Racing Harness without a cage?

[Adam Connell]

Hello,
Well, I have made up my mind that I do not want a cage... I do not want to lose my back seat. I would hoever like to have either 4 or 5 point racing harnesses for the front two seats. This is mostly for looks, but since I wont have a bar behind the seats to run the belts to, where would I mount the shoulder belts? Im not going to run them to the floor because that is a good way to get a few inches shorter in a crash, and I want these to be fully functional. So do you think I could run them to the back seat and just use the shoulder belts when no one is in the back seat? Im going to install racing seats and the ones I like have holes for shoulder belts, and Im pretty set on having belts to go with the seats.

Also, this may be way out of the question, but can the shoulder belts be mounted the the back of the seat safely?

Please point me in the right direction guys!

 

[turbodave231]

I've seen SCCA solo racers do this with 5 point harnesses, but I don't know how safe that would be. That is alot of webbing and without a short, distance from the anchor point to your shoulders, I would be concerned about the restraint performance on a side impact.

I personally wouldn't do it. Perhaps others who have done this or considered it can chime in.

Dave

 

[fuzzyGN]

I had done this in my Camaro many years ago. I took out the bottom cushions of the back seats and attached the harnesses with huge fender washers to the sheet metal. I positioned the belts such that I could put the rear seat bottoms back in and still use the shoulder harness. Worked well. The thing you have to watch for is the belt angle. Too steep of an angle and, like you said, the belts will squash you into the seat in the case of a crash. That is not good. Admittedly I think mine were a little too steep but I never crashed either Like anything, it all depends on what you are willing to live with.

 

[Adam Connell]

Hmmmmmm I had not thought about an under the cushion set up... Possibly inbetween the back cushion and butt cushion... Most harnesses can be used with lap belts only so when I have someone in the back I can just tuck the shoulders away. I try not to drive like a mad man when I have more than one person in the car anyways....

 

[TURBOV6]

I have a 5-point harness without a cage.

There is a Y that you can purchase so you can bolt the belt on one location for the shoulder belt. I can show you a pic on the seat belts.

 

[TURBOV6]

Pic

 

[TURBOV6]

2nd pic

 

[Adam Connell]

YES! Thats exactly what I want. How much are we talking and is there a specific kit? Im guessing those are simpson belts. How hard was the install? I will do just about anything other than welding.

 

[TURBOV6]

YES! Thats exactly what I want. How much are we talking and is there a specific kit? Im guessing those are simpson belts. How hard was the install? I will do just about anything other than welding.

http://www.simpsonraceproducts.com/products/product_detail.aspx?cat_id=196&prod_id=2285

You will also need the floor mount kit from them. No welding easy to do.

I don't need my harness anymore so I might on planning on selling it.

 

[TURBOV6]

Pic of floor mount kit

 

[Adam Connell]

Cool thanks!

 

[fuzzyGN]

Yep, same deal I had in the Camaro. Pretty easy to install too.

 

[Steve]

My local track required me to install a 5 point harness in a T-Type I had a few years back(small track, let me off on the roll bar but required the harness) and I mounted it like the pics shown. One thing to keep in mind is that a hraness is made to go to the roll bar or other type of mounting that is ~shoulder level and not waiste level. If you ever were in a serious crash with that set up and the force pulls you forward the shoulder straps are going to put a tremdous amount of force down which may injury you more by compressing your spine. If you think about it factory seat belts and the way aftermarket set ups are designed the shoulder straps always mount in the area of the shoiulders or above them to keep this from happening. Something to think about.

 

[Adam Connell]

Steve,
Ya I know... I just really do not want to lose my back seat to a roll bar. Im still trying to decide what to do.

 

[Steve]

My car is going into the chassis shop in 2 weeks for a 6 point and the back seat will be completley useable. My rear bars are going to go right along the headliner to the back glass then down thru the package tray and into the trunk. You still have to go under the cross bar in the main hoop but once you are in the back seat the roll bar wont affect the area at all. I have had a couple of cars with roll bars done like this and my daughters don't have any problems getting back there at all. If you would like I could get some pics once its installed.

 

[Adam Connell]

Steve,
Please send me pics of it all done! The more I own this car though the more I dont like the idea of more than 2 people riding in it though. When I break into the 11s I might start thinking about a cage again... until then I dont know what Im going to do for belts...

 

[TURBOGTA1]

My car is going into the chassis shop in 2 weeks for a 6 point and the back seat will be completley useable. My rear bars are going to go right along the headliner to the back glass then down thru the package tray and into the trunk. You still have to go under the cross bar in the main hoop but once you are in the back seat the roll bar wont affect the area at all. I have had a couple of cars with roll bars done like this and my daughters don't have any problems getting back there at all. If you would like I could get some pics once its installed.

Roughly how much is the cage costing you installed!!!!