Car Seat Base in 3rd Gen?

[hawaiian05]

i have an '01 sport and a '08 they both have the hooks BUT the hooks are located under the left and right seats and NOT located under the middle "seat" which is the recommendation for highest safety, so i used the belt method too. I climb in the backseat and stick me knee into the base and pull the belt as tight as it will go. My daughter is 16 months now no issues.

A picture of the anchors in the '01 would be great. I don't think that it came with anchors from the factory in '01, unless maybe it was an option. The '08 would definitely have them, given they came standard in the '06 that I had. I know that car seat technology, including anchors, started to become standard somewhere in early 2000's, therefore I'm starting to wonder if the "under the seat" anchors (for seat base) were an option. I do know that when I had my '04 Tacoma, the tether and under the seat anchors were standard, but in the '02 Tacomas, they were an add on.

 

[Mgyver1]

It's interesting that this topic was brought up... My 06' has the hooks & my 99' doesn't. We've got a 3 yr old in a front facing convertible seat w/ a newborn expected June 21st. I plan on getting another car seat for my 99' for my 3 yr old & of course 2 new rear facing seats, 1 for the 06' & 1 for the 99'. My wife was trying to argue w/ me the other day that the seat belt method in the 99' around the front facing seat wasn't as safe as having it hooked in like in my 06'. In my mind, I thought "so basically we're not safe when we're wearing our seat belts based off your logic." Naturally I didn't say that b/c I like breathing. But I told her I'd research this & see what the best method is b/c I plan on driving my 99' here & there & may need the car seats installed... but I don't want a safety issue w/ my 2 girls of course. So, w/ all that said, can someone confirm that it is safe for a front facing seat to use the seat belt method too?

Long story short, seatbelt is safer than the smaller LATCH strap, but your '99 doesn't have the tether anchors for the top tether strap that your '06 has which would make it safer for a forward facing car seat. Some car seats require the tether strap while other state it's optional. But I would venture to guess all car seat manufacturers say it is better to have the top tether than not. Of course there are always exceptions, such as the Britax Boulevard manufactured between 3/1/06 and 8/1/06 had a recall stating not to use the tether strap for kids over 50 lbs. On the other hand, my Britax Frontier states the tether is optional until the kid is 65 lbs at which point the tether strap is mandatory.

You can add tether anchors to your '99 so your car seats can be installed with a seatbelt and the tether strap over the back of the seat making your vehicle just as safe as your wife's. The cheapest option is to buy the anchors at the dealership for around $5/ea (likley a special order part) and bolt them in to the cargo area but that will only get you tether anchors for the outboard seating positions. In order to get a tether anchor for the middle you would have to get the center hinge for the rear upper seats from a '01-'02 4Runner. I ended up retrofitting the tether anchors and hinge from a '01 in to my '00 and it cost me around $60 (found the seats off ebay and shipping was expensive otherwise it would've been cheaper). You can see my write up here:
3rd Gen child car seat tether install

Now, this is why I say seatbelt is safer than LATCH. The LATCH anchors have a weight limit, usually around 45 lbs, where as a seatbelt does not. The technically correct answer is that both are equally safe when used properly but just comparing the size of the straps alone the seatbelt is usually at least twice as wide. The reason LATCH was invented was to increase the chances of a correct installation because it is more difficult to install a car seat correctly with a seatbelt. Installing your seat with the heavier duty seatbelt is less safe if it's done improperly compared to a seat properly installed using LATCH. In my '08 Tahoe I installed my seats using LATCH just because it was so dang easy, especially my Chicco Key Fit base. Now that my kids are older and heavier I install using the seatbelt. And of course in my '00 4runner (and my '02 Tacoma I used to have) I install with the seatbelt and tether since that's the only choice.

 

[Mgyver1]

A picture of the anchors in the '01 would be great. I don't think that it came with anchors from the factory in '01, unless maybe it was an option. The '08 would definitely have them, given they came standard in the '06 that I had. I know that car seat technology, including anchors, started to become standard somewhere in early 2000's, therefore I'm starting to wonder if the "under the seat" anchors (for seat base) were an option. I do know that when I had my '04 Tacoma, the tether and under the seat anchors were standard, but in the '02 Tacomas, they were an add on.

My '02 extended cab Tacoma had the tether anchor that could be used for a car seat installed in the front or rear passenger seat. What was interesting was if the seat was installed in the rear passenger position the tether strap was looped around a bar and clipped to an anchor point in the middle of the rear bench but if you installed in the front seat it would just clip on next to the bar.

 

[wslytoy]

Long story short, seatbelt is safer than the smaller LATCH strap...

Awesome! Great write up btw, I'll definitely give that method some thought.

 

[hawaiian05]

My '02 extended cab Tacoma had the tether anchor that could be used for a car seat installed in the front or rear passenger seat. What was interesting was if the seat was installed in the rear passenger position the tether strap was looped around a bar and clipped to an anchor point in the middle of the rear bench but if you installed in the front seat it would just clip on next to the bar.

I really appreciate all the info- you're definitely more knowledgable on this subject than I am. I guess i need clarification on what part is what so i dont get confused. I'm thinking the tether point is the hooks behind the rear seat, about 1/2 way up the seat back, and the anchors are the hooks between the bench and seat back that are used for the seat base straps. Do I have this correct or, or am I completely confusing the names? In my '04 Tacoma, i was using the hooks between the bench seat and the seat back to secure the base. Oh, and it was a double cab, if that matters, rather than an ext cab.
Thanks!

 

[hawaiian05]

Ok so I gave the locking clip method a try and it works, though I feel like it'll never be as thhg as the seat base strap or retractable seat belt method. I tried tightening the crap outta the belt, then unbuckling it to add the locking clip, but for as tight as I wanted it I could not re-buckle it. Any suggestions, or will it just naturally not be as tight as using the seat base's strap?

 

[Mgyver1]

Ok so I gave the locking clip method a try and it works, though I feel like it'll never be as thhg as the seat base strap or retractable seat belt method. I tried tightening the crap outta the belt, then unbuckling it to add the locking clip, but for as tight as I wanted it I could not re-buckle it. Any suggestions, or will it just naturally not be as tight as using the seat base's strap?

I've found it helpful to have two people, one to push down on the base and the other to buckle it. And it doesn't have to be crazy glued-to-the-seat tight. As long as there is no more than an inch of movement side to side (at the seatback) or front to back then it's correct.

 

[Mgyver1]

I really appreciate all the info- you're definitely more knowledgable on this subject than I am. I guess i need clarification on what part is what so i dont get confused. I'm thinking the tether point is the hooks behind the rear seat, about 1/2 way up the seat back, and the anchors are the hooks between the bench and seat back that are used for the seat base straps. Do I have this correct or, or am I completely confusing the names? In my '04 Tacoma, i was using the hooks between the bench seat and the seat back to secure the base. Oh, and it was a double cab, if that matters, rather than an ext cab.
Thanks!

I detailed the different parts in my write up with pictures so hopefully that sheds some light. The anchor points half way up the seatback and at the very bottom on the backside of the seat in the middle of your '02 are your tether anchors for the strap that goes up and over the seat for most forward facing car seats. The two hooks at each of the outboard seats of your '06 where the bottom and top seat cushions meet are the lower anchors of the LATCH system which can be used for rear or forward facing car seats with kids weighing less than approx 40 lbs (every seat and vehicle have different ratings, 40 is kind of the general number).

 

[hawaiian05]

I've found it helpful to have two people, one to push down on the base and the other to buckle it. And it doesn't have to be crazy glued-to-the-seat tight. As long as there is no more than an inch of movement side to side (at the seatback) or front to back then it's correct.

Got it. That makes me feel better about it since I wanted it tighter than I could get it by myself. I'll def be doing this method once I get someone to lend me a hand at getting it snugged up.
Thanks for the tip!

Also, I appreciate the clarification you provided on the difference between the tether and latch pieces. My fault for not reading your link to your setup sooner but it definitely broke it down very well. I'm assuming you've done a whole bunch of research or are certified in installing car seats? If not, definitely right down your alley!
Much appreciated- thanks again!

 

[paddlenbike]

Now, this is why I say seatbelt is safer than LATCH. The LATCH anchors have a weight limit, usually around 45 lbs, where as a seatbelt does not.

I was a little apprehensive about using the 4Runner without LATCH to haul around our young child but both my wife and I now feel it's more secure than the carseat in our two 2013 cars with LATCH.

 

[hawaiian05]

I was a little apprehensive about using the 4Runner without LATCH to haul around our young child but both my wife and I now feel it's more secure than the carseat in our two 2013 cars with LATCH.

I agree. Knowing that the seat belt doesn't have a weight limit (or at least can handle an adults weight) makes me feel comfortable about using it.
I ended up getting the base installed with the locking clip as previously described and it's definitely as snug as the latch system, except with a piece of mind knowing it has a higher weight limit.