shoud i install an aftermarket steering wheel?

[toxicity883]

so basically any harness will work?? i think im going to get 5 point cam locks

 

[kahl23]

Cam locks aren't legal for street use. Any restraint that you want to use on the street needs to be released using a red push button with the word "push" on it. That's because there's a worry that otherwise EMTs wouldn't know how to get you out of the car in an emergency.

 

[kahl23]

Also, not "any harness" will work, you need to check to make sure that they meet the specs said above, SFI 16.1 for drag racing (which they will advertise), and the CCR section 15.5. I grabbed this from another forum(i-club) so take it with a grain of salt, but here is section 15.5



page 56
15.5 Driver restraint system
(See diagram at end of section)
1. All vehicles must have a five (5), six (6), or seven (7) point seat belt system. Arm
restraints are required in open cars and cars with: Open T-tops, Open Targa
tops, missing moon/sun roofs, or glass moon/sun roofs.
2. A five (5) point system consists of: a three (3) inch lap belt, two shoulder belts
that are either two (2) or three (3) inches wide, and a two (2) inch anti-submarine
strap.
3. A six (6) point system is recommended for cars where the driver is seated in an
upright (to thirty (30) degrees) or a semi-reclining position. It consists of two (2)
anti-submarine belts in addition to lap and shoulder belts. Note: Current FIA
Approved belt sets with two (2) inch lap belts are acceptable with the six (6) point
system.
4. A seven (7) point system is recommended for seats with more than thirty (30)
degrees of incline. Note: Current FIA Approved belt sets with two (2) inch lap
belts are acceptable with the seven (7) point system.
5. The material of all straps should be Nylon or polyester, and in new or perfect
condition. The buckles should be metal quick release. There should be a
common release for all belts. [Note: Certain Momo brand belts were recalled by
the manufacturer. These are NOT suitable for racing.]
6. The shoulder harness shall be mounted behind the driver and above a line drawn
downward from the shoulder point at an angle of no more than twenty (20)
degrees with the horizontal.
7. The seat, seat holes, and attachments to the seat are not permissible "harness
guides" for compliance with the angle requirement. Only specific harness guide
bars, or parts of the chassis or the cage are allowed to be used for this purpose.
The guide bar, if used, should not present a sharp edge to the belt. It should
provide as much area of support as possible to distribute the load.
8. Only separate shoulder straps are permitted. "H" type belts are allowed. "Y"
type belts are not allowed. Each shoulder strap must have an independent
mounting point.
9. All mounting hardware should be SAE grade five (5) or better. Large diameter
mounting washers should be used to spread the load. Bolting through floor
panels etc. is not acceptable without required washers.
10. All belts should meet at least one of the following:
A) SFI Specification 16.1 or 16.5 (for use with HANS only) and shall bear a
dated label of no more than two (2) years old. At least one date label is
required on belt sets.
B) A restraint system meeting FIA spec #8853/1985, 8853/98, or D-###.T/98,
including amendment 1/92 may be used. FIA certified belts have a label that
shows an expiration date. The belts cannot be used past December 31st of
the year shown on the label. At least one date label is required on belt sets.


page 44

More specifically under the HPDE section

11.4.8 Seatbelts and Harnesses
The seatbelts should be in good condition. No damage may be present on the seatbelts
and they must be the factory configuration. Any harness or any restraint system, other
than factory stock, shall conform to CCR section #15.5, in all respects* except for the
expiration regulations. Harnesses that are expired for racing may be used providing that
they are in at least very good condition. The use of a lap belt without any shoulder
restraint is not permitted. Passenger seatbelts must meet the same minimum
requirements per the CCR as the driver seatbelts if being used by a passenger. Notepassenger
equipment need not match the installed equipment on the driver's side.
*Aftermarket DOT-certified belt sets, installed to the manufacturer's specifications may
be allowed. Proof of DOT certification and proper installation is the driver's
responsibility.

taken from Is this Harness Approved? (NASA) - i-Club


EDIT: Snowboarder I totally overlooked that link to the CCR, that would've saved me some searching...

 

[toxicity883]

Cam locks aren't legal for street use. Any restraint that you want to use on the street needs to be released using a red push button with the word "push" on it. That's because there's a worry that otherwise EMTs wouldn't know how to get you out of the car in an emergency.

couldnt i just keep the stock belts for street use as well as the 5 point for track use?

 

[snowborder714]

I don't believe this would be allowed, but don't quote me on that.

Schroth is the only company that I know of that makes DOT approved harnesses.


kahl, I was going to say, I think I just posted the same thing

 

[kahl23]

couldnt i just keep the stock belts for street use as well as the 5 point for track use?

Well you could, but I don't recommend it. If you wanted to use the stock belts on the street, you'd have to disconnect the harness completely after every use. You can't just leave it lying there because in an accident, the parts of the harness become very heavy mace (think like the medieval spiked weapon) and they'll fly around and hit you in the head. If you're going to get a harness, then get a harness and use it. A couple of warnings: Four point harnesses are worthless. In an accident, the forces are such that you'll actually slide underneath the harness, shattering your knees, legs and/or spine. Five point harnesses are arguably worse. Although they keep you from sliding underneath the seat, if you're a man, they put all that force on your family jewels. More than a few male drivers have damaged their twins in accidents. That's why most harnesses today are six or seven point harnesses. For street driving, Schroth makes something called ASM, which I believe stands for Anti SubMarining. In this system, one of the shoulder belts has an extra flap of material sewn in. The force of the crash causes the stitching to snap, making one shoulder strap longer than the other. This causes you to twist sideways and your pelvic bones lock against the lap belt, keeping you from submarining (like the stock triangular belts do). However, that system isn't SFI approved and I wouldn't suggest using it in a car without airbags because there's a chance you'd hit the steering wheel due to the lengthened belt (even without ASM, a race harness will lengthen