Safe seat mounting

Ross Nicol · 03-12-08, 12:00 AM

After reading elsewhere on this forum that seat mounting was appropriate using bolts through the Aluminium floor, I have decided to post this photo of my RF with bare interior.The photo shows the steel straps across the aluminium floor and these straps are drilled to take the seat mounts.The straps are welded to the chassis at each end.I also have the lower seat belt eyelets mounted to these straps.My opinion is that seat mounts and belts attatched to an aluminium floor would not be safe.

Ross

Malcolm · 03-12-08, 05:53 AM

Ross, like your RF the GTD has steel straps across the floor through which the crutch strap and seat bolts fix. The other belt eyelets be they for inertia reel belts or harnesses all are fixed to steel chassis rails. Of course there is the position some take that the seat is held in as much as the driver by the seat belts so as long as the seat belt fixings are 100% the seat mounting is irrelevant! Evidence to back this up is that a lot of formula race cars have moulded seats that just sit in the chassis to pad the drivers bum and back. I would guess this position is only valid for race harnesses and not inertia lap belts. However you don't want your seat to move too much, if at all, when driving.....

Gregg · 03-12-08, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Malcolm

Of course there is the position some take that the seat is held in as much as the driver by the seat belts so as long as the seat belt fixings are 100% the seat mounting is irrelevant! Evidence to back this up is that a lot of formula race cars have moulded seats that just sit in the chassis to pad the drivers bum and back.

My thoughts on the evidence is that formula race cars are: 1) single seaters; and 2) have very tight cockpits. What is the possibility of the driver of the formula race car being bounced into the adjoining area (passenger side). None as it doesn't exist. Just my two cents.

Ross Nicol · 03-12-08, 10:52 AM

There was a bad accident at the recent Clipsal 500 race meeting in Adelaide where a v8 driver sustained fatal injuries. It is reported the seat mountings were all broken.I don't know how significant this may have been in this particular case, but he hit a concrete wall hard on the non drivers side of the car and no doubt that impact broke the seat mounts. It is possible after the seat mounts went he could have been thrown against the roll cage or impacted some other object. Sobering situation, and you can guarantee seat mounting in race cars will be a much looked at area in Australia from this point on. It was after Denny Hulme had a heart attack while driving at Bathurst that we all got subjected to ECG tests and stress tests.
Ross

Rich A · 03-12-08, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Of course there is the position some take that the seat is held in as much as the driver by the seat belts so as long as the seat belt fixings are 100% the seat mounting is irrelevant!

I would agree with this statement Only if they are talking about a GT40, Cobra or some other vehicle that does not have a back seat area and if the seat belts are mounted to the steel part of the chassis.

I have seen production vehicle after 5 years or so of snow season have fatigue (tears) to the floor board where the seat bolts down.

Inspections of the floor board and common sense of mounting the seat is the only safety.

Malcolm · 03-12-08, 12:11 PM

There can be no question that the better everything is done, the safer you are. Each person has to decide how far to take it. Who wears a Hans Device? A minimum base line is drawn for us if you compete, otherwise it is your own choice/conscience.

Bobski · 03-13-08, 06:55 AM

The seats in my RF are mounted using 8 x M10 high tensile bolts on each seat (4 at the back and 4 at the front of each seat). Each bolt goes through the alloy floor and also the steel strap which Ross pointed out. Pain in the back putting the seats in and out of the car, but what price do you put on your safety. Each seat also gets a 6 point Sabelt harness which is secured to steel plates and the shoulder straps are secured to the six point roll cage.

Just a thought

The New Roaring Forties · 03-13-08, 07:07 AM

I also heard the same info Ross, re Ashley Coopers seat mounts, there were several other incidents at the same bend in similar cars (Dunbrell and others), arguably looked similar on TV but the drivers walked away.

Clayton · 03-13-08, 10:38 AM

I also wanted a bit more protection from items coming through the floor. With the extra cross member (blue tube) and plates, the seats don’t move at all now and that’s without the 3mm floor.
The cross member is just under the front of the seats and doesn’t interfere with your feet getting in or out.
Call me paranoid