looknow12

One of the problems with Rear Facing Convertible seats is that the seat is so upright the baby, typically 6-12 months (experts say it is better to keep kids in this position for as long as possible), cannot sleep because they are not reclined enough.

The rear facing seat typically is installed using the latch method. These latches snap into hooks where the seat back meets the seat bottom of the vehicle. Main problem is pulling these straps really tight tends to move the back of the car seat more and more upright.

Additionally the Britax car seats also offer a tether strap. This tether is typically used in forward facing installs where the straps go over the vehicle seat and strap in at the bottom.

For Rear Facing installs, there are two methods. The Australian method is where the tethers go from the baby seat back over the seat to the same location as in forward facing installs. There are two drawbacks. First the straps get in the way of putting the baby in the seat since they hang right over the car seat. Second, this would pull the seat more upright again.

The Swedish Method is what we just discovered. The trouble is, the GX470 doesn't have hooks on the floor board behind the passenger side seat. We overcame this:

looknow12

Remove the tether strap from the baby seat on one side.

To do this, pull the cover off as well as the styrofoam. Be careful not to damage the seat in doing so. It is designed to popup off. Pull the tether bracket through, twist it and feed it back through the hole in the plastic chassis of the car seat.

looknow12

Let out all of the strap from the buckle and pull the strap (keeping it flat) through the two legs of the passenger seat frame. You will need to remove the plastic boots that cover the seat bolts.

(You could see this pic was taken at the end, so it was already taught)

looknow12

Fish the strap back through the car seat and be certain the metal anchor end is securely set into position as shown in the picture.

looknow12

Not shown is the buckle for the tether. Tighten the strap by pulling down parallel to the other strap until tight. Pull down on the seat at the same time while doing this. After this is tight, take the strap end and tie it so that if the buckle loosens, the make shift knot will hold it.

looknow12

Reassemble styrofoam and seat cover.

looknow12

There is a small strap with a loop at one end and a metal plate with a hole at the other. I took it, wrapped the loop end around one of the legs returning to the passenger seat frame, passed it through its own loop and then used the metal hook catch already on the other leg and hooked it to the plate with the hole. I thought this might keep the legs a little more taught and also keep items from falling in between the strap legs. See image

looknow12

The plastic boots that fit over the seat bolts of the passenger seat frame won't go back on tightly any more. I did the best I could to simply squeeze them into place so they would stay. It is probably the best idea to leave them some where safe and reinstall them when you are done with the seat.

ahc21ahc

This doesn't seem right to me. Why do you need to mess with the connection of the tether to the car seat? I've always tied down the tether at one point, not two. Here's some videos I found - they do it the same way I do it (Installing a Britax Tether Connector Strap (D-Ring) (1.32 MB))

http://www.carseatsite.com/videos.ht...20with%20LATCH

looknow12

I see from the video what you mean.

Firstly, removing the tether out of the car seat is the same procedure if you ever need to reconfigure the LATCH straps. There are instructions for doing the same. It is also the same procedure if when you need to put the baby harness straps into a higher position.

The end plate simply sits in position. To release it you feed the strap from the opposite end and the plate can be fed back through.

Here's why I don't prefer the video method:
It offers only one pivot point to the floor. This pivot point is not necessarily in alignment with the back of the baby seat so when you pull the tether tight, you are tweaking the baby seat off to the side.

My method not only doesn't pull the baby seat in any direction when the tethers are tightened, it also keeps the seat straight in any type of side collision. The Australian Tether method was originally designed to protect against such side impact accidents. My method fulfills the prophecy :-)

The other reason I don't prefer it is because you are relying on one side of the seat frame. It is probably enough support, but two sides are better than one :-)

Look...each method will work. My method will take a couple of minutes more, but isn't our kids worth the extra time?

SilverLady

Interesting, but I would be concerned about what happens during impact. That is what the carseat is really all about - to protect the child.

Under extreme impact, could the tether tighten and hurt the baby, or perhaps come out and loosen? What looks good while standing still does not always work well under a lot of force.

GS3Tek

iTrader: (8)

I was going to respond to your other thread, but I'll do it here.
Not sure if I overlook your question, but the baby head support will help the baby's head from flopping to the sides when he/she sleeps.

Now for those front attachments, if the straps are long enough, you can reroute them under the seat and clip them into GX metal clips on each side of the seat.
Lift up the leather by the seat belt and seat clip-there are metal clips on each side. I'll try to take pictures later.

The seatbelt helps keep the baby seat planted, but without the front support, the baby seat moves side to side.
Under the front of the seat, there's a metal bar that you tie the straps down rather than this method.

Edit: I would move the rear facing seat in the middle of the GX-maximum protection...even if it's tight, I would try to make both of the seats fit, especially for the rear facing one.


http://www.target.com/gp/search.html...t_adv_XSGT0553