5 point or 6 point belts?

[A.J. Schreder]

My car will be a track days car, but hopefully will see considerable street time. I'm undecided on whether to get 5 point or 6 point belts. Is one preferable over the other, particularly regarding comfort? I'm definitely doing a camlock design for ease of use. Anything else to look out for? Any recommended brand/setup? I'll also need the belts to be HANS compatible.

A.J.

 

[Eric McClellan]

Almost all belts are HANS compatible. 6pt is overkill. A good set of 3" FIA cert belts will be fine.

 

[Frank Clark]

You really want the special belts that are 2" over the HANS and 3" down the chest. 3" don't fit "in" the belt area on any of the head restraints we have used.

And if you run 2" belts you often need to pre-approve them with tech. Have never had them say no even when the rules clearly say 3" is required - but it's a hassle.

We run 3" belts in the sprint cars, but a crew member is always there to position the belts after the driver is in.

There are special belts with two sets of shoulder belts, one 2" and one 3". Expensive and look overly complicated. Never tried them.

If you go 6pt, I suggest a set with a single buckle point for the crotch belts. We have used those and they are almost as easy as a 5pt setup.

It is generally accepted that a 6pt is better with a layed back seat.

 

[Will Campbell]

If you are going to use a HANS device, get the 2" shoulder belts, or the hybrid type that are 2" where the HANS is, and 3" elsewhere.

I have 6-points in my car, which is entirely a street car. It's just as easy to buckle up (the two bottom points are permanently connected to the cam lock in my setup so no extra conections), and is more comfortable, as well as providing better safety to a key area for most drivers.

I have Schroth belts, which I chose because they had a custom program; mine don't have any manu labels, and they allowed me to specify a setup that was a custom mix-and-match from a couple of their normal setups.

 

[Tony Hunt]

There's a very practical reason to going for the 6-point option.
If you're tall and have to mount the seat near the floor, having a bolt head and seat belt fitting close to your coccyx can be extremely painful in a stiffly sprung car!
The 6-point belt enables the 2 wings of the crutch strap to be set towards the sides of the seat, under a more resilient portion of your anatomy.
I know - I made the mistake!
Tony

 

[Fred/Belgium]

I would reco a 6 point.
You are much more confortable on track in corners and you can use it as 5 point on the road if you preffer.

Rgds
fred

 

[A.J. Schreder]

Thanks for the tip on the Schroth belts Will. I checked out their site and I like the hybrid 6 point that they have. The crotch belts loop around the hip hardware, so they don't meet in the middle. Plus, the shoulder straps are 2". As usual, they're expensive. But where better to sink money than safety? I also like their selection of HANS devices, and the one I like is actually much less expensive than I feared.

A.J.