Seat belt/shoulder harness?

Not interested in using a 5 pt harness - just want a simple that wraps around the roll cage and doesn't need any mounting points welded in or holes stabbed into the seat. What is everybody using?
 
Not interested in using a 5 pt harness - just want a simple that wraps around the roll cage and doesn't need any mounting points welded in or holes stabbed into the seat. What is everybody using?

IMHO:
1) you need shoulder harness's
2) you need a lap belt
3) the 5th point crotch strap - keeps the lap belt situated on the hips so it does not ride up towards your abdomen and cause internal injuries in a crash.

I just don't think this is an area where you should be cutting corners. The shoulder belts wrap on the existing cage (no welding) and the lap belt/crotch strap just needs several holes drilled in the floor pan with proper sized retainer washers/bolts.

Don't be guilty of spending hundreds of dollars on a go-fast engine part and then start scrimping on safety.

I think I saw a post where 3 point "car like" retractable belts were mentioned, but I'd imagine that would entail welding some type of mount point for the upper spring loaded retraction point.
 
Am I misunderstanding regs by thinking that the only street legal harness type belts, at least in Calif, are the Schroth Rallye 3/Auto Control?

Is it different in other states and/or Alex's Great White North?
 
IMHO:
1) you need shoulder harness's
2) you need a lap belt
3) the 5th point crotch strap - keeps the lap belt situated on the hips so it does not ride up towards your abdomen and cause internal injuries in a crash.

I just don't think this is an area where you should be cutting corners. The shoulder belts wrap on the existing cage (no welding) and the lap belt/crotch strap just needs several holes drilled in the floor pan with proper sized retainer washers/bolts.

Don't be guilty of spending hundreds of dollars on a go-fast engine part and then start scrimping on safety.

I think I saw a post where 3 point "car like" retractable belts were mentioned, but I'd imagine that would entail welding some type of mount point for the upper spring loaded retraction point.

Any suggestions (links) as to what would be a good setup (shoulder harness/lap belt) that would work well with the SLC's setup? I was looking at all the hardware at Summit and gave up because there's no much and I have no idea what will/won't work in the SLC's setup, and I'm trying to avoid my usual trick - buying things 3x before i Get the right item.

Am I misunderstanding regs by thinking that the only street legal harness type belts, at least in Calif, are the Schroth Rallye 3/Auto Control?

Is it different in other states and/or Alex's Great White North?

I just use a lap belt in my cobra. Dangerous, yes, but meh, whatever, lol
 
I agree with Mike- don't skimp on belts.

My opinion is that these cars need 5-6 point race harnesses, as the seatback angle is too steep for most people using just a regular 3-point. Unless you are using proper race harnesses, or have a very upright seatback, you will likely submarine right under the steering wheel in a hard frontal hit with a regular 3-point (racing or street) harness.

Why not just get a race seat, and install race belts as they are designed? Or modify the stock seat as you need to for race harnesses?

Don't install race harnesses on a seat not designed for them, or fail to make the modifications required to install race harnesses, if you choose to use them.

IMO. :)
 
I agree with Mike- don't skimp on belts.

My opinion is that these cars need 5-6 point race harnesses, as the seatback angle is too steep for most people using just a regular 3-point. Unless you are using proper race harnesses, or have a very upright seatback, you will likely submarine right under the steering wheel in a hard frontal hit with a regular 3-point (racing or street) harness.

Why not just get a race seat, and install race belts as they are designed? Or modify the stock seat as you need to for race harnesses?

Don't install race harnesses on a seat not designed for them, or fail to make the modifications required to install race harnesses, if you choose to use them.

IMO. :)

My seat is fairly upright - i'm 5'7 and my head is about 3 finger widths from the roll cage. I initially had the seat laid back, but was like 'oh hell no', lol, too scared to drive in traffic like that, looking at the sky. So yea, mine is pretty upright....most of you guys probably wouldn't like it, but it gives me a hair more confidence on the road when I'm the lowest thing there, lol.

I'm not too concerned about safety - don't know the typical vehicle where you guys live, but here it's F150s and the like ... if you get t-boned at 40mph, or hit one at 40mph, i'm convinced you'll be dead, or wish you were dead.

