JPC500

Hi all
What's the general opinion on fitting a harness for both front seats ? I have a rally replica Bug and think a nice blue harness set would finish off the look in the interior but Id also like to know if they are legal ?
If anyone has any pics please share so I can see how they'd look?
Cheers

NOSSY_89

As far as I know they are legal but install them properly with the harness bar, fixing point etc. The angle is wrong then it will hurt your spine. Other then that it is actually safer then normal seatbelts and removes the need for front air bags.

If you carry passengers in your rear then it isn't advised because if you did crash then they would hurt themselves on the harness bar.

prodriverules

iTrader: (52)

I did both,helps keep me and my passenger in place while driving

trails

iTrader: (41)

have a read and then make up your mind

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

Ryan@Indigo-GT

iTrader: (4)

My only criticism of fitting harnesses is they're a pain in the backside if you're planning on carrying rear passengers, that said a very good friend of mine will testify to the fact that during a nasty accident, the only thing that prevented him from being seriously injured was his harness.

NOSSY_89

Quite an interesting read thanks.

trails

iTrader: (41)

no worries...the MSA rule book is probably the most trustworthy source of information as its based on fact rather than subjective observations

NOSSY_89

Mate correct me if I'm wrong weren't you at the last meet with the piston compression issue. Didn't realise you had a harness. Will need to have a noisey and see how you have done it etc if thats ok

IainMilford

iTrader: (15)

I've got harnesses and standard seatbelts in my car, use the seatbelts for normal use and the harnesses on track, simples!

SkydiveMacca

I have a harness bar and harnesses in my road / track car. Feel considerably safer in them than when using a standard 3 point in other cars and love how tight they hold me into the seats.

I have no trouble with them at all, but it's sometimes a pain having to explain to a new to the car passenger how they work.

Legally, IIRC they are legal, as long as they are fixed items. The better FiA ones which use eye bolts and a clip shackle (like I have) I believe *should* fail an MOT, but i've never had an issue.

If you're going to do it, get proper 4, 5 or 6 points with a good size webbing and an aircraft style quick release.

prodriverules

iTrader: (52)

Not me mate,this is my motor

NOSSY_89

Looks very similar to the one I saw at the meet thats why I asked lol. I take it you weren't at the RCM meet a few weeks ago.

Henrik

iTrader: (5)

absolute pain in the **** to use day to day.

I have 4 point harnesses in my trackday car, which doesn't get used on the road for anything but some shakedowns every so often, and I would *never* have harnesses in a road car - they are a complete pain to do up, and obviously allow *no* movement (so forget getting anything out of the glovebox, closing the door if it's anything more than half open, picking something you dropped off the floor etc etc)

Fine on a track car, but not for road IMO.

You'll start off having them totally strapped in on the road, and then as time goes by (weeks, months), you'll start leaving them a little bit less tight to allow some movement just because they're so impractical, and then hey presto, they wont work at all in an accident.

SkydiveMacca

I disagree with the above. Obviously they're not as simple as a three point clunk click restraint, but, once you know what you're doing with them, they don't take that much longer to put on.

Close the door before you put them on, and don't go into the glove box while driving. Who does that anyway?

I've had harnesses in a number of my road driven cars and have never loosened them off for speed or movement. The reason I have them is to hold me tight and firm in the bucket, so they're always done up tight.

To be honest, I actually don't feel safe with a standard 3 point any more, but am aware thats a mental thing

daz1968

iTrader: (13)

I had harnesses in an old classic mini cooper with factory recliners and found them unpractical, maybe because I have short arms but long legs but I couldn't even turn on the lights and windscreen wipers with them on and no chance of leaning forward for a better view at junctions, each to their own but I wouldn't have them in a daily driver, I got into the habit of leaving them open on my lap so I had some movement which defeated the object of having them.,