Mounting Harness's

[SlowWhite]

How are you supposed to mount 5-6point harness's?

I know the Shoulder straps go to the harness bar on the roll Cage. But is it Safe to mount the Lap belts to the Stock Locations?

What do you do for the 5th or 6th point?

[Raptor]

I talked to the NHRA tech guys about this since the rulebook isn't very detailed. You can mount the two points in the original lap belt location. There is some info on the submarine belt in the rulebook as far as geometry goes from what I remember. To mount it, sandwich it with heavy "3/16" or so pieces of metal on each side of the floor like washers and use a good through bolt with a nyloc or lock washer. You could probably use a couple of the thick washers that retain the crank timing gear on the front case for our engines. They are certainly more than thick enough.

[520Talon]

If you can use the factory points it is best. Sometimes with plates and washers you can rip the floor open like a tin can. I use a plate and washer stack for my 6 points. There is a new belt design out that uses the lap belt mounts for the submarine as well. This is the design I would go with if you are buying new belts. It takes more of the pressure of the pelvice in a crash.

IIRC you want to use grade 5 bolts to hold it down. Grade 8 have a higher rating for stretch strength, but are far worse when it comes to shear streght.

[Raptor]

To avoid the possibility of the washers ripping through the floor, the bigger the surface area of the metal you use to sandwich it, the less chance that will happen. You are pretty limited with that particular belt though. There are braces that go under the floor there that are in the way of course.

[SlowWhite]

Can someone post pictures of the 5th-6point mounts?

for reference sake I'm buying the sparco racing camlock harness's. and I'm debating on 5 or 6 point. I think more is better but since I've never actually used a 5 point system I don't know what the 5th point feels like.

Sparco Sells a Mounting Plate, along with some Harness bolts.
http://www.sparcousa.com/harness_comp.asp?...e=2&helmetType= (http://www.sparcousa.com/harness_comp.asp?scID=47&page=2&helmetType=)

What do you think about there mounting stuff? Any recommendations?

[520Talon]

There mounting stuff is good. You still need to come up with the ancor point though. A five point goes straight through the sack and a 6 pulls it more twards the sides and spreads it out a little more. I've got sixes mounted if you want to come up and try them out.

[SlowWhite]

If my seats dont' have the slots for the 5th point. Can I just run them over the front of the seat? or what do you do then?

[520Talon]

The real and sucky answer is you shouldn't run them. They are very dangerous if not properly installed.

With your factory three point belts when you get into a forward crash all of your momentum is going forward. As you are moving forward your chest belt sinches down on your lap belt and holds you into place. With harnesses you don't get the sinching. You go forward into your belts. One you hit them you still have more force to burn off and it converts you into sliding under your belts. Just imagine watching the dummies and how when they hit they pivot at the waiste from the lap belt. Harnesses do't do that. I don't know if I illustrated that very well but I hope you get my point. If you mount them around the seat that is too much slack and you will break your pelvis and poss crush the bottom of you spine.

You need an anti-submarine belt and a proper seat if you are going to where harnesses. That is why the four points are only sold for autocross use. Low speeds and no crashing, but the help hold you in for cornering and stopping.

Sorry if this isn't what you wanted to hear, but I have seen the videos and safty seminars. Not pretty. Even worse is what happens to your head when it hits roll bars unprotected. You guys are using the hard padding with the safty rating and not just that cheep spongey stuff right?

[SlowWhite]

Well that's what I wanted to hear - Safety is a big consern of mine especially with the amount of Hp I plan to have along with the type of racing I plan to be doing.

I will be retaining my stock Seat belts for Daily driving use, but I need to have harness's as I will hopefully be doing the AARRF Events next year as well as the 1/4.

I just checked sparco's site I don't see any seats with the whole for the 5th-6th Belt? Maybe it's just the agle of the pictures, but anrate is there something special you have to do to the seat to run a 5th or 6th point? Or can you simply just cut a hole in the seat, or have a 5th point hole installed by the local appolstry shop?

[520Talon]

To be honest I couldn't tell you for sure about cutting a hole through. I would think you could. The seats and belts work as two separate things durrind a crash. The belts keep you from going forward and help hold you in the seat. The seat keeps you safe in rearward and side impacts. I don't believe cutting a hole through the seat could hurt it unless it was a structural part that caused the seat to colapse in an accident.

Sparco seats definately come with the hole. Maybe not some of there reclinable ones, but any with a SFI or FIA safty rating will (should) have a hole. Give them a call and ask to be sure.