I was all ready to purchase a harness bar (even got as far as buying the harnesses) but I then told that people don't carry rear passengers with one of these fitted. Is this true?
My thinking is that as long as the rear passenger is wearing a seat belt then they would be ok. Or would their head potentially hit the bar in the event of a front end crash - body stopped from moving but head thrown forwards towards the bar?
With having kids I wanted to keep the rear seats and didn't want to cage the car so thought a harness bar would solve this problem - but potentially not! Having never viewed one in the flesh I can't really gauge if it would be a problem or not. Most pictures I have seen with them fitted also show the rear seats still in place.

Thoughts and views please - If people think they are dangerous then I will knock the idea on the head

 

I've just posted up in the other thread about them. I have got them fitted and I do take people in the back. I've wrapped the bar in a large foam tube to stop people beating off a large metal bar. As you said as long as they have seat belts fitted they should be ok.

 

I wouldn't risk it...they are staright forward to remove if you need to carry passengers; 20mins graft with a socket Vs. serious injury or death is a no brainer imho.

 

I would never fit a harness bar mate, my daughter is the most important thing to me and I kinda like the way her face looks. Even if you wrap it in foam, your kids will still look like they've gone 12 rounds with Tyson in major accident.

Seat belts obviously do a lot but they not like harness's where you don't move at all. If they did we wouldn't need air bags.

I'm the same as I want to use a harness for track days etc. I'm gonna attach the harness underneath the rear seat so when I use the harness I only loose the seat behind me while in use.

 

i wouldnt want to take small kids in the back with a harness bar.....they look great, but not with small kids in the back...

 

+1

Only fit the bar if you only occasionally carry passengers. They are easy to remove if you need to, and easy to put back in for trackdays

If someone mashes their face in your car because of the bar they are likely to claim against you in the event of an accident. So in addition it needs to be declared on your insurance. They may also have an opinion on carrying passengers with these fitted.

I have harness bars in my cars and I would NEVER carry passengers with them installed

 

Don't do it. search for a video of how far people move in a crash while wearing seatbelts - they'll still be heading the back of the front seat. Foam tubing won't do squat - otherwise why would WRC drivers wear helmets as well when they have a cage near their head?

 

I think I may well do this - remove after the track day. I could leave the side straps of the harness anchored to the floor and it would just be a case of undoing 4 x shoulder straps and unscrewing/removing the bar.

I was hoping that the bar was too far away for anyone to hit their head on but sitting in the back of my RA last night I realised it was quite tight and could be a problem.

 

Harnesses and Cage/bar
Or
Belts and No cage/bar.

Dont mix and match

If you have harnesses you are pinned to the seat. No good if you dont have a cage and the shell pushes in. Seatbelts give you some flexibilty to go with flow as it were.

If you have seatbelts and a cage. Then obviously you are not pinned to the seat, you will move about and bugger yourself up on the cage.

Personaly I have a fully padded 7 point cage with a custom made harness bar. With the harnesses well fitted and mounted at the right angle. The car is designed to be used on road and track.

My view is all or nothing.

 

Harness bar + rear passengers = very broken face. Really not advisable.

 

Sorry should have made it clear - the harnesses would be there but not used until the bar was put back in! Rather than keep un-doing the anchor bolts through the floor.

 

my harnesses just clip in on the eyelets that hold the original seatbelts in so a 10 second job to take out.having cage in mine without rear diagonal so can still use rear seats if i have to.would never use a harness bar with people in the back.for a start your insurance would throw a right paddy if you had an accident let alone any claims from rear seat passengers for smashed up faces etc.

 

you forgot to mention the reclining seat\harness argument

 

Whats this mate?

 

have a read of this...plenty more similar discussions on various car forums

http://bbs.22b.com/cgi-bin/ultimateb...=000762#000000

 

Tim save your money, as mentioned its unwise to have passengers in the rear with the bar fitted.....so what is the point of a harness bar? You are better off anchoring the rear harness strap through the rear seat.

 

cheers mate

 

no worries, just something to bear in mind

 

Thought about this Jay. This is what Wayne and Baz do but there is a huge debate out ther whether this is really dangerous. Apparently the shoulder straps should never be at more than a 20deg angle from 90deg coming from the back of the seat. More than this and the force is transfered through your spine as the straps pull downwards in an accident. Not sure if this is all theory or whether there is actual proof of any of this.

I thought the harness bar idea would be a nice neat idea but although my lad is only 8 months old and is probably too short to bang his head on it in the event of an accident, he is growing very quickly and it may soon get dangerous. Plus now and again I do take my mates little girl and my nieces and nephews out.

I think I'll leave it and take my chances on track with a seatbelt. I would only be doing a few a year so I'll save my (technically the banks) cash for more mods

 

Should have read this first! So up to 45deg from the 90deg back of seat is acceptable. Puts a lot of waffle on a lot of forums in their place. Wish I'd seen this earlier before wading through a lot of cr@p.

I feel a single harness may well be fitted to rear anchor points because the child seat is behind the passenger seat!

Cheers Lads