Harnesses & Seats

Skilfil · Post by **Skilfil** » Wed Jun 12, 2013 5:09 pm

Just a couple questions, I've been searching on the internet but everyone says something different.

For those that have had experience with it, I'm definitely replacing my stock seats. I'll get neck chopped the way I sit above the headrest if I get rear ended.

Will the standard seatbelt be ok for trackdays with aftermarket seats? Because everything I read condemns 4 point harnesses to hell and back, and yet I don't want a 5 point because I don't want my nuts being sluiced.

They all say the 4 point is bad, because you can hit your head in a roll over, but I'd imagine in an MX5, its not hard to get a seat higher than your head, and you'd want to be firmly in place wouldn't you?

Just wondering what the best option is for me.. I'll have a 1/2 roll bar welded in soon, and I can get a proper harness bar welded in too.

Furai · Post by **Furai** » Wed Jun 12, 2013 5:18 pm

I was trying to find a picture but my Rollbar and seat combo means I physically cant hit my head on the bar.

I have been looking at harnesses but havent looked into the 4 vs 5. My seat doesnt have a hole for the 5 point so I dont know if it would work?

Mad Kiwi · Post by **Mad Kiwi** » Wed Jun 12, 2013 5:40 pm

I am not sure what you mean getting your nuts sluiced off...

A 5 point harness is the minimum safety for most racing. If they "sluiced" off your nuts I cant see that being very safe....? Nor would it be FIA approved

Anyway, I almost daily drive mine with a 6 point through a central hole in the seat (like a 5 point) and also run the same harness with the OEM seat just coming up the front.

It's not ideal but it certainly feels safe and once I am FINALLY plugged in

, quite comfortable and secure.....

Snapfrozen · Post by **Snapfrozen** » Wed Jun 12, 2013 8:52 pm

Agreed. Used to run a 6 point and the bottom 2 points were definately uncomfortable if not adjusted correctly.

The main concern with a 4 point being you can slip down it or that it has vertical movement? Where are your left/right anchors?

Skilfil · Post by **Skilfil** » Wed Jun 12, 2013 8:58 pm

Haven't mounted anything yet, thought about using stock seatbelt anchor points. 4 point would be easier, as most seats don't have the hole in the seat to allow for any extra points.

WideOpenThrottle · Post by **WideOpenThrottle** » Wed Jun 12, 2013 10:43 pm

I have no problems whatsoever with my 5 point harness and I use the OEM seatbelt for the road and is OK...but for the track as far as safety goes? mmmmmmmmmm???

Skilfil · Post by **Skilfil** » Thu Jun 13, 2013 2:35 am

WideOpenThrottle wrote:I have no problems whatsoever with my 5 point harness and I use the OEM seatbelt for the road and is OK...but for the track as far as safety goes? mmmmmmmmmm???

What seat have you got? Also what do you do with the harness when you're not using it? Yeah wanting to find out as much as I can, because I know theres no point skimping on safety.

Ideally I'd like to be able to use the normal seatbelt on the road, and then just use harnesses on the track. But do you have to uninstall them everytime you're not using them?

Or can they be hooked back in someway out of the way for daily driving?

Snapfrozen · Post by **Snapfrozen** » Thu Jun 13, 2013 7:13 am

Saw a friend extend his harness right out and do it up behind the seat, might not be practical in a 5 but worked fine in his car

WideOpenThrottle · Post by **WideOpenThrottle** » Thu Jun 13, 2013 8:04 am

Skilfil wrote:
WideOpenThrottle wrote:I have no problems whatsoever with my 5 point harness and I use the OEM seatbelt for the road and is OK...but for the track as far as safety goes? mmmmmmmmmm???
What seat have you got? Also what do you do with the harness when you're not using it? Yeah wanting to find out as much as I can, because I know theres no point skimping on safety.

Ideally I'd like to be able to use the normal seatbelt on the road, and then just use harnesses on the track. But do you have to uninstall them everytime you're not using them?

Or can they be hooked back in someway out of the way for daily driving?

Its a momo corse' and I leave the harness in all the time....just poke them thru the slots and they are well out of the way.Its easy enough to unhook and remove them as well

broomfish · Post by **broomfish** » Thu Jun 13, 2013 7:17 pm

I got my nuts sluiced on my first experience in the silly seat of an evo 5 rally car. Found out afterwards that it wasnt supposed to be like that and it was the belt over adjusted.
Since used 5 point harnesses many times with comfort.

I used 4 point in my motorkhana carwhich was better over the oem seatbelt and stopped me getting thrown around so much and was fine as it wasnt manz events

MN · Post by MN » Thu Jun 27, 2013 11:12 pm

It takes me about 20 minutes to swap my 5 point for the OEM belts. I hate using the racing belts on the road as I just can't see at any acute corner or even a square corner particularly a left if there is a passenger unless I slacken off the shoulder belts and lean forward. Even worse with the racing seats though. Hence once back from a race meeting I swap them out. My race seats and rails got stolen a couple of years ago so I'm back using the modified stock seats (headrest speakers removed and shoulder belts going through the resulting holes and the seat squab with 25mm removed) but really they are crap as under hard cornering they provide little support and I have to brace myself by pushing into the seat which just goes to show how much the "bucket" part of a racing seat actually works, particularly for the shoulders. And without the side holes present in a racing seat for the lap belts, tightening the shoulder belts just pulls up the lap belts so the buckle is further up your chest hence I have to use the crotch strap (which just come round the front of the seat) to stop that.

As an aside I have a full roll cage when I race and I take out the passenger seat and used to leave the stock passenger belts in but twice scrutineers at different tracks have told me that with a full roll cage I cannot have stock belts in the car and pointed to some rule in the book. I can't quite see the logic as I never race with a passenger and there is no seat anyway but the last time it was even noted in the logbook hmmmmm.

built4speed · Post by **built4speed** » Fri Jun 28, 2013 11:23 am

If the vehicle has a msnz cage it can't have normal seat belts. Every seating position must have a fia or sfi spec belt. Your not allowed to use factory belts even on the road as with factory belts you can move forward in an accident potentially hitting bars with your head.

Normally they make you weld up the factory bolt holes that aren't used with the replacement belts so you can't swap them.

You can effectively be ticked for not wearing your seat belt if you get pulled up with the factory ones.

Skilfil · Post by **Skilfil** » Fri Jun 28, 2013 2:25 pm

Yeah afaik its to do with the movement you have with normal seatbelts, you can smack your head on any bars in front of you.

I think in regards to this whole thread, just bucket seats and normal seatbelts should suffice. Stock seats are comfortable, but thats how I smahed my centre console to bits in my last MX5, too much movement = kneeing the shit out of your car.

I may look at the harness option again once I have a turbo in it as I'll obviously be pushing the car a fair bit faster around the track. Really all I want to be able to do, is scream around a track, then drive it to work the next day and still be safe in both situations.

chris · Post by **chris** » Fri Jun 28, 2013 3:02 pm

I highly recommend a harness.

I run rep brides with stock seatbelts and a 4 point harness.

Driving to work and back , stock seatbelt suffices, going anywhere else, I'll normally wear the harness, it actuall holds you in the seat as opposed to going over you.

SLYDIT · Post by **SLYDIT** » Fri Jun 28, 2013 4:59 pm

everyone considering a seat and harness should read this...very interesting.

http://www.schrothracing.com/sdocs/2009 ... ctions.pdf

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