Q: How to Safely Service and Repair a Front Outboard Seat Belt in a Standard Cab on 2006 Dodge Ram 2500?
A: In order to service the front outboard seat belt and retractor in the standard cab models, the supplemental restraint system has to be disabled by disconnecting the battery negative terminal and await two minutes as the capacitor slowly discharges. Examine all seat belts, buckles, mounting hardware, retractors, tether straps, and anchors, to ensure correct installation and straight, undamaged belts with intact components new and remove those with cuts, frayed or, torn belts. The seat belt and retractor unit only has one replaceable component which is the plastic web stop button. To replace a defective seat belt and retractor unit, adjust the front seat as far forward as it can travel, delete stowage tray, unclip lower anchor cover and unscrew the securing screw of the lower anchor. Un-snap the trim cover of the seat belt turning loop too, then undo the screw on the turning loop at the height adjuster as well as remove the upper and lower trims of the B-pillar. Unplug the blue body wire harness connector on the seatbelt tensioner initiator and the white seat belt tension reducer connector that is on the driver side. Unplug the clips that hold the belt web guide, unscrew the upper and lower retractor bracket screws and strip the seat belt and retractor as one unit. Installation Place the new unit in B-pillar, partially fasten lower retractor bracket screw, fasten upper bracket screw to 12 N.m (105 in. lbs.) and lower bracket to 39 N.m (29 ft. lbs.). Install the belt web guide, re-plug the yellow and white body wire harness connectors, re-fit the lower and upper trims, and locate the seat belt turning loop over the height adjuster, and good the screw to 39 N.m (29 ft. lbs.). Fix a trim cover to cover up the turning loop with a new one, make sure the seat belt webbing is not in a twisted state, attach the lower anchor with the seat using a screw that has a tightness level of 39 N.m (29 ft. lbs.), and a cover to the lower anchor and a stowage tray. Another thing to forget to do is to reconnect the negative cable of the battery until the supplemental restraint system verification test has been conducted.