Those of you who road race....how to fit the 5 point harness to the car.

If you use the stock recaros or an aftermarket race seat how do you bolt in the 5 point harness? I saw a few car with a nice aftermarket bar that ran from one door pillar to the other behind the driver and passenger seat. It looked very solid, improved torsional rigidity, and safety quite a bit.

Do you guys use something like this? Any links would be helpful.

Thanks,

Dan

 

I dont thing you can use this on the road for everyday driving.

 

That is a silly assumption.

I would love to have a roll bar and 5point harnesses on an everyday basis. No matter what, increased torsional rigiditiy as well as increased saftey are desired aspects for a daily driven car.

 

I got 4 point Scroth harnesses myself. No rollbar yet, got them bolted down thru the back seats. DOT legal I hear aswell.

 

One of the things you're really going to have a problem with on a 4-pt / 5-pt is if you don't have a roll cage, and IF you do roll the car you'll end up crushing your head. A helmet will do no good if the roof crushes in and the harness is keeping you full and upright in your seat.
A full racing harness really needs to be installed with a lot of consideration.
As far as the current 3 pt. system goes, many people have put in a 'crotch' strap to keep their hips from moving on track days. Its not 'fashionable' but this seems to be the best compromise avaliable until a roll cage can be installed. I've seen some nice DIY installs from Cusco for the EVO. They literally bolt right in, and for that matter, right out when needed. With padding, the passengers really don't mind them also.

0.02

jcnel.

 

The only way to property use 5pt belts is with a harness bar AND an FIA-approved racing seat.

Just using the 4pt or 5pt belts attached to the rear seatbelt mountintg points and/or stock seats with harness bars and 5-pt belts is dangerous for many reasons, but mainly because stock seats are not designed to use this type of belt.

4-5 pt belts require either a racing seat with seatback brace, or an FIA-approved racing seat without a back brace. In either case, the shoulder belts must attach to either a harness bar (running from b pillar to b pillar at shoulder height) or a roll cage.

All kinds of bad things happen when using stock seats with 4pt belts and harness bars, including the seat back folding in half under the harness bar...with you in it, submarining, slipping out of the belts, etc.

Also note that even though racing belts may be FIA/SFI approved, they may not be DOT approved and are not legal in some states, due to the fact that they have a limited lifetime.

So in a nutshell, the stock belts are safest unless you have a good harness bar for the shoulder belts, and a RACING SEAT!!!

 

and a ROLLCAGE!!!!

having that said.. I have a brand new Schroth 4 point harness that I am willing to sell at discounted rate...

pm me for details.

 

A roll cage/bar is one of the many things on my list. I only use them for autocross which is nearly impossible to roll your car. When I do decide to step up and go roadcourse, the rollcage will definitely be #1 on my list. But for now I'm fine.

 

An EXCELLENT way to keep yourself strapped in and not move around in the cabin while on the ytrack is by using a CG Lock. I have one for both seats...best 90.00 I have spent ont he car.

http://www.cg-lock.com/


Percy Howard

 

thx for the link.. good tip!

 

I was considering the CG lock, but I got the Scroth harnesses for cheaper.

 

I got the CG-locks beacuse I was afraid of having a harness without a rollbar. Witht he CG lock you still have mobility of your uper body int he even of a rollover, and a chance of not having your head and neck taking the brunt of a rollover impact. that was my main concern. I think it is the best way to go ina car without a cage.

Percy

 

This is the combo I want to run. A true aftermarket racing seat like a Sparco Evo and a racing harness bar running from b-pillar to b-pillar.

Does anyone know where to get the b-pillar harness?

Thanks for all the other suggestions and considerations. I have done a decent amount of road racing and basically no one goes out there with just a 3 point stock seat belt. 90% have a basic roll cage and/or harness and 5 point belt with a good racing seat.

 

Sparco makes a b-pillar harness bar. Check the vendor for sale forum--several of the vendors are selling them. I should be getting mine tomorrow or so.

 

Thank you bro. I appreciate the heads up!

I will also be looking for a nice chromemoly lightweight roll cage when they become more mainstream and not so custom. Anyone making a volume production unit at this time?