Installing a seat harness...advice needed!

Budman · Post by **Budman** » Thu Feb 09, 2006 10:28 am

As far as I can tell, no one makes a harness bar for my car so how do you install the harness? Do you just drill holes in the floor, stick the mounting bolt through, and then put a big thick washer/plate and nut on it from underneath to give it strength?

I saw this on Ebay....should I grab it? Do I need it?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayI ... AMEWA%3AIT

Post by **thrdeye** » Thu Feb 09, 2006 10:37 am

I bought a harness where the shoulder restraint actually bolts to the C pillar of the car. Mine is a three point though.

With a four point, most people will bolt the shoulder straps into the bolts under the rear seats. In between the pieces of the seat back and the seat bottom.

Here - something like this

vwbud · Post by **vwbud** » Thu Feb 09, 2006 10:54 am

I was never a big fan of that type of mounting for the harness. Maybe for autox where IMO, the main reason for the harness is to keep the body in place it is fine, but where there is a real chance of front impact, a harness mounted like that opens you up to spinal compression issues which are never a good thing.
I've always been told the proper place to mount the harness anchor point is within about 4 inches of the shoulder height preferrably above or even with the shoulders.

not sure how you'd mount it in your car that way though...

Post by **thrdeye** » Thu Feb 09, 2006 10:58 am

Well, if he bought the three point like I have, it bolts into the c-pillar, which makes it about 3-4 inches higher than your shoulders.

This only works if the stock seatbelt mounts to the c-pillar though.

Bolting a four point to the rear seats like above would not be an issue at an autcross, IMO, since a head on crash is 99% unlikely.

I wouldn't use it for anything but autocross though.

Roll bars are realtively cheap, but in an STS car, I would not want to add that weight.

Another option would be to bolt it to the baby seat tie down on the rear dash, if car is so equipped.

scottgib · Post by **scottgib** » Thu Feb 09, 2006 11:09 am

Remember Elizabethton? VWBud has it right.

Post by **thrdeye** » Thu Feb 09, 2006 11:18 am

scottgib wrote:Remember Elizabethton? VWBud has it right.

That's still not gonna happen, 99% of the time. It (spinal compression) is still a calculated risk that the entrant needs to consider though.

To make myself clear, I would not personally run a harness that bolts at anymore than a 40 deg angle to my shoulders.

CABoegemann · Post by **CABoegemann** » Thu Feb 09, 2006 11:33 am

After installing my harness in the Miata, I'd say do it right. Mine was bolted to the roll bar a couple of inches below my shoulders. It wasn't very comforable and when you tightened in down, it pulled me down instead of back into the seat.

I would send the shoulder straps to the manufactuer and have them sew in a "Y' type shoulder strap and then bolt to the C pillar ancor. Most of the manufactuers will do it very cheap.

Something about a harness that is dangerous in the event of a crash...

TedV · Post by **TedV** » Thu Feb 09, 2006 12:27 pm

for the shoulder belts in the autox VW, I used a Y belt to the rear C-pillar shoulder belt attachment. I think the GCR states shoulder belts must be within 30 deg horizontal from your shoulders to prevent spinal compresion. the closer to horizontal the better. I would use the stock belts before I risked a compresion injury

MARKP · Post by **MARKP** » Thu Feb 09, 2006 12:32 pm

Or, you could do what the fast people do and just use the lap belt.

I usually use the lap belt to hold me in the seat and use the standard seat belt if I need the upper restraint in the event that I think I might hit something solid.

TedV · Post by **TedV** » Thu Feb 09, 2006 12:37 pm

MARKP wrote:Or, you could do what the fast people do and just use the lap belt.

I usually use the lap belt to hold me in the seat and use the standard seat belt if I need the upper restraint in the event that I think I might hit something solid.

yup, and my car lost 3lbs up high of Y belt when I switched to the 15" wide aluminum seat with Kung-Foo rib cage grip. Nobody moves in that seat... IF you can get in that seat....

vwbud · Post by **vwbud** » Thu Feb 09, 2006 12:38 pm

MARKP wrote:Or, you could do what the fast people do and just use the lap belt.

I usually use the lap belt to hold me in the seat and use the standard seat belt if I need the upper restraint in the event that I think I might hit something solid.

That's fine for the fast guys, but for the fast guy's idiot co-driver that poundes his foot on the brake instead of the clutch when shifting to 3rd at chattanooga, the lap belt wasn't enough. I... Ummm... I mean the co-driver

pulled muscles in his back and banged his face on the steering wheel, and ate nothing but aleve tablets all the way home...
yeah. i'm cool

MARKP · Post by **MARKP** » Thu Feb 09, 2006 12:45 pm

Thanks Buddy, I needed a good laugh.

vwbud · Post by **vwbud** » Thu Feb 09, 2006 12:49 pm

Yeah, the lap belt probably did save my life...had i been relying on good old gravity to keep me in place, i'd have gone through the windshield and landed in johnson city!

All i said after crawling out of the car was "that thing sure has good brakes"

like i said, I'm cool.

Budman · Post by **Budman** » Fri Feb 10, 2006 9:17 am

My rear shoulder belts come from inside the body so that's not an option for me. Could I attach the straps to the rear STB mounts that come up from the rear window deck? It needs to be noted that I only plan to use these for autocross only as I will still be able to use the stock restraints for daily driving.