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Harness Installation and Mounting Points


JBH

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I saw the thread on 4MARIO's Stalker accident. I still shake my head at the thought. Glad everyone was ok. This may be a case where head-on impact was better than a side impact (from the Stalker's perspective).

 

Anyway, there was some side discussion about harness mounting points and I thought it worthwhile to start a thread that attempts to answer some of then questions and perhaps misconceptions about where and how to mount your harnesses.

 

To start, I found this picture that provides some good information. The belt manufacturer websites provide many more details, but they remain consistent with this diagram

http://daliracing.com/v666-5/catalog/x-images-more/harness-bars-install-diagram-Install4CWeb.jpg

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After I purchased my car back from Sharkey, I decided to replace both the driver and passenger harnesses with new units. After watching the following video, I quickly became convinced that I needed to revisit the harness mounting points on my car as well to insure that they were installed as per the harness manufacturer’s recommendations.

 

The link posted just below the video is my harness install file. During the install, I followed, to the letter, G-Force's installation recommendations which resulted is an installation that ended up being much safer and extremely more comfortable for both driver and passenger:

 

 

 

 

http://www471.pair.com/stalkerv/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=21959

Edited by xcarguy
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Thanks Jeff,

Spent most of last week installing my new belts, before I installed I spent

 

time reviewing just what you have posted. It's a waste of time and money

 

if the belts are not installed incorrectly. Thanks of your post, reinforced that

 

I did the install correct....

 

 

See you at NJMP this summer..... Steve

Edited by S1Steve
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very interesting. The Caterham standard belt mountings don't quite follow that guidance. The submarine belt in particular reaches back more than the recommended 20 degrees. I suspect this is so it mounts to a chassis frame rather than thin ali?

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Amazing crash video, esp in slo-mo. He had very little crash protection:roll-over bar was stout but too small/short, no side bars, no arm restraints, so-so seat, no HANS, etc. But he survived, mostly because his belts (wh/look like they are both improperly anchored at the same spot on his rollbar) kept him in his seat and because it looks like the car never landed real hard on the roll-bar (tho hard to say), it just spun mostly in the air and then eventually landed on its side.

Edited by Kitcat
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very interesting. The Caterham standard belt mountings don't quite follow that guidance. The submarine belt in particular reaches back more than the recommended 20 degrees. I suspect this is so it mounts to a chassis frame rather than thin ali?

 

You definitely would not want to mount a sub-belt to the floor aluminum. Do the standard Caterham sub-belts (I'm assuming we're talking about 6 point here) have a D-ring on the lap belt, or do they simply click into the cam-lock?

 

If they have a D-ring on the lap belt, they probably use formula car belts which can be mounted behind the chest line (thought I'm not sure what the manufacturer would say about the belts coming up through the hole in the bottom of the tillet).

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Do the standard Caterham sub-belts (I'm assuming we're talking about 6 point here) have a D-ring on the lap belt, or do they simply click into the cam-lock?

 

Just click into the cam lock as you say.

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Do the standard Caterham sub-belts (I'm assuming we're talking about 6 point here) have a D-ring on the lap belt, or do they simply click into the cam-lock?

 

D-ring on the lap belt on the ones in my 2006 car.

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Hey, guys,

 

I'd like to through a question in the mix for discussion; what are the pros/cons (personal and/or professional) with a camlock harness vs. latch and link harness (both are G-Force termonology)? :rofl:

 

Here's a G-Force link for reference:

 

http://www.gforce.com/products/harness.php

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I just got an e-mail from Simpson Racing w/a link to their new You-Tube video:"15 minutes can save your life". Very interesting. Stuff like how to best protect ''the male organs", that one got my attention. Also noting driver weight dictates belt width. Chock-full of advice, explanations, pictures, diagrams, etc. I would call it must-watch/read for those of us who do track days. And well ahead of driving season, so safety items can be added, upgraded,etc.

 

I will count on someone else to add the link.

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Received the April 2014 issue of Grassroots Motorsports today. On page 107 is an article titled Strap In (subtitled Is Your Racing Harness Safe). The article is essentially a harness-install checklist published by HMS Motorsport, the U.S. distributor for Schroth. The checklist can be viewed here:

 

http://www.hmsmotorsport.com/docs/Schroth_Installation_Checklist.pdf

 

If you don't already have the April issue in hand, worth grabbing a copy for the article. Fits well with this thread. :cheers:

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Does anyone know what the recommended spacing for the shoulder harness mounting bolts are for a Hans device? I'm going to buy one this year, but I've read on the Blatchat forum that the standard Caterham mounting points need to be modified. Any one know what's recommended?

 

Thanks

 

Tom

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Shoulder belts are secured with the proper spacing between

the anchor points and cross over each other as needed. (see

chart on last back page)

Shane, I saw that PDF, but I don't see the chart on the last back page, which apparently has the details on the proper spaceing. :ack::ack::ack: Any chance you can take a look and see what it says? I seem to recall someone saying something like 3 1/2 inches from bolt center to bolt center. But I'm not sure.

Tom

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Shane, I saw that PDF, but I don't see the chart on the last back page, which apparently has the details on the proper spaceing. :ack::ack::ack: Any chance you can take a look and see what it says? I seem to recall someone saying something like 3 1/2 inches from bolt center to bolt center. But I'm not sure.

 

Tom,

 

When you open the PDF file, the info pertaining to Hans is located on the first page in the LH column under Shoulder Spacing (see photo below).

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It's probably obvious to most of you, but it is critical that safety belts fasten and remain fastened across the structural parts of your body: pelvis, shoulders, collarbone, ribs, etc. We would much rather take an impact to these parts of our body as opposed to our organs. This is true in your family car as well - make certain the belts are not placed nor ride up to soft tissue.

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I did the calculation and it showed that my mounting points should be 6 inches apart. The stock mounting points are 8 inches apart. I need to move the inside mounting point 2 inches to the left on the drivers side and the passenger one 2 inches to the right.

 

Tom

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