How to Replace Jeep Cherokee Seat Belts
by Dustin ThorntonIf the seat belt in your Jeep Cherokee stops working properly or becomes damaged, you can remove the old seat belt and replace it. Working seat belts are necessary for continued safety and are a legal necessity in most states. Unlike replacing other vehicle parts that require standard-sized screwdrivers or wrenches, the seat belt bolts in the Cherokee use a special hexalobular internal driving feature, commonly called a star screw. The seat belt assembly has an electrical connector and three specific bolts you must remove before you can replace it. You can purchase star screwdriver bits at your local hardware store.
Step 1
Park the Jeep Cherokee, and turn off the engine.
Step 2
Slide the seat forward as far as possible either using the lever on the bottom of the seat (manual seats) or by pressing the seat adjustment button (automatic adjusting seats).
Step 3
Locate the plastic anchor bolt cover at the bottom of the seat belt connected to the floorboard. Pull the plastic cover directly off to disengage the clips and remove it. The anchor bolt along with an electrical connector is beneath the cover.
Step 4
Depress the clips on the electrical connector to unplug it.
Step 5
Remove the anchor bolt using a star screwdriver.
Step 6
Remove the upper mounting bolt that secures the top portion of the seat belt (tuning loop bracket) to the top of the door frame near the shoulder area using a star screwdriver.
Step 7
Remove the inner scuff plate using a flat-head screwdriver. The inner scuff plate is a plastic panel along the side of the door frame below the upper mounting bolt that the seat belt retracts into. Insert the screwdriver between the scuff plate the door panel, and pry until you can remove it. The lower mounting bolt is beneath the scuff plate.
Step 8
Remove the lower mounting bolt using a star screwdriver. Remove the seat belt assembly.
Step 9
Install a new seat belt assembly, following the removal instructions in reverse. Tighten the star screws to 30 foot-pounds using a torque wrench, ratcheting screwdriver bit adapter and star screwdriver bit.
References
- "Jeep Cherokee Haynes Repair Manual, 1984 thru 2001;" John Haynes; 2002
- Auto Media: Seat Belt Replacement
Things You'll Need
- Star screwdriver set
- Flat-head screwdriver
- Replacement seat belt assembly
- Torque wrench
- Ratcheting screwdriver bit adapter
Writer Bio
Dustin Thornton has been writing since 2003. He has served as a newspaper columnist for the "Troy Tropolitan" and a contributor to various websites. Thornton received a partial scholarship for an outstanding essay in 2003. He has a Bachelor of Science in business administration from Troy University.
