Child Seat Anchors???

[VicR]

My wife has advised me that in the not too distant future our vehicles WILL be equipped with car seats (no ETA yet, just planning). So, today I had my truck into the dealer today to get the child seat anchors installed. Its TSB 23-08-00.



I guess I was assuming this would be the straps that extend above the back seat and act as anchors for the new style car seats. At least thats what I thought those straps were for on the 01's. Problem is, I can't find any addition to the interior of my truck at all. Nothing looks changed on the back seat and the seatbelts were in the exact same position that they were in when I dropped the truck off this morning.



What exactly are the child seat anchors and where are they? Its only . 5 hours flat rate, so it can't be too complex of a job. Anyone have this TSB done? I don't want to call the dealer and look like a total idiot, but I am trying to figure out what they did.



Thanks,



-Vic

 

[rubberneck]

Yup, i am currently utilizing said anchors. Yes you are correct, it is the loops sticking out from behind the seat. mine were kind of tucked down behind the seat a little, get in the back seat and look close, if you dont see then the dealer probably sat on their thumbs instead of doing your anchors

 

[VicR]

Rubberneck,



About how far from the edge of the seat would you say they were? I am sure they aren't in there, but just want to double check. Also, do you have 1 in the middle or just 1 on each side.



I wonder if they installed them in the wrong truck. Somebody is probably cursing them now trying to figure out what those loops that just appear are for.



Thanks



-Vic

 

[rubberneck]

My truck is an 01 and they came from factory as you mentioned. i have all three. Each one is right in the middle of where a person would sit. They are not more than an inch or so down from the top of the seat when tucked in.

 

[hammersley]

Question also

Last summer I noticed that the 2001. 5 were coming in with teh straps on. I asked why didn't my 2001 have them and I got the famous Deer in the headlight STARE - So they ordered some metal brackets - that fit over the bottom of the seat bracket- but they didn't have straps. And they weren't at teh top back of the seat. What gives - has anybody tried to install them and where do you get the straps?

 

[Blair]

Vic there should be a hook behind the seat in the middle. it bolts right through the back of the cab so you should be able to see the nut and washer between the cab and box.

 

[VicR]

Yep, turns out the TSB covers the installation of two anchors. One metal bracket attached to the left rear seat mount of the front passenger bucket, and one to one of the middle mounts of the back seat.



Not exactly what I was expecting, but I guess there must be a lot of options in mounting car seats. I will have to give them a closer look at the store.



Thanks to those that responded. I suspect mounting the child seat is the most confusing part of having kids, yes?



-Vic

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

Vic - do yourself a HUGE favor and check out this website - http://www.mightytite.com/ . It's a ratchet device that you put on the seat belt to tighten the car seat down much better than you could EVER do yourself. My daughter is 2 years old and there is NO WAY I would live without one (we have two actually). My brother is an ME and developed the new ISOFIX system for Ford (which is only available right now in high end cars - you just plug the seat in, it will be a standard in the future) and did a ton of crash testing. When my daughter was born I went to him for advice on how to install her car seat correctly - it took me about 20 minutes to get it in right each time!! I later found the Mighty Tite and showed it to him with her car seat installed (which took about 2 minutes to install btw). He had previously been adamant that the tether was absolutely necessary - but with the car seat ratcheted down hard there's no way to move the back of the car seat forward at all. Everyone that has a child that's young enough to use a car seat absolutely NEEDS one of these IMO - you won't regret the purchase!

 

[Bigsaint]

Originally posted by Vic R

I suspect mounting the child seat is the most confusing part of having kids, yes?

hehehehehe, rather than ruin it for ya, I'll let you find out for yourself .



Scott W.