Any ideas?

I don't think so. I had a faulty driver's side belt and got a passenger one from AndyZ but I couldn't use it for reasons I can't remember, possibly the shape of the bracket.

 

I just swapped the plastic cog from the new one into my old, broken one and that worked fine though.

I've a full set (all 4) in very good condition from a 93 UK spec TT if you are interested. No good to me as mines a jap and the mountings are different - do your belts mount on the door pillars? If they do, they'll be no good for you also - god this is a lively topic.

 

cheerz

 

Jack

Thanks Jack,

 

Could you possible do me a favour and compare the drivers and passengers belts to see if they are different i.e., not interchangeable!

on close inspection, both left and right belts and all of their tensioning and securing mechanisms look exactly the same. But on the belt securing end each has a label clearly marked with a BIG L and R ie left and right.

 

Also in the tensioning mechanisms, the part numbers are subtly different - L = VB31014 - A6 and R = VB31014 - B6.

 

All I can think that it could be for is the weight that is ballanced within the tensioning mechanism has to move in different directions in relation to the mechanism under braking (to lock the belt).

 

So - they look the same but they are different. Not the answer you are after - but that's often the case.

 

good luck

 

Jack

You'd think they'd be mirror images of each other, which would mean that the end with the ball bearing (under the blue cover) that locks the belt when necessary would be on the wrong side if you just swapped them over.

 

My recollection is that it was the bracket that holds the other end of the belt to the bottom of the door that wouldn't physically fit into the car as the bracket comes out forwards rather than backwards as it should. That only applies to imports though and I'm not sure how the belts work on UK cars or on convertibles.

No it ain't one of the attached to the door brackets, seat belts!

 

Dave we will have to meet up one of these days as you only live down the road from Andyg?

Dave

 

...the ones I have are from a UK TT. I thought of replacing my door mounted Jap import belts whilst replacing the twwed interior with a leather one.

 

You are right about the lower mountings, but the door cards account for this. The problem was with the top fixings, the threaded plates are missing on an import (2+2 don't know about a convertable). Si I had to trim the front door cards to accept the original Jap belts.

 

The Uk spec belts are not a mirror - they are laid out exactly the same ie the balanced weight mech is on the same side on both - but I imagine they both work differently... as we said, a dry subject. I've got a crappy cold - I must stop rambling...

 

cheers

 

Jack

No it ain't one of the attached to the door brackets, seat belts!

Ah. Pass then! ;)

 

Dave we will have to meet up one of these days as you only live down the road from Andyg?

I'm up for that. Where's AndyG live?

Kenley, Dave.

 

Back to the belts, if they are both identical, the forces that are placed upon the belts would be exactly the same whatever side they are placed upon, so I cannot see how they would be different?