7 Point Harness

[fastg]

I just found out about 7 point harnesses, and that NHRA are mandating them in some classes by July and many classes by Jan 26. As I am about to buy new harnesses as mine expire 2025. Sound I be considering 7 points? 

 

Graham 

[7Westfield]

Given that they just add another crotch strap, I would say no.

 

[11Budlite]

Considering the way a 6-pt harness works, I can't understand what the point of a 7-pt harness is? Maybe some one can educate me on the benefit, but until I hear more I would always go with a 6-pt. Looking at a 5-pt harness from a guys perspective doesn't make much sense either.

[Christopher smith]

I wonder if the 7 point idea originated from someone having a failure at the floor mounting points of a 5 or 6 point in some adapted application with a very thin floor pan and somebody figured an additional point would spread the load. Sure would not have wanted to be the person who hit something hard enough to pull out floor mounting points-  so just guessing. No doubt that sort of thinking was behind the rear (and front) angle bracing on roll bars back in the 1960s when roll bar failures did actually happen and something really was necessary. Happened to a very early 7 at Watkins Glen and they kept the crumpled roll bar to show during tech inspections as an example of what not to bet your life on.

[Timothy Keith-Lucas]

Tying the torso to the frame/cage by more and more points while not restraining the helmet leaves a person vulnerable to a Dale Earnhardt accident - on impact the body is restrained while the head/helmet keeps on going. That gives me shivers to think about.  Broader issue: a Lotus Seven really doesn't have much to attach to. When we put a roll cage on one, the cage is a lot stronger than the frame. Do we attach the driver to the cage? The Seven is really a beer can with wheels.

 

Hmmmmm. I don't race; I've proven that I am without talent in that area. I do use a 5 point harness and full face helmet, and have added a telescoping steering column and a full side-to-side roll bar with two braces. That's all for routine driving. I'm still left with the feeling that rolling over or hitting a tree is going to be lethal. The roll bar is going to rip right off the frame or bend the frame flat, and the telescoping shaft only adds about a foot of collapse before I get speared. 

 

Thoughts?

[sf4018]

On 6/21/2025 at 9:11 AM, Timothy Keith-Lucas said:

Tying the torso to the frame/cage by more and more points while not restraining the helmet leaves a person vulnerable to a Dale Earnhardt accident - on impact the body is restrained while the head/helmet keeps on going. That gives me shivers to think about.  Broader issue: a Lotus Seven really doesn't have much to attach to. When we put a roll cage on one, the cage is a lot stronger than the frame. Do we attach the driver to the cage? The Seven is really a beer can with wheels.

 

Hmmmmm. I don't race; I've proven that I am without talent in that area. I do use a 5 point harness and full face helmet, and have added a telescoping steering column and a full side-to-side roll bar with two braces. That's all for routine driving. I'm still left with the feeling that rolling over or hitting a tree is going to be lethal. The roll bar is going to rip right off the frame or bend the frame flat, and the telescoping shaft only adds about a foot of collapse before I get speared. 

 

Thoughts?

I have a 6 point harness for racing, I don't see a benefit of a 7th. I also use arm restraints to keep limbs inside and Hans device to prevent neck injury on front impact. The biggest risk for my setup is lateral impact to the neck. I believe some people have installed a halo (from a radical?) and bolted to the roll cage, which is ok but the problem with that is the standard Caterham race seat is not secure with only 4 bolts connected to the thin aluminum floor on the bottom (normal race car seats are bolted at the back to the roll cage as well as the floor so they will not move at all) so there's definitely potential for seat movement on impact. I wish there was a better racing solution for the seat, I tried to find a seat with lateral head support but was not successful finding one that would fit, they are all pretty bulky and flair out too much on the sides.

[Timothy Keith-Lucas]

Sounds like you've done about all you can given starting with a beer can with braces. Cages for racing 7s come close to being a frame within a frame, especially when there's a brace taking up the passenger seat. 

[Xhilr8n]

On 7/1/2025 at 11:39 AM, sf4018 said:

I have a 6 point harness for racing, I don't see a benefit of a 7th. I also use arm restraints to keep limbs inside and Hans device to prevent neck injury on front impact. The biggest risk for my setup is lateral impact to the neck. I believe some people have installed a halo (from a radical?) and bolted to the roll cage, which is ok but the problem with that is the standard Caterham race seat is not secure with only 4 bolts connected to the thin aluminum floor on the bottom (normal race car seats are bolted at the back to the roll cage as well as the floor so they will not move at all) so there's definitely potential for seat movement on impact. I wish there was a better racing solution for the seat, I tried to find a seat with lateral head support but was not successful finding one that would fit, they are all pretty bulky and flair out too much on the sides.

What have folks done to create a better security of the sest to the car floor?  On the Elise we have reinforcement plates under the car.