Race seats for track use

[siren676]

Just starting this tread to continue on from the discussion in the what did you do to your car thread.

I have got an email back from a guy at Auckland car club and he says that I'm allowed to run my shoulder straps crossed over.

He's emailed the scruiteneer(sp?) for the series and is seeing what his opinion is on my seats.

[Mr Revhead]

Maybe they are designed to work length ways. As in the are strongest that way. Crossing them over adds side loading to them in a crash and may weaken them.
That is what I thought of when I heard of the no crossing rule from MSNZ

[AE86less]

Starlet speeds aren't likely to put much strain on them anyway

J/k.

Are the ends of the actual belt bolted to the floor? Or clipped to a ring? Perhaps you could bolt your factory belt in with ring bolts?

[1I1]

Maybe they are designed to work length ways. As in the are strongest that way. Crossing them over adds side loading to them in a crash and may weaken them.
That is what I thought of when I heard of the no crossing rule from MSNZ

Also in a front on accident wouldn't they would pull tight where they cross - your neck would become rather squashed

[siren676]

@ae86less
I have had it to 160kph down both straights at Pukekohe so I think they might have a little bit of strain on them.

They are clipped to eye bolts which replaced the factory seatbelt bolts.

[AE86less]

@ae86less
I have had it to 160kph down both straights at Pukekohe so I think they might have a little bit of strain on them.

They are clipped to eye bolts which replaced the factory seatbelt bolts.

Eyebolts, that's the word I was looking for. Bolt in the factory belt with the eyebolts and clip the harness over the top for events?

[siren676]

Yep that's the setup I've got already. The problem I've got is about the shoulder straps going through the seat and whether they are allowed to cross over.

[Mr Ree]

That harness installation is not safe.

You need to run the back straps at as close to horizontal as possible, definitely not down on an angle like that.

Are you using that for gymkhana, or high speed track duties?

[siren676]

Im entered in a series called aces+, its for slower cars and race around Pukekohe and Hampton.
I dont see how i will be able to get the straps even close to horizontal without getting a cage, which i dont want to do as its my daily and i still want to be able to carry people in the back.

[Mr Revhead]

Wait, a race series that lets you race in a field of cars with no cages etc!? Wtf!

[Leon]

The problem isn't directly the crossing over.

The problem is that the belt should run without touching anything else from the harness mount, to your shoulder. It isn't, because it will be hard up against the seat neck hole and then going wide to your shoulders.

When you tighten those belts, what is happening? The seat fabric and frame is taking the force applied and distorting. So you're basically belting your seat fabric in place and counting on that seat fabric to hold tension between the belts and your body.

It isn't a matter of opinion either, it's directly word for word in the manual telling you you can't do what you're looking at.

(a) Shoulder straps shall be of equal length and when worn should make an angle
between +10° and -10° to the horizontal, although u p to a maximum of -45° is
accepted (refer Diagram 4.3.3). The straps should rest on the wearers’ shoulders
and not on the top of the seat or the harness holes in the seat. Excessively long
shoulder straps should be avoided.

So it's worth taking a look at the rules yourself otherwise you're putting the scrutineer in the awkward position of having to tell you that you can't enter with the car in the current setup

http://www.motorsport.org.nz/assets/Mot ... A-2010.pdf page 13 of 54.

Yes, I am a rules nerd. Occupational hazard, because I was MSNZ technical employee for about 5 years, so I kind of got to know the rules fairly well.

[Distrb]

Wait, a race series that lets you race in a field of cars with no cages etc!? Wtf!

RS Cup as a part of the winter series lets you do that also.

[Leon]

Wait, a race series that lets you race in a field of cars with no cages etc!? Wtf!

You've always been able to race in a road legal car, with no cage.

Have a look at the MG Classic every year ... wall to wall road cars

[1I1]

Wait, a race series that lets you race in a field of cars with no cages etc!? Wtf!

They do that at Manfeild too.

[Mr Revhead]

Was never aware they let you race in a field of cars with no cages though.

[Leon]

Yup, always have been able to.

[siren676]

The problem isn't directly the crossing over.

The problem is that the belt should run without touching anything else from the harness mount, to your shoulder. It isn't, because it will be hard up against the seat neck hole and then going wide to your shoulders.

When you tighten those belts, what is happening? The seat fabric and frame is taking the force applied and distorting. So you're basically belting your seat fabric in place and counting on that seat fabric to hold tension between the belts and your body.

It isn't a matter of opinion either, it's directly word for word in the manual telling you you can't do what you're looking at.

(a) Shoulder straps shall be of equal length and when worn should make an angle
between +10° and -10° to the horizontal, although u p to a maximum of -45° is
accepted (refer Diagram 4.3.3). The straps should rest on the wearers’ shoulders
and not on the top of the seat or the harness holes in the seat. Excessively long
shoulder straps should be avoided.

So it's worth taking a look at the rules yourself otherwise you're putting the scrutineer in the awkward position of having to tell you that you can't enter with the car in the current setup

http://www.motorsport.org.nz/assets/Mot ... A-2010.pdf page 13 of 54.

Yes, I am a rules nerd. Occupational hazard, because I was MSNZ technical employee for about 5 years, so I kind of got to know the rules fairly well.

Cheers for that link, i must have missed when i was looking for it.
Ill be taking my car down to Hampton on the 11th where a scrutineer will hopefully be able to have a look at it and tell me what needs changing.

[Leon]

No worries. At least if you know in advance what your issues are going to be, you can start planning how to fix them.

[malc]

Not sure if you would be able to run a harness in any configuration with that seat. Can you run in this series with the normal diagonal belt?
Otherwise you might be needing a racing seat

[siren676]

Yeah im talking to Nigel Smith at the moment about it and he said he'll check it over for me.

Only thing left to do now is get my national license which ive been told is a piece of cake.