5-point harness installed!

quick35th

Registered User
Today I got my G-Force 5-point safety harness installed. Well actually it is a 4-point right now as I didn't use the crotch strap. I am going to look into making a mount for it though in the near future.

I will post pics as some of you guys wanted to see it finished. I wont probably be able to have acsess to a digital camera until maybe sunday at the soonest so I will post the pics then. Or if I get pics taken sooner then I will post them then.

If any of you guys have any questions feel free to ask.

Shane
 
Today I go the crotch straps in the car. I have no roll bar nor did I reinforce the floor.

Has anyone else put a 5-point in their car before or am I the first to do so?

I mounted the shoulder straps to the back seat and one of the waste belts went into where the factory seat belt goes and the other is bolted to the inside rear seat mounting nut. The crotch strap is tetherd down to the brace the goes cross the front of the seat.

I will post some pics this weekend if I get the digital camera from my friend. The pics will better explain what I am trying to tell you guys.

I also retained the factory seat belts too.

Shane

ps- the belts are very supportive and are just plain sweet! A great improvement over stock.
 
i have seen a few with 5 points. not sure exactly where you are saying you mounted to but anytime you bolt the harnesses to the floor you must reinforce with atleast 1/8 flat plate.

i also saw a guy with a stripped out civic running 12s get rejected at a NHRA event in tech inspection. they wouldnt allow him to run with his 5 points. because they were bolted to the rear seat belt mounts. he had to use his stock seat belts.

not sure if its makes a difference or not just shouting a few thoughts out

Chris
 
I am only using the belts for autocross purposes. Thats why I retained the factory seat belts.

Shane
 
You didn't mount the shoulder harnesses lower than shoulder level did you? If you did, that can and will compress your spine if you are in a front end collision.

-Rod
 
racecougar said:
You didn't mount the shoulder harnesses lower than shoulder level did you? If you did, that can and will compress your spine if you are in a front end collision.

-Rod

Oops!

I dont think I will be running them on the street.

Shane
 
racecougar said:
You didn't mount the shoulder harnesses lower than shoulder level did you? If you did, that can and will compress your spine if you are in a front end collision.

-Rod

I have 4-point harnesses in my truck along with Corbeau racing seats. When I bought the harnesses, the install instructions said that you could install them from either a 90 degree angle from shoulders to 45 degree down angle and still be legal at a tech inspection. Granted, the way I have mine mounted wouldn't pass NHRA tech, but they are mpounted just slightly below my shoulders. As far as compressing your spine in a wreck, I'd like to see the scientific study proving that one.
 
Here's a pretty good quote I snagged from another website:

"Mounting the shoulder straps to the floor behind (way behind) the driver is acceptable by many sanctioning bodies. Directly behind the seat is not good because you've effectively created a "U" with the belt, and the purpose of the shoulder straps are to prevent forward motion of the torso, not hold you down/in (that's the job of the lap belt). The real question is the angle of the straps to prevent forward motion. The problem with the U shape is you have x amount of belt and no forward restraint of your torso - so as your body flies forward, the amount of belt available for your torso shrinks, and you have compression issues as you mentioned. BUT, many belt mfgs actually sell extensions for sedans to facilitate thru-floor mounting since it's perfectly acceptable by many organizations, and yes that means the belts end up mounted back near the c-pillar/trunk area of the car. The goal is to get the right angle for forward restraint & not the "U" for injury. How you achieve that is debateable."

I just don't really understand why you would install harnesses if you don't have a cage. Does the SCCA require you to have the harness for the class you're running in? Here's one more quote to think about:

"For a 2" harness it is possible to mount the shoulder belts to the factory hard points for the back seat passenger seat belts. This would only be done if one were attempting to install a safety harness without having a roll bar. However, many people believe this to be bad practice as the safety harness will not allow your body to slide out of the way in case the roof caves in during a roll over. If you roll and the roof collapses, and you are firmly strapped into your seat without a roll bar, well then your head will have to support the weight of the car, since nothing else will. It is because of this that it is generally recommended to install a safety harness (2" or 3") only if you have a roll bar or cage. "

That's all I have.

-Rod
 
For daily street driving, they are more just a novelty than anything else, because as you said, you will not be able to roll out of the way if needed. As for autocross, many drivers want the harnesses because as you are throwing the car/truck around the corners, you body moves a lot. The harnesses keep you firm in the seat so you don't have to work so hard at staying upright in the seat, and they can concentrate more on driving. No roll cages really needed for most autocross people, just the extra support, but on the drag strip, no real need for harnesses unless you have a roll cage. On my truck, I like taking corners real fast, and eventually plan on doing some autocross in the future.
 
Passenger seat:

I only wish my seats were in better shape.

Shane
 

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edit- never mind i should have read the whole thread first.

On the back strap, does it have to go back like that or is it ok to mount it straight down in the rear seat foot area (with reinforcement)? I am thinking about mounting some racing style seats with a 4 point harness.
 
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that looks awsome man. can you post pics of what its actually mounted into. like take off the bottom part of the back seat and show a pic
 
trife86 said:
that looks awsome man. can you post pics of what its actually mounted into. like take off the bottom part of the back seat and show a pic

If I take off the bottom part of the back seat you will only be able to see where one strap mounts as the other one is hidden under the seat back. I can still take the pic though if you like. I will have to get my friend's digital camera again though.

Shane
 
That is similar to the way I had the belts done in my 5.0 Mustang, before the car had a roll bar installed. Simpson made extra-long shoulder belts, with a clip-on attachment. The rear seat lap belt bolts were replaced with special eye-bolts that the harness would clip on to. Had the same bolts into the lower anchor of the front shoulder belt harness and buckle where they mounted to the floor, the Simpson lap belt clipped to those. Worked fine, and I could easily take them out of the car when not competing.

I'm looking at doing a similar installation on my 95 SC if I can, to help hold my skinny butt in the seat at the open-track events. :D

cheers,
Ed N.
 
fast Ed N -- Just a question...I had 4 points in my car in japan that buckled into the back seat buckle thingy...that was the achor point...if i was to order some 2 more and use the back seat buckle, is it safe? or safer than the shoulder and lap belts?

Stephen
 
Sounds safe enough to me ... seat belt buckles and attaching points are pretty strong !!

cheers,
Ed N.
 
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