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Seat Belts and Harnesses


BLKMGK

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Guest scca

M&R is made in NJ, been around a long time- just dont advertise much outside of 'redneck" ie circle traCk :D

 

IMO they are nicer than RJS -

 

simpson are good but pricey, i looked into LEAF as well but far too pricey. M&R was more reasonable and i liked the color selection...

 

they also have tiedowns and i wanted those as well. and window nets etc....

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Guys, I have Corbeau A4 seats, and with mine in a comfortable position, the seat belt bar is about 3/4" behind the back of the seat back, but right in the middle, heightwise with the holes in the seat back.

 

Is 3/4" of room between the seatback and the bar enough to us wrap-around shoulder belts, or is more needed? I'm thinking about Mike's M&R belts.

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Yes, that should be enough room. You'll have to run the metal clip in front of the seat back holes so the wrap will be critical to keep the clip from hitting or laying on your shoulders (a comfort issue).

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Originally posted by johnc:

Yes, that should be enough room. You'll have to run the metal clip in front of the seat back holes so the wrap will be critical to keep the clip from hitting or laying on your shoulders (a comfort issue).

Hmm. That's what I was afraid of. I thing the metal clip will be hitting me in the back/top of the shoulders. I guess I could weld some plates onto the rollbar to put an eyebolt in.
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Guest Anonymous

Pete, I think John was refering to the metal adjustment-thing-you-tighten-the-harness-with bar (the thing with two slots in it). When you mount the harness, use a similar a-t-y-t-t-h-w bar to tighten it around the bar. Actually, closer is better since straps stretch, what, 20% of their length?

 

Is this a NO-NO. What if you cut a slot in the stock datsun seats? I haven't ever taken the cover off one so I don't know what the structure looks like, but is that a possibility? Maybe add reinforcement in the right places?

 

Jon

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Guest Anonymous

Thanks Tim. My wife thanks you too. She hates the race seat and for some dumb reason SCCA rules say you can remove the passenger seat, but you can't replace it??? What's up with that? I just wanna make sure I dont break her neck in a crash. So without altering the pivot points (reclining) and reinforcing the back (ala Kirkey seats) it should be cool I think.

 

Jon

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Jumbo,

Why not put a racing seat in the pass. side, then just pull it out when you race? I think it will look like you were too cheap to buy two seats, and the racing seat will be safer, and IMO more comfortable.

Tim

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Damn Jumbo, you're a brave man!!! If your wife reads this you're toast Dude! malebitchslap.gif

 

BTW, my wife found the Corbeau Clubmans very comfy, and well.....nah, I can't say it...I'm not that brave!!

Tim

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Jeromio,

 

Seat back #2 will still allow the shoulder straps to pop off your shoulders and the seatback. There's nothing to keep the shoulder straps from moving outward.

 

In a frontal collision your collar bone and rib cage flex allowing your shoulders to move back. That allows the shoulder harnesses to slide off your collar bone. You need some kind of physical restraint to keep the shoulder harnesses in place.

 

In the past, Sternum (in front of the chest) and H (behind the shoulders) straps were used to keep the shoulder straps on the shoulders. In the 1990s when F1, CART, SCCA, and other sanctioning bodies started taking safety research seriously they found problems with both straps. Sternum straps wouldn't let the rib cage flew thus causing heart bruising in hard hits. H straps didn't let the collar bone flex causing broken collar bones (both sides) and scapulas.

 

Racing harnesses have to work in conjunction with a racing seat. Installation is critical (as we learned from Dale's wreck) and the seat and harness manufacturer's instructions must be followed to the letter. Unless you're willing to install a racing seat you're better off (from a safety standpoint) using the stock 3 point harness.

 

BTW... the Scroth DOT approved belts are different than most others because they have a special part added in the right shoulder harness. It is designed to "give" a couple inches in an impact allowing your right shoulder to move forward more than your left. I don't know all the reasons why this works, but it keeps you from submarining under the lap belt and, I THINK, it also allows you to run these belts without a racing seat. I could be very mistaken about that last part so check with Schroth.

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Pete,

 

The metal thingys I was referring to are the clips that the belt gets wrapped through when looping the belts around the harness/roll bar. They cannot butt up against the back of the seat. In an impact they will probably damage the seat and punch through giving the driver a couple inches of slack before the belts tighten up again. That can't be good.

 

If you're going to weld an eye bolt on the roll bar somehwere, make sure you can shorten your shoulder harnesses enough. Also, try to mount the eye bolt so it works in tension instead of shear and spread the load out across the bar. Remember, the should harness spreads the load over 2 to 3" of the bar.

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Isn't there something about how the belts are mounted behind the seat? Like if the straps are too vertical, in a crash your spine will compress and it will really really hurt?

 

I am currently using the triangle belt-buckle like things on the ends of the belts which wrar around the horizontal rollcage bar behind the seats.

 

Oh, I need some quality eyebolts that'll fit the Datsun. Where to buy???

 

Owen

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Guest Anonymous

John, the shoulder mount should be 1-2" below shoulder height also, right? Owen, the lap belt position is important too. Check the specs that come with the seat. Probably like me, you want to move the lap belt mounts forward from stock. Reinforce the mounting pads and all that...

 

Jon

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Per the latest issue of Circle Track magazine...

 

Shoulder belts should be mounted so that the angle from the top of the driver's shoulder to the mounting point is no lower than 5 degrees or higher than 30 degrees. Lap belts should be mounted so, when fastened and tightened down along the driver's pelvic bones, they have an angle from 45 to 55 degrees up from the mounting points.

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