Seat Belt/Harness

stevepudney

GTiROC CHAIRMAN
Staff member
If anyone has a seatbelt Harness fitted with a bucket seat, unless you have a roll cage in the car, to what have you fitted the shoulder straps to.

The reason I ask is because, as in the picture below, the shoulder straps shouldn't be fixed to the back seat belt points. I have found that, in the states you can get what they call a "harness bar" which fits to the rear suspesion turrets like a strut brace, but I can't find them anywhere in the UK. Sparco actually make a harness bar that bolts to the top 2 front seat belt points and curves round the back of the seat but again I can only find those for sale in the states.

Where or what have you fitted your shoulder straps to if you don't have a cage ??


Steve
 

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pulsarboby

Guest
why cant they be secured to where rear seatbelts would be fitted? with appropiate fixing eyes!
thats where mine are fitted at the mo, but they will be fitted to cage, when i get round to fitting it!
 

stumo

Active Member
cos the angle downwards from the shoulders to the rear mounting is too much, the willans state a max of 20 degrees from horizontal, going to the rear seatbelt mounts is about 47degrees.

I intend to make a "harness bar" when i eventually get round to it.
 

stevepudney

GTiROC CHAIRMAN
Staff member
stumo said:
I intend to make a "harness bar" when i eventually get round to it.
Thats what I'm going to do I think, in fact I might go the whole hog and make my own cage.

See here, as I say harness bars are vailable in the states, heres another

I'll copy one of these I think, anyone else want one ?
 
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Pascal

Guest
Two things....

1. Get a harness bar, and make sure it's well attached. I've seen hack jobs with the bar attached to the damper's top pin in the rear hatch area... those are not made to take lateral loading and would probably shear off if they had to hold the driver back in an accident.

2. Scratch that, and get at the very LEAST a roll hoop with harness bar that bolts to the floor. Better yet once you're there, make it a 4-point rear roll bar. Without a hoop, if you DO roll the car whilst wearing a multipoint harness, your torso would not be able to "fold" forward and out of the way of a caving roof. You don't want your spine to be supporting the weight of the car. I never buckle in unless the car has a roll hoop, if it doesn't I wear the 3-point stocker.
 
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Pascal

Guest
... oh, if you make a jig to fabricate a 4-point roll hoop with integrated harness bar, can please I order one too? :D

Make it so that the harness cross-bar is removeable, that way we can still sit people back there or shove in large items while we're not at the racetrack.
 
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pulsarboby

Guest
2. Scratch that, and get at the very LEAST a roll hoop with harness bar that bolts to the floor. Better yet once you're there, make it a 4-point rear roll bar. Without a hoop, if you DO roll the car whilst wearing a multipoint harness, your torso would not be able to "fold" forward and out of the way of a caving roof. You don't want your spine to be supporting the weight of the car. I never buckle in unless the car has a roll hoop, if it doesn't I wear the 3-point stocker.<quote




good thinking fella:thumbsup: that is very true!
ive never really thought about that before,by not having a rollcage, you could be commiting suicide by wearing a full harness

thats the most usefull piece of info ive heard on this site for a long time, think people should take note of this advice;-)
 

Mr GTiR

New Member
stevepudney said:
I'll make you one bud ;-)
Cheers Steve.

I only plan to have one bucket set and harness.

If i use my rear strut brace for the mouting point, at what angle will this be at?
 

stevepudney

GTiROC CHAIRMAN
Staff member
It's around about the right angle but don't use the rear strut brace, it's nowhere near strong enough.

Untill you have the right support for your harness just stick with the standard 3 point seat belt
 
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stevepudney

GTiROC CHAIRMAN
Staff member
To my mind the 2 best harness makers in the world are Schroth (german) and Willans (uk based). These manufacturers both state near enough the same install methods and specifications.

I wanted to use this thread to find out how other owners had fitted there harnesess and also to make people realise the importance of fitting a harness correctly.

Pascals positive input has made it very useful and instructive. I for one certainly won't be fitting my harness until a roll bar or 4 point cage is fitted.
 

Fast Guy

Moderators
Staff member
http://www.soloperformance.com/Default.aspx?tabid=36

I would assume they wouldn't use the picture above if they specialise in Schroth and Schroth don't recommend it.

I think the main problem with using lower mounting points is that if you imagine the seatbelt where it goes over your shoulders, if that point was free to be moved through an arc down toward the seat pan, when it goes past your chest it will start moving further away from the seat until it arcs back into the bottom of the seat, so in a crash, it will allow you to move forwards through that same arc, (only for part of it obviously) and twat the steering wheel for example.

Rear seat belt mounting points should be OK imho.
 
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pulsarboby

Guest
the only thing i can assume is wrong with using the rear seatbelt anchor points is:
that in a crash, the harness would force the driver in a downward position, and possibly damage your spine, due to the acute angle downwards of the rear straps.

although tbh i cant see whats wrong with using these anchor points either.

but i do strongly agree with pascals comments regarding the rollcage!
i definately will not use harnesses again untill ive fitted my cage in, (its common sense when you think about it)!
 

Jon Olds

Well-Known Member
Racing

Never heard a scrutineer comment on belt angles in 25 years racing, but wouldn't be at all surprised if I hear one next time I'm in the scrutineering queue. Such is life....
 

bracpan

Active Member
I made my own strut brace which also acted as the harness attachments pm me for more details I have just removed it as I fitted a full cage with monts built in.
Phil
 
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