THE ANSWER TO: What the @*&! is it?

[MaximI]

This is the information that I found out about a past thread that I posted. I thought that it was important enough to post it seperately so everyone can benefit.

The past thread that I'm referring to was the one titled: What the @*&! is it?. It was a question about the material that the seatback of a vehicle was made of. Here's the details:

The vehicle: 2005, GMC Sierra Z71 Offroad, 4-door pick-up truck
The Problem: Could not cut the seatback off with Hurst Extractor
Cutters.
The Reason: Seatback frame is manufactured out of TITANIUM tubing.
This seatback structure is the only thing that is keeping the passenger safe due to the fact that there are no "B" posts. The seatbelt assembly is mounted directly into the seat frame. I was informed that the frames with the seatbelt assemblies mounted in the seat frame, with no "B" post, are more than likely to be a high strength alloy steel or titanium. This closely follows the seat structure & design of most professional race cars. Makes sense to me! How about you? Any thoughts?

[CrabtreeW]

Thanks for the information. Very useful considering the increasing number of these type vehicles on the road. Do you know if this is the case with all Chevy and GMC seat-mounted seatbelt assemblies or just vechiles without a B-post? (i.e. Tahoes and Suburbans or just Silverados and Sierras?) Also, I'm interested to know if you feel a reciprocating saw would have worked any better?

[firedog7]

Do you guys think the Genisis 270 would have been able to cut it?

[firenresq77]

Thanks for the info, Maxim........

[MetalMedic]

Good ol' Titanium... we have two manufactuers of the stuff near here in Wooster, Ohio... I would not be surprised of they made the part. One of the companies has been generous enough to give our Fire Association samples of such parts so that we can help teach members to recognize it. Hydraulics will definately have trouble with it. The Titanium company owner suggested using reciprocating saws as the first tool to attack such components. The second option is to find the ends and address what is holding the Titanium on place.

The other common place you will find Titanium is where it is being used as support materials within door assemblies. If you are doing a spread and meet great resistance horizontally, it is possible you are working against the stuff. If you try to cut it and it don't budge, you know what you are up against.

Thanks for the follow-up! I'll be sure to pass the info along when I am doing extrication training sessions!

[RyanEMVFD]

There's an extrication school coming up on March 12th that I'll be instructing at, I'll pass this info onto the students as well.

[rescuemaster]

I'm really suprised to hear it is titanium. You don't see that stuff used very much, especially in vehicles due to expense. I have seen more and more High strength low alloy ( HSLA) steel used on the posts and boron steel in the intrusion bars and dash supports. If it was titanium, I'm not sure any hydraulic cutter out there would work.

[firedog7]

I wonder what they use to cut or shear titanium or high strength steel at the factories where they manufacture the stuff?

[emtbff927]

There's an extrication school coming up on March 12th that I'll be instructing at, I'll pass this info onto the students as well.

Will you be instructing at Chalk Bluff? I hear it's great training. I hope to attend this year and learn new skills.

[RyanEMVFD]

That's the class. I'll either be assisting or instructing one of the basic groups. Great class, I always have fun teaching this class.