harness question I searched a bit

[breadbox]

Is there a diagram or can someone tell me the correct mounting angle for the shoulder belts? I was told if you mount them to where the rear seat belt mounts the angle can break your spine in an accident. I assume this is true. I know that your are supposed to cross them but if they mount to one point then this doesn't do much from the looks of it.

I live in Virginia. I don't know if its legal to not have factory belts installed, so I might have to get s14 belts to pass inspection, true?

[Bubba1]

Is there a diagram or can someone tell me the correct mounting angle for the shoulder belts? I was told if you mount them to where the rear seat belt mounts the angle can break your spine in an accident. I assume this is true. I know that your are supposed to cross them but if they mount to one point then this doesn't do much from the looks of it.

I live in Virginia. I don't know if its legal to not have factory belts installed, so I might have to get s14 belts to pass inspection, true?

I'm assuming you're talking about shoulder harnesses. I don't have diagrams but you'd likely need a harness bar to provide the correct angles for them. There are a few manufacturers that offer them, like Sparco, Kirk Racing, and BCR. so I'd assume they'd have mounting instructions if they make a harness bar for your model.

I know BCR makes one for the 350Z, I'm not sure they do S14's. Legalities aside, you'd probably want to keep your street belts for street use due to the convenience.

[91rs13]

Bubba is right--You really do not want to use a harness without at least a harness bar --or preferably a rollbar or roll cage. The 3 pts allow your body to move to the side in a rollover --instead of keeping you upright.

Crossing the staps? just adds additional length to the straps---which means there is more strap to stretch in an impact.

Get the bar

[Joe]

rollbar or bust.

i am a huge advocate of never installing a harness in a car without a rollbar.

people think of your cars safety as an individual purchase thing when in actuality everything ties into each other. you need a rollbar and a harness to be safe, not one or the other.

[Bubba1]

rollbar or bust.

i am a huge advocate of never installing a harness in a car without a rollbar.

people think of your cars safety as an individual purchase thing when in actuality everything ties into each other. you need a rollbar and a harness to be safe, not one or the other.

Very true, rule one in racing is to never take a short cut when it comes to safety. And harnesses without a rollbar represents a short cut. There are many that argue that a rollover is a rare event and well worth the risk of having harnesses without a rollbar. But as someone who haswitnessed rollovers on the racetrack, both with and without rollbars, I personally want the ability to duck in a rollover situation if there's no rollbar. So unless you're driving an old Volvo, the roof is likely going to collapse in a rollover. And harnesses prevent you from ducking. There is no right or wrong decision with harnesses, just understand that there is more risk with them.

Now, as far as crossing them for extra strength, that is not true unless the manufacturer specifically designed them that way. So if you're going to put harnesses in, I strongly recommend getting a proper harness bar and then following the manufacturers instructions.

[matt_2036]

But what if you can't fit inside the car with the roll bar? For a 350z for example (that I ahve) is not requered to use a roll bar at certain tracks, is it okay then just to ahve the harness bar?

[Bubba1]

But what if you can't fit inside the car with the roll bar? For a 350z for example (that I ahve) is not requered to use a roll bar at certain tracks, is it okay then just to ahve the harness bar?

Matt, If you can't fit inside a standard bolt in type 350Z rollbar, you might consider going with a custom one. Yes, it'll cost more, but they can be made to fit you. Unfortunately the 350Z's roof is not strong enough to withstand a roll over, so there's a good chance it will collapse on you if it does roll. If you're wearing a 4/5 pt harness, you won't be able to duck. So if that roof collapses, The roof crushes straight down on your helmet and drives your head right into your chest. Pretty much instant death.

It all boils down to risk. Odds are you won't roll it, but if you do roll it without a roll bar, you're more likely to survive that type of crash wearing a 3 point belt rather than a harness. There are many guys out there willing to take that risk and put in harnesses without the rollbar. I'm not one of them.

Yes they look sporty and cool and feel safe & snug. But as a guy with thousands of track miles under his belt, I would strongly recommend you not going the cheap route and installing harnesses without a roll bar.

[Slappy]

Make sure you listen to these guys. If you install your harnesses wrong , like at an angle , and not at shoulder height , you take the risk of spine compression if you have a frontal impact.

All quality harnesses come with instructions about this. You'll need a harness bar , roll bar , or roll cage.

[crackler]

What Kamin and Bubba said about having a roll bar if you plan on using a harness. if you don't plan on putting at least a hoop and harness bar in, don't do a harness, and I am not a big fan of caged cars as street cars. My bones are softer than a roll cage.

And IIRC the SCCA spec is +/- 15 degrees off of the shoulder height But I could be wrong. You want it as close as possible to YOUR shoulder height.

Also, I have BOTH my harness and 3 pnt factory belts in place. harnesses are a PITA on the street. When I am properly buckled in with my harness on, I can't reach my car door to close it, if it all the way open.