Seat belt problems

[K Thompson]

Good evening guys. I have a 2003 Ranger 3.0l 5 speed 2 door supercab. The seat belt wont retract on the drivers side. Today I cleaned the belt changing out the soapy water 5 times (it was pretty nasty). It is now flexible and shiny, and tries to retract but cant quite do it. Have any of you all ever tightened the spring on the retractor, or should I be looking to something else?

Thanks in advance for your help!!

Keith
(The Boltman)

 

[4x4prepper]

No, I just replace them with a better CLEAN factory unit, even if from a newer model year, I get the matching floor strap too. I went and cut out the plates from a factory A pillar and installed it into a 1971 F-100 which never came with retracting shoulder belts, installed with 1'4" grade 8 bolts, washers, nuts. Think I got it from an Econoline.

You can buy new generic shoulder retractors from Summit, as for aftermarket, the only ones I have bought because I trusted them were Bean. If you have washed the seat belt five times to clean it, it has been comprised a long time ago with grime and dirt inside the fibers. I would not trust my life to it in a bad head on accident. Though you have air bags, so, there is always that.