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I want to know all about safety harnesses

Old Oct 12, 2004 | 08:44 AM
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Default I want to know all about safety harnesses

Let me have it! Give me some links if you have them. Let me know where to look for the best prices. Give me your input if you have experience. Anything else you would want to let me know about as well concerning this topic. Thank you.
Old Oct 12, 2004 | 12:49 PM
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Default Re: I want to know all about safety harnesses

I can find you the stuff I read about them, but it seems that Willians are extremely nice and there are quite a few options as far as strap width and sub belts.
Old Oct 12, 2004 | 03:47 PM
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Default Re: I want to know all about safety harnesses

be careful when mounting them...angles mean everything.
you don't need an anti-submarine belt unless you have an open wheels car where you basically lay inside the cockpit.
most harnesses are illegal for highway use unless there is a DOT approval.
be very, very careful when you choose your mounting points. always brace the bottom side if you don't use factory mounting anchors.
i've used both the manually tightening type and the type with the retractor. you'll probably lose use of your back seats in order to use the proper mounting anchor points.
Old Oct 12, 2004 | 05:07 PM
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Default Re: I want to know all about safety harnesses

Originally Posted by ToyotaTechGeek
be careful when mounting them...angles mean everything.
you don't need an anti-submarine belt unless you have an open wheels car where you basically lay inside the cockpit.
most harnesses are illegal for highway use unless there is a DOT approval.
be very, very careful when you choose your mounting points. always brace the bottom side if you don't use factory mounting anchors.
i've used both the manually tightening type and the type with the retractor. you'll probably lose use of your back seats in order to use the proper mounting anchor points.
I have a friend who has them mounted on the rear seat belt bolt, would you reccomend that? It's a little over a 90 degree (not much, maybe 95 degrees?) angle when he's seated with them on.

What's the proper angle? Around 90 degrees is what I've been reading, is that correct?

Also, I'm thinking of using the Sparco harness bar, heard any good or bad about that set up?

The car will primarily be driven on the street, so I'm only going to be using a 4 point. Is the harness bar illegal in any sanctioned racing bodies that you know of?

Recommend any specific brands? I know Simpson, Sparco, Momo, etc, but is there any brand better than the rest?

Got any sites or threads from other forums I can browse for info?
Old Oct 12, 2004 | 05:22 PM
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Default Re: I want to know all about safety harnesses

well i'm using a R.J.S 5 point i love it but u will have toput stock back in for safty ins in va cause it will not pass with it stupid reason....well the sub bellt is there just in case i dont really use it too much.. mounting points are most important in the racing harness just rember that...look around the web and see what you come up with
Old Oct 14, 2004 | 10:18 AM
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Default Re: I want to know all about safety harnesses

So that's it, huh?
Old Oct 15, 2004 | 10:29 AM
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Default Re: I want to know all about safety harnesses

I have Pyrotect in one of my cars, Simpson in another, and RCI's in another.

Personally I like all of them, but the quality of Simpson and RCI is far greater then Pyrotect. Like others said, mounting points are cruical to not ending up with a compressed spine. Mount back, not down.

you don't need an anti-submarine belt unless you have an open wheels car where you basically lay inside the cockpit.
I disagree with this statement. You can submarine in any seat, in any car if put in the right situation. It's to late to say..."damn, i should of had a 5pt" after your belts break your sternum....trust me, it happened to me.

Now on to street duty. If you buy any set of true race harnesses, they are not going to be street legal. I believe the law says something about the belts having to be released by ONE button. The new Sparco "H" 4pts are practically OEM 2" belts with a normal gay ass realease button in the center. It gives the look of a race harness, but I wouldnt trust those one bit. Get yourself a set of NEW 3" 5pt. Simpson harnesses, mount them by their instruction and you cant go wrong. If you want to save some money buy the latch style, if not, buy cam-locks.

If you have any more questions I'd glady answer them. I've had a lots of harness sets in just about every street car I've ever owned. And yes, I've been pulled for wearing them on backroads, but never got a ticket that held up in court.

edit: I just wanted to add that I would ONLY suggest buying a 3" 5pt belt set. Anything less with be too narrow and hurts a LOT if they need to protect you.

Last edited by FlimFlam; Oct 15, 2004 at 10:35 AM.
Old Oct 15, 2004 | 11:39 AM
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Default Re: I want to know all about safety harnesses

Running a harness without a rollbar or cage is idiotic - harness bars dont do anything for you when you end up on your roof.
Old Oct 15, 2004 | 10:13 PM
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Default Re: I want to know all about safety harnesses

are you gonna run some sort of a cage John? I never liked the idea of just bolting them to the rear seat belt bolts.
Old Oct 16, 2004 | 03:52 AM
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Default Re: I want to know all about safety harnesses

Originally Posted by ceas
Running a harness without a rollbar or cage is idiotic - harness bars dont do anything for you when you end up on your roof.
yea..okay. so if there was a complete roll cage, and instead of just a harness bar, there was the bar from the roll cage in its place with the harness attatched to it. there would be NO DIFFERENCE in the upside down safety as far as being strapped down. (sorry if the previous sentences are confusing.) the harness bar is designed to keep you in the seat...anyways.

Sparco makes a really nice harness bar...should look into that.


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