I tried to quote this, but the formatting was getting ugly. The question
was about seatbelts, and whether they would hold. Ray Gibbons wrote the
below, and I'd like to back him up.
> I have heard (can't remember where) that ultraviolet exposure weakens seat
> belt material over time. In a convertible that is a potential problem. I
> would replace them, just in case. The cost is trivial compared to the
> consequences of having one break.
I'm not sure what modern seat belts are made out of, but the earlier
ones (e.g. my '66 122), are essentially nylon webbing. As a climber, I
have to trust my life to that stuff, and there are some rules of thumb.
1. If the webbing gets stiff, you should replace it.
2. UV light degrades it.
3. 5 years max. is recommended for climbing gear, I don't know about
seat belts.
My car has spent 25 years out of a garage, so the sun was particularly
harsh. Ten years seems like a good idea, but I replaced my belts after
20! New nylon climbing ropes were accidently stored in a cool, dark
place for 10 years. Even under those ideal conditions, when tested,
the ropes broke (I think on the first test under load ... they should
last 12-14 drops!). So some natural degredation takes place. I have
read this in books, and have seen endless discussions on rec.climbing
(emphasis on endless :) -- I can try to provide some references if
someone would like some.
My seatbelts were very stiff, the new webbing felt like butter in
comparision. Operation of the belts was much easier, too.
I'm not sure why I have not seen this topic come up in a serious way.
We talked about it one the volvo list, and now here, but I've not seen
any car books particularly address this.
jennifer
--
Jennifer Joy sys/net admin Motorola/RISC HW Austin,TX
jjoy@risc.sps.mot.com 512.891.8561 fax:512.891.3890 pgr:933-7333 #898561
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