Then there's also the 'problem' that i have a through-bolted manual shaft ... aka, a spear pointing right at my chest, lol. Right now it's was a worthwhile trade - safety for a crap load of room underneath the footbox - hopefully i don't regret it :D
 
I have a 4 point harness in my hot rod, and I use them religiously. The only problem is that they make it difficult to turn your torso enough to see if there are any cars in my left blindspot on the freeway.

I'd like to stay with a 4 or 5 point harness in my SLC, but would like the shoulder straps to have a retractable / inertia locking mechanisms.

Has anyone ever heard of such a thing?
 
I have a 4 point harness in my hot rod, and I use them religiously. The only problem is that they make it difficult to turn your torso enough to see if there are any cars in my left blindspot on the freeway.

I'd like to stay with a 4 or 5 point harness in my SLC, but would like the shoulder straps to have a retractable / inertia locking mechanisms.

Has anyone ever heard of such a thing?

Yep there is such a thing. SCHROTH RACING > Professional Racing Harnesses
 
OK how about a real simple simple... Cheap Cheap Cheap alternative....

Alexis wanders his lonely self down to calgary pick N pull and finds a suitable doner 3pt belt of the right color, with a suitable mounting recepticle.

That gives him a conventional seat belt. Then he can then modify. If he wants to use the recoil motor he does, if not he cuts it off the recoil motor and then welds on a basic swiveling loop mount. Then for adjustabilty you use a slider.

Something like this but you could find something prettier.
http://image.made-in-china.com/2f0j00AelEzigMfsoC/Three-Point-Safety-Seat-Belt-HA301-93-.jpg
 

Ian Anderson

Lifetime Supporter
Please excuse the ignorance but how can wrapping a belt around a roll bar be an acceptable way to fit a seatbelt?

If your car slides sideways into a barrier or is sideswiped the belt will slide sideways on the roll cage and allow your body to move sideways.

Surely a firm fixed mount (perhaps on said roll cage) with a suitable bolt or ring comment or system is the way to go.

Of course there may be something that stops the belts slide on the roll age bit not that ihave seen!

Ian
 
I don't know if i would even trust them. I know a few people that have bought belts like that off ebay. They go and do a simple auto cross. As soon as tech sees the belt there told to change it or don't race. All those belts are really. Is just some ratchet strapping with some attachments on it.
 
Please excuse the ignorance but how can wrapping a belt around a roll bar be an acceptable way to fit a seatbelt?

If your car slides sideways into a barrier or is sideswiped the belt will slide sideways on the roll cage and allow your body to move sideways.

Surely a firm fixed mount (perhaps on said roll cage) with a suitable bolt or ring comment or system is the way to go.

Of course there may be something that stops the belts slide on the roll age bit not that ihave seen!

Ian

I was basically planning on doing this type of setup. I have some belts from an MR2 I gutted to make a race car. I also just installed as similar set in my MR2mini combo. The lock and feeder sits low and can be done with 1 bolt and work good. I just had to weld the tabs to the roll cage up high for the shoulder and down low for the lap belt. I would think we could do the same in the SLC, but I have not gotten that far in my build process yet. I got the cipher and street seats for my slc so I want to keep it as a street car, but also safe if anything happens.

I do like that stroth option, costly though.

I also plan on leaving mounts and places for a 5 point cam lock harness for track days.
 
If you want cheap and street legal, search 4 point harness on ebay and you'll find pairs for less than $50 total.

For example:

2 x New 4 Point Black JDM Racing Seat Belts Harness Universal Black No Logo | eBay

Not concerned about cheap or street legal. I just want something that will fit. I initially said not 4 or 5pt because I don't want to weld onto the roll bar (the few pics I've seen of belts seem to have points welded onto the roll bar). Obviously I don't care about drilling a hole in the floor for a mounting point, hah.

All I'm looking for is somebody to say this is what I used <link>; it didn't need welding; this is how it installed (e.g., wrapped around roll cage, attach mount to floor).

I have a 4 point harness in my hot rod, and I use them religiously. The only problem is that they make it difficult to turn your torso enough to see if there are any cars in my left blindspot on the freeway.

That's another concern of mine - even with the convex mirrors Allen found, it's still nice to be able to pivot your torso in traffic to make sure nobody is hiding in your blindspot.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top