QUOTE(Chris914n6 @ Feb 16 2018, 11:29 AM)
It's usually dirt/sweat buildup on the belt. The retraction mechanism is just a coil spring and a gravity lever to lock it on hard stops.
Easiest DIY would be to pull it out, scrub it with a tooth brush and diluted dish soap, rinse it and let it dry. Then it should be back to normal.
Agreed, I've removed my webbing and cleaned it with soap and water soaking. You pull the webbing out to full extension and it is simply looped over itself after passing through a slot in the winder.
My spring retract seemed weak though, so I wound up more spring tension before re-installing the webbing into the slot. Rust on the chrome guides also causes slow retraction, so cleaning and polishing there helps. I would worry about UV deterioration of the webbing as the safety issue....