on where to get one now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the real muddy90 Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 A military roll hoop (very broad term ) replaces the front standard hoop & has fixings for the seatbelt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeriesEwan Posted April 5, 2011 Author Share Posted April 5, 2011 Brilliant i shall get trawling ex mil places then, the big issue is I want it to be reversible so i can go back hard topped when the winter comes, I shall see what I can dig out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejparrott Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 It just so happens I'm planning on going topless - i need to fit insulation and headlining to my hardtop, as well as replacing the body seals which all leak. I must admit, I'd completely forgotten about the seatbelts, even though I always use them. Does anyone have a link to a legal document or some such about these things? I'm thinking that I could make my own hoop to support the seatbelts - I have a BSP pipe bender and a good source of BSP pipe, and a dab hand with the welder. It occurs to me that there may be some requirement for attachment points, as a simple hoop mounted at each end would have almost no real strength. My Brother had a bolt-on 'rollcage' for his 109, which simply bolted through the cappings. I wonder whether the same would suffice? Under no circumstances would it ever be expected to be used in the event of a rollover while offroading, I'll keep my hardtop for that thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daan Posted April 24, 2011 Share Posted April 24, 2011 Under no circumstances would it ever be expected to be used in the event of a rollover while offroading, I'll keep my hardtop for that thanks! THat sounds to me like a dangerous option, as a landrover roof does very little in case of a roll over. Daan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retroanaconda Posted April 25, 2011 Share Posted April 25, 2011 I have a seatbelt bar that bolts through the cappings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the real muddy90 Posted April 25, 2011 Share Posted April 25, 2011 Lets face it, the roof only bolts to the cappings! Ok, & a few other places A series hard top is stronger than you'd think. The guy that bought my old 2a many many years ago, rolled it at a trial doing a full 1+1/4 roll & only broke one bit of glass (the interior mirror) a dented the rear top corner. I wouldn't recomend trying it though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejparrott Posted April 26, 2011 Share Posted April 26, 2011 More than anything I dont want to get muddy insides when off-roading! I've had the 88 on her side and done no damage to the bodywork. I dont tackle difficult stuff with her, she's more of a greenlane-r, as she's also our daily drive, i need her for work, and she's our restoration vehicle. My question is on a legal side of things, not whether my hardtop is good for offroading. I should also add that she'll only be running round town with the roof off, and not blasting up the M6, so 30mph tops, which I'm aware can still be dangerous. I want to know, whether I'd need to fit a roll-over hoop thats all welded, got rear stay bars bolted to the chassis, of 2.5" steel tube (or whatever it is rollcages have to be made of...), or whether a hoop thats securly bolted to the body and structually sound would be acceptable to plod, as in whether its MOT-able. I appreciate that bracing to the top of the screen only would have little strength in the event of an accident. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejparrott Posted April 27, 2011 Share Posted April 27, 2011 I had an alternative thought...can you use retractable lap belts in front seats, which would save the need for a hoop? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeriesEwan Posted April 27, 2011 Author Share Posted April 27, 2011 I had an alternative thought...can you use retractable lap belts in front seats, which would save the need for a hoop? I thought about that... but lap belts do not stop your upper body flopping forward in the event of a crash... this can cause injuries in itself not to mention from injuries aquired by knocking yourself against a series dash/bulkhead I have tried a few ex-mil places for a roll hoop to no avail all I have found is hoops to go over the windscreen area preventing the driver been crushed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel May Posted April 27, 2011 Share Posted April 27, 2011 When I take the truck cab off my 88" SIII, the top fixing of non-retractable seatbelts just goes through a convenient hole in the corner of front of the rear tub so the belt goes over my shoulder, it actually feels better than when it is mounted on the side of the cab. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiagoc Posted April 30, 2011 Share Posted April 30, 2011 In this page, from JBorges (member here), you can find some pictures - near the end - of a seatbelt bar that can be used with no top or canvas, and can be removed when on hardtop. Or you can use the Defender soft-top seatbelt bar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moore101 Posted May 2, 2011 Share Posted May 2, 2011 THat sounds to me like a dangerous option, as a landrover roof does very little in case of a roll over. Series hardtops are a lot stronger than most people think providing all the fixings are in place thats me rolling my lightweight and there was minimal vehicle damage and no injury to me or passenger so thats got to be a credit to the hardtops strength. As for seatbelt mounting with a softtop. When i bought the lightweight it had a fixed belt (non inertia) mounted to the inside vertical face of the body capping just in front of the rear seats and that gave a nice angle over shoulder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejparrott Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 That'll be an oops then! Does show just how good the hardtops are though, that wasn't the gentlest of rolls! I've been having discussions elsewhere about this issue as well and the general consensus is that Lap belts wouldnt be very good in the event of a crash. I did point out that center seats only had lap belts but this is due to the difficult in installing an over-shoulder belt. I've been searching around and only found commercial bars for 109 3-dr and 110 3-dr. reason being they bolt through the cappings using a tube thats just behind the bulkhead, which is not present on an 88. So, to this end, I intend to construct my own in the same style, using a continuos length of BSP tubing, for which I have a bender, in the style of other products avaliable. I'll let you know how I get on, but at the moment I'm having a bit of a mare getting The 109 back on the road! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazzar Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 Would this help? G. http://www.johncraddock-trim.co.uk/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=4151&category_id=79&option=com_virtuemart&vmcchk=1&Itemid=1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spcollins Posted May 14, 2011 Share Posted May 14, 2011 Would this help? G. http://www.johncraddock-trim.co.uk/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=4151&category_id=79&option=com_virtuemart&vmcchk=1&Itemid=1 Proper job - hi Gary! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeriesEwan Posted May 14, 2011 Author Share Posted May 14, 2011 Yes! That's the badger! ideal for what i am after thanks for that ( i never thought to look in the trim shop part on craddocks site! ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haulie Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 What about fitting a 3 or. 4 point harness Haulie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the real muddy90 Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 Or this.. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Land-Rover-Defender-Internal-Roll-Hoop-Seatbelt-fixing-/170640137577?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item27baf1dd69 although it looks like the stays are missing but you could make them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbeagley Posted May 17, 2011 Share Posted May 17, 2011 I had an alternative thought...can you use retractable lap belts in front seats, which would save the need for a hoop? I wanted to do this to mine but I think 3 point belts are required after 1967 i beleive. Terry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j1s Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 Hi again Summer is on its way & i am considering taking off my roof, I Have a late series 3 with inertia reel belts in the front, can anyone suggest a good way of securing the top loop over of the belt? I know there are hoops that may be useful for this has anyone fitted one or can anyone recommend one? I have a 1966 88 with them mounted upside down on the top of the bulkhead behind the seats Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeriesEwan Posted May 20, 2011 Author Share Posted May 20, 2011 I have a 1966 88 with them mounted upside down on the top of the bulkhead behind the seats i thought about that, indeed my middle belt is setup like this but it doesnt seem overly safe / sturdy if i bolt them to the bulkhead itself then the belt runs up over the shoulder which i am told is bad as itll twist the spine downwards in an accident, so i resoted to putting it on the capping piece which gives the hight but its a bit flimsy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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