New Seat Belts For Max 28

[dadreier]

The non-retractable seat belts on my new Max were one of the few complaints I had about the machine. The silly buggers seemed determined to end up stuck in places they shouldn't be.

I had no extra seat belts in my collection of leftover parts, so to correct the problem I purchased a new retractable belt from an online dealer. I bought an "industrial" model which was designed for outdoor use. I'm sure a regular car seat belt would have worked nicely.

The Mahindra seat belt fastens to a sheet metal plate under the seat. There was some flex to this plate and when I strained against the belt to reach something or twisted in the seat, I could feel the plate give a little.

Luckily, the retractable belt could not use the same mounting point because of the size of the reel where the belt winds up. I say luckily because it forced me to look elsewhere. Right behind the seat is a stanchion to which the bases of the roll bar are bolted. There are several unused holes on each side of this thing and they provided the perfect place to anchor the ends of the belt.

It was a quick conversion which in addition to the convenience, provided a greater measure of safety by being much more solidly mounted.



The above photos contrast the neatness of the new belt with the sloppy old belt. You can also see the improved mounting points.

Dennis

 

[PoorPlowboy]

I need some of those. Source?

Kudos for not discarding safety in the name of comfort. I'm guilty of leaving the uncomfortable and cumbersome things laying under the seat.

 

[dadreier]

Here's a link to the belt I used: Industrial Seat Belts : Replacement Seatbelts, Seat Belts, Retractable Seat Belts, and Seatbelt Extenders @ SeatBeltsPlus.co

I also got their mounting kit which contains bolts and some small heavy duty "L" brackets. The belt reel must be mounted somewhat vertical for the retract/lock feature to work, so some sort of L bracket will be needed for many applications.

Dennis

 

[Beaglenut]

Thanks for the great info Dennis. I'm ready to order a set of those belts but first, since I have the same tractor as you, should I buy the mounting kit too or is the Max 28 so well set up that all I'll really need is a couple bolts?

 

[Bob77064]

The non-retractable seat belts on my new Max were one of the few complaints I had about the machine. The silly buggers seemed determined to end up stuck in places they shouldn't be.

I had no extra seat belts in my collection of leftover parts, so to correct the problem I purchased a new retractable belt from an online dealer. I bought an "industrial" model which was designed for outdoor use. I'm sure a regular car seat belt would have worked nicely.

The Mahindra seat belt fastens to a sheet metal plate under the seat. There was some flex to this plate and when I strained against the belt to reach something or twisted in the seat, I could feel the plate give a little.

Luckily, the retractable belt could not use the same mounting point because of the size of the reel where the belt winds up. I say luckily because it forced me to look elsewhere. Right behind the seat is a stanchion to which the bases of the roll bar are bolted. There are several unused holes on each side of this thing and they provided the perfect place to anchor the ends of the belt.

It was a quick conversion which in addition to the convenience, provided a greater measure of safety by being much more solidly mounted.

View attachment 285395View attachment 285396View attachment 285397View attachment 285398View attachment 285399

The above photos contrast the neatness of the new belt with the sloppy old belt. You can also see the improved mounting points.

Dennis

Looks good.

 

[jefwyn]

I have same issue on my 3616 cab. I like so many things on my tractor, but why they did this with the seat belts is beyond me. You have inspired me to look at possibly changing mine out as well. Thanks for planting the seeds.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Looks like they designed in the mounting point for a retractable belt for upgrade. Too bad they didnt supply it as standard equipment.

 

[dadreier]

Beaglenut,

Besides the bolts and nuts, the mounting kit contains two small, but very sturdy, "L" brackets which are essential to being able to properly install the new belt. If you already have similar brackets and the Grade 8 hardware you can skip the kit. Offhand, I'd say get the kit and save the frustration of hunting parts.

You cannot install the belt without a 90 degree bracket because the retracting reel will not function (according to the vendor) unless it is oriented in a somewhat upward position. In my photos you will notice that the reel side is mounted at about a 45 degree angle which works fine. I tested the belt with the reel flat and could not get it to lock reliably, making it useless as a restraint. This belt functions just like early automobile (pre three-point style) belts. You pull it out to its full length, let it return to suit your comfort, and buckle up. Very secure.

The most difficult part of this install was that there is insufficient clearance underneath the new mounting point on the rollbar stanchion to fit your fingers. When you put a bolt down through the existing hole, you don't have enough room to just reach in and put on the lock washer and nut on underneath. I ended up using a pair of long reach pliers to hold the nut/washer. In addition, I super-glued the washer to the nut because I had to tilt them a bit and the washer slid off. I've used thick grease in the past in similar situations to make a washer stick to a nut, but the glue was close by on the day I did the install.

Dennis

 

[Beaglenut]

Order placed and thanks again for all the advice. Dave