Im thinking of putting harnesses in my WRX, whats everyones thoughts?
I still use my back seats so will this cause a problem or can they be bolted out of the way?

Realyy like the idea of having them but not sure if its worth the hassle if I cant use the back.
Any pics would be good too

Cheers

 

I personally think harnesses are a waste of time and money.... unless you track your car I guess.
They are a pain in the a*se to put on and take off, and I always feel a bit too pinned down by them. I know the idea of them is to make you feel secure etc, but I hate feeling like I cant move about if I've been driving for long periods and need to shuffle about to get comfy again!

Dont they need to be attached by the back seats too? Which means you lose the use of the rear seats!!

 

They work for me - can unclip when I dont want them and clip them in if I do

 

Please do a search for this, as there were far more knowledgeable people involved in a previous discussion on the same topic.

The issues are that the harnesses are designed to work correctly only in conjunction with fixed back race seats, roll cages, crash helmets and fitted according to manufacturer recommendations (particularly the angle the rear securing straps should be.

None of those criteria are likely to be met unless you are building a dedicated track car.

The only other issue (apart from risking your life...) is that the Plod are more likely to pull you over for (apparently) not wearing a seatbelt, as they cannot see the angled chest part of the belt from behind your car

Harnesses are superb in the right environment (IMHO), however they are not really suitable for everyday use

Neil

 

 

Have you considered or looked at a CG lock instead?

Not the same as the full harness i know but offers a lot of benifits cheaply

Home - CG-Lock UK - Make your seat belt "Racing Harness Tight"

 

i had a look at the CG lock at autosport show and had a go with it in there car it did look and feel very good and I was going to buy one but in the end they had run out …….

if you are interested email them and tell them you wanted one at the show (autosport) and they had run out and they will sell it you for £40 not the normal £45. + the girl on the stand was hot and intelligent which is very rare at autosport I would have bought one of her …..

 

cool set up dynamix what was involved in fitting them is there much drilling involved

 

No drilling at all - uses the standard bolt holes and normal seat belts are still there for road use. About a 30 min job per side to install.

 

ok thanks

 

Cheers guys.
Dynamix they look wicked, do they actually come with those quick release buckles behind the seat?
Where did you get them from?

Cheers again

 

Competition harnesses must be mounted correctly and used properly.
That means tight, especially if 3 or 4 point, to prevent the risk of "submarining".
Then, on airbag equipped cars to ensure no throwing forward as the seatbelt pretensioners will not be working on the competition belts.
Seatback strength?
Who knows.
Competition seats are now "lifed", partly because there had been instances of seatbacks collapsing in accidents.

 

I ran a set of harnesses in my old classic for a while. Thought I looked cool strapping myself in for a big drive out, and the extra tightness of straps gave me a real sense of being "at one" with the car. It wasn't until I really read about it properly that I had second thoughts and eventually removed them.
In a crash, as has been mentioned, you get no pretension, your seat could potentially fold you in half, the mounts could break, and god forbid, if you roll the car, you wont be able to duck out of the way of the roof, therefore breaking you neck/back into little pieces.

Still, looks cool though eh?

 

For road use Harnesses are a major PITA, just moving forwards to gain visibility out of a road junction is impossible if correctly tightened. As a result I (and probably others) tended to drive with them slightly lose or slack, which with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, was very very stupid

Rgds

PS mine were fitted in a caterham with full FIA rool bar, but agree with the points made above