Rear Baby Seat in Your 3rd Gen ?

[zacattack20]

Seeing your solution made me try throwing my base back in (same model as yours) but even after anchoring the left strap and locking the seatbelt up tight I didn't like the movement I was getting.

I've got the base secured in the middle of the rear seat using the lap belt and I like it a little better but I think I'm just gonna nut up and have some anchors welding in or something.

Do you put your body weight into the base as you are installing it? I've never had a movement issue while installing a car seat in any of the 3 positions. If you aren't able to install it tight with a seat belt then fabbing up some un-crash tested anchors aren't going to make any difference.

 

[KidVermicious]

We put our rear facing seat in the middle. Strapped the base in super tight with just the lap belt, it doesn't budge.

 

[Mgyver1]

I have 3 car seats in the back of my 4R, the middle car seat is rear facing and I also had nowhere to secure the straps. I'm also using the rear cargo anchor point for the forward facing car seat.

I ordered a OEM anchoring bolt kit, mounted it in a perfect spot, worked out great. Definitely a secure anchor-

Is there a pre-threaded hole there or did you put a nut on the backside?

 

[MrRoo]

I am new to the forum. Bought a 97 4runner. I didn't realize that there were no anchors in this thing. I'm curious also if these later model anchors bolts in or you drilled the holes where you wanted them. I gotta get my two car seats installed. I don't like using just the belts to hold the seats. Way to loose for my liking.

 

[Millerad1651]

[MENTION=113957]MrRoo[/MENTION] If you have front facing seats, you can buy the tethers from Toyota. They screw in to existing holes. If you are using rear facing seats, these won't do you any good. I used the regular shoulder belt and one of the latches and my base doesn't move at all. It's as solid as using two latches in newer trucks.
Here is a thread about the mounts...
Toyota 4Runner Highlander Top Tether Bracket Child Restraint System

 

[Brique]

As stated above, body weight is crucial to getting a tight fit. When mounting, I get on the damn thing and tighten it down. I'm pretty lanky though, so that technique may not work for you.

 

[541joseph]

i have a 93 2nd gen and a 97 3rd gen and we each have 2 carseats and i can get virtually no movement and for rear facing some carseats come with straps that go around the seat rail in front of it

 

[One Sick Puppy]

Problem:

As others may have also observed, some car seat manuals (see attached photo) explicitly state that for front-facing position "you must move the child restraint to another seating location" IF "vehicle [shoulder] belts in center of door or side panel" - the latter describing exactly the 3rd gen rear shoulder belts. The reason for this, I have observed, is that because the shoulder and lap belt thread thru the seat in the same hold, the lap belt wants to pull down while the shoulder belt wants to pull up, resulting in the car seat wanting to twist no matter how tightly it is secured. Keep in mind that while your car seat may be tight when the vehicle is not moving, in a crash or rollover, that seat is going to want to go every which way.

Possible Solution:
Long story short, instead of trying to find some way of making UAS (Universal Anchorage System) anchors, or making the shoulder belt work, one might easily be able to replaced the shoulder belt with a satisfactory lap belt. The 4runner has 2 bolts for the lap belt, so I would think it would be easy to find a new or used lap-only belt to bolt in on top or replacing the door-side belt attachment point (which is just a standard bolt). Will investigate...

The more I try to find a solution the more I realize how important it is to secure your child seat properly. ALot of research goes into these and the whole reason you're buying and installing them is for a worst-case scenario, so despite what the wifey might say "good enough" is quite possibly not enough. I used to fasten the belts in the car-seat a bit loose because I was worried about my kid's comfort, but now I realize that their seat belts need to be as tight as possible without squishing the kid... which probably is isn't the most comfortable but they need to be restrained, even if it means they can't reach their water bottle, toys or books.

 

[CenCalifoothill15]

Is there a pre-threaded hole there or did you put a nut on the backside?

There is not a pre-threaded hole in that location; I just used a self-tapping bolt.

-Checkout the bottom of page 17 on my build thread, there's a few more pics of how I mounted the anchor.

 

[busmup808]

This is what I fitted in my T4R. It's a mount that I found in 1st gen xcab tacos for the rear seats.
Mount by the L rear belts.

Closer picture of the mount

Mount by the L rear fender seatbelt

 

[zacattack20]

Problem:

As others may have also observed, some car seat manuals (see attached photo) explicitly state that for front-facing position "you must move the child restraint to another seating location" IF "vehicle [shoulder] belts in center of door or side panel" - the latter describing exactly the 3rd gen rear shoulder belts. The reason for this, I have observed, is that because the shoulder and lap belt thread thru the seat in the same hold, the lap belt wants to pull down while the shoulder belt wants to pull up, resulting in the car seat wanting to twist no matter how tightly it is secured. Keep in mind that while your car seat may be tight when the vehicle is not moving, in a crash or rollover, that seat is going to want to go every which way.

Possible Solution:
Long story short, instead of trying to find some way of making UAS (Universal Anchorage System) anchors, or making the shoulder belt work, one might easily be able to replaced the shoulder belt with a satisfactory lap belt. The 4runner has 2 bolts for the lap belt, so I would think it would be easy to find a new or used lap-only belt to bolt in on top or replacing the door-side belt attachment point (which is just a standard bolt). Will investigate...

The more I try to find a solution the more I realize how important it is to secure your child seat properly. ALot of research goes into these and the whole reason you're buying and installing them is for a worst-case scenario, so despite what the wifey might say "good enough" is quite possibly not enough. I used to fasten the belts in the car-seat a bit loose because I was worried about my kid's comfort, but now I realize that their seat belts need to be as tight as possible without squishing the kid... which probably is isn't the most comfortable but they need to be restrained, even if it means they can't reach their water bottle, toys or books.

That side panel means like side panel of door. The 4runners seat belt is perfectly fine to use. If you are worried about the shoulder belt pulling up on the car seat, which I'm sure you're talking just the base for an infant seat? Because bigger size seats don't have an issue, look into using a locking clip on the seat belt. They cost a couple bucks and keep the shoulder belt out of the way.

Also very true about the straps. Parents need to stop leaving the straps loose, totally defeats the purpose of putting them in the car seat. The straps should be snug with no slack and at the correct height, rear facing the straps should go in the closet shoulder hole below their shoulders. Forward facing is the shoulder strap hole above their shoulders.

This issue has been coming up quite a bit recently and I don't understand why everyone is so in love and in need of lower anchors. The seat belts are just as safe and not any more difficult. Some of you are making such an issue of something that's really simple. You shouldn't ever retrofit or come up with some make shift mounting points for a car seat. You are turning your kid into a crash test dummy, you have no idea how something will react in a a car accident, while toyota seat belts have been crash tested. You can always contact your local fire department or highway patrol and they are certified to install car seats and will show you how to properly get them nice and tight

 

[Mgyver1]

This issue has been coming up quite a bit recently and I don't understand why everyone is so in love and in need of lower anchors. The seat belts are just as safe and not any more difficult. Some of you are making such an issue of something that's really simple. You shouldn't ever retrofit or come up with some make shift mounting points for a car seat. You are turning your kid into a crash test dummy, you have no idea how something will react in a a car accident, while toyota seat belts have been crash tested. You can always contact your local fire department or highway patrol and they are certified to install car seats and will show you how to properly get them nice and tight

Agreed. While technically LATCH and seatbelt are just as safe according to the textbook, the seatbelt is a stronger and better harnessing option. LATCH typically has a weight limit of 40lbs (some newer Fords go up to 55 lbs I think) but the fact that they have a weight limit shows that it is not as strong.

LATCH was developed as an answer to make it easier to correctly install a car seat, because even though a seatbelt is stronger if it isn't installed correctly then all the strength it possesses is useless. Also remember to properly use the rear tether anchor. And if your vehicle isn't equipped with it (pre '01 T4R) then properly install the appropriate tether anchor.

 

[TheeMikeB]

Agreed. While technically LATCH and seatbelt are just as safe according to the textbook, the seatbelt is a stronger and better harnessing option. LATCH typically has a weight limit of 40lbs (some newer Fords go up to 55 lbs I think) but the fact that they have a weight limit shows that it is not as strong.

LATCH was developed as an answer to make it easier to correctly install a car seat, because even though a seatbelt is stronger if it isn't installed correctly then all the strength it possesses is useless. Also remember to properly use the rear tether anchor. And if your vehicle isn't equipped with it (pre '01 T4R) then properly install the appropriate tether anchor.

That's interesting, I would have figured the LATCH to be a better option. It seems to hold the seat in tighter and moves less when I use the LATCH compared to the shoulder belt.

 

[One Sick Puppy]

That side panel means like side panel of door. The 4runners seat belt is perfectly fine to use. If you are worried about the shoulder belt pulling up on the car seat, which I'm sure you're talking just the base for an infant seat? Because bigger size seats don't have an issue, look into using a locking clip on the seat belt. They cost a couple bucks and keep the shoulder belt out of the way.

I don't know what you mean about side panel of door. From what I can see on my 3rd gen, the seat belt is attached to the side panel.

Do you mean the little "H" locking clip that comes with most car seats? My manual shows that is only for keeping the belt from loosening, a few inches away from the female end of the buckle. I did try that locking clip as you suggested, but I wasn't at all confident that it would stay there in the event of a crash, roll over.

 

[zacattack20]

I don't know what you mean about side panel of door. From what I can see on my 3rd gen, the seat belt is attached to the side panel.

Do you mean the little "H" locking clip that comes with most car seats? My manual shows that is only for keeping the belt from loosening, a few inches away from the female end of the buckle. I did try that locking clip as you suggested, but I wasn't at all confident that it would stay there in the event of a crash, roll over.

Side panel of door as in what not to use as you posted about in the manual. It's saying not to use with seat belts attached to any part of the door. Our trucks are fine as ours are attached to the body on the side panel which a majority of automobiles are.

And yes the "H" locking clip. You would use that instead of pulling your seat belt out all the way and having it ratchet in, that way you wouldn't have the shoulder part pulling up on the car seat. It is intended to just hold the car seat tight in place until there is an accident and then, the same way a seat belt protects you, the seat belt will lock up and hold the car seat in.