Adding Seat Belts

PNWorBUST72 · February 16, 2018, 05:58:28 PM

So we have two young children and REALLY want them to have a spot for the car seats but the bus we are looking at has none.

I have seen the belts themselves with the ends that are simply bolted to the floor. Are the seats mounted such in an MCI8 that I can just remove a bolt for the seat and add the belts?

richard5933 · February 16, 2018, 06:06:23 PM

I got seat belts for our coach here:
https://www.seatbeltplanet.com/

and another time from here:
https://www.wescoperformance.com/seatbelts.html

They both have some information about the ways to properly anchor the seat belts, and they have a pretty good customer service team to answer questions.

My understanding is that the important part is to be sure the anchor points can handle the load/stress being placed on them in an emergency stop without pulling through their mounting points. They both sell install kits with the large washers to help spread out the force.

Astro · February 16, 2018, 10:57:32 PM

Quote from: richard5933 on February 16, 2018, 06:06:23 PM
My understanding is that the important part is to be sure the anchor points can handle the load/stress being placed on them in an emergency stop without pulling through their mounting points.

I believe the anchor points need to handle the stress of an impact more than an emergency stop. A wood thru-floor bolt can probably absorb an emergency stop, but in no way an impact. You will need a serious structural anchor tie with proper fastener selection and installation for an collision impact.

PNWorBUST72 · February 17, 2018, 04:40:46 AM

I was assuming that the seats anchor points would be strong enough, but I dont now how the seats are anchored on a MCI8.

buswarrior · February 17, 2018, 04:50:34 AM

Seat belts in buses...

The forces inflicted on the occupants of a motor coach are different than an automobile.

Primarily due to the much larger mass of the coach absorbing more of the energy of whatever hit it takes, compared to an auto. I can't remember the ratio anymore, maybe I typed it in the archives somewhere... the number 7 pops to mind?

The strength of belts and mounting points is well established for autos. If a coach was built to those standards, it would weigh many, many thousands of pounds more, with no easily identifiable payback.

The coach manufacturers started making seat belts available a number of years ago now, I didn't keep up with these matters. Was an SAE or FMVSS standard ever developed out of MCI's crash testing?

If you want to do see for yourself, the videos are on YouTube. Ignore the driver compartment, you should already know that outcome... watch the effect on the passenger dummies, and then find some similar auto videos and you decide how, or whether, to mount your belts?

Anyway, when it comes to seat belts and buses, there's science, calculated risk and then there is uninformed hysteria.

It would be nice for busnuts to stay on the science side.

Happy coaching!
Buswarrior

chessie4905 · February 17, 2018, 05:02:03 AM

Good idea for seat belts for those kids, especially at that age. The baby's car seat definitely needs anchored. And the mass of either one is small enough that seat bolts should work. I would change the bolts to grade 8 though. Also consider what is behind kids of mass that can still move forward into or past them in an accident.

richard5933 · February 17, 2018, 05:24:08 AM

While I am fully aware of the potential for a total loss to the driver and co-pilot in a collision involving a bus, I also think it's important for people to remember that every collision is NOT an automatic trip to the morgue.

We had a very major head-on collision and walked away from it. Many other collisions are survivable, especially things like getting t-boned at an intersection.

Had we not been buckled in our seats during the the collision, I'm very confident that both of us would have been thrown out through the windshield as the nose of the bus caught the ground on the other side of the ditch. That's when we started to dramatically decelerate, when both windshields fell out along with anything else loose in the area. When the bus kept sliding along we would have been right in the path. The windshield and dash cam were pulled out from under the nose of the bus. I'm very glad that we were not.

Point is, staying in the seat is (in my opinion) an important step to surviving a collision. I know not everyone agrees, but if you're not in the seat there is little to any way to maintain control and to avoid the path of your vehicle (or other vehicles).

PNWorBUST72 · February 17, 2018, 05:35:10 AM

I understand that the seat belts aren't foolproof, but as Richard said, its just about keeping them in the seat should something happen.

Does anyone have a pic of the seat anchors in an MCI8 or can confirm its possible for me to pull a bolt and attach seat belts to it after I get a new grade 8 bolt to replace it?

chessie4905 · February 17, 2018, 06:01:10 AM

PNW, are you talking about driver's seat or factory passenger seats? My 4905 driver seat is attached to floor with 4- 1/2 inch bolts, washers, and nuts going through plywood and metal on underside. Seatbelt would easily be secure to it. My belts are attached to driver's seat frame though. Btw, If I used the seat to floor bolts, the angle of belt across the body would not be proper. MCIs, are most likely similiar.

PNWorBUST72 · February 17, 2018, 06:04:17 AM

This bus has the front row on both driver and passenger side still installed, I was thinking of using the passenger seating anchors in those seats to attach the kids seat belts.

chessie4905 · February 17, 2018, 06:45:53 AM

I imagine the seats are attached to tracks in the floor like GMCs.To be sure you could drill down through floor and be sure to be secure. Need to check what is underneath though. Fuel tank or lines, etc.

richard5933 · February 17, 2018, 08:50:17 AM

Quote from: PNWorBUST72 on February 17, 2018, 06:04:17 AM
This bus has the front row on both driver and passenger side still installed, I was thinking of using the passenger seating anchors in those seats to attach the kids seat belts.

You'll want to check to be sure that the location of the seat's mounting bolts provides the proper angle on the belts and allows them to enter the seat at the correct points. Some seats have mounts that are pretty far forward when compared to the point in the seat where the bottom cushion and back cushion meet.

buswarrior · February 17, 2018, 01:51:38 PM

Yes, the seat tracks are strong.

Ask anyone who has tried to remove them...

As noted, high strength fasteners and get on with it.
If you get one of the industrial fastener catalogues, you might find an exact matching fastener to fit in the track, that would make a sweet install.

How is all the rest of the coach interior fastened from movement? There are coaches out there that a few wood screws and friction is all that keeps the bedroom from joining the driver's seat....

Happy coaching!
Buswarrior