Q: How Can Seat Belt Use Ensure Safety During Child Restraint Anchor Service on 2009 Dodge Ram 1500?
A: Before performing a seat belt or child restraint anchor service, verify each seat belt, buckle, mounting piece, retractor, tether strap and anchor for correct installation, proper operation or damage; replaced any cut, frayed or torn belts, straightened twisted straps, tightened loose fasteners and swapped out any damaged buckles, retractors, latch plates or anchor plates. Child restraint anchors distorted or damaged must likewise be replaced and under no circumstance should any seat belt or child restraint component be repaired; always rely on genuine replacement parts acquired from the Chrysler Mopar Parts Catalog. Vehicles equipped with a split bench upfront seat carry a permanent, left-side, seat belt buckle in the front center seat section, while standard cab models have a distinctive, black-keyed, fixed-position lower anchor buckle mounted to the right ahead of that same seat section. On quad cab and crew cab models, there is a fixed-position front center seat lap belt mounted on the right side of the front center seat section. While installing, feed the front center seat belt buckle, lap belt or anchor buckle unit through the elastic strap on the side of the center seat cushion. Extend the lower anchor downward by reaching the side of the center seat cushion until it contacts the adjacent front outboard seat cushion, making certain the belt webbing remains straight. Align the lower anchor with the center seat support bracket, inserting its anti-rotation tab into the matching hole and secure the screw that fastens the anchor to the bracket to a torque of 39 Nm (29 ft. lbs.). For standard cab vehicles, if factory-installed, put the stowage tray back onto the rear floor panel behind the seat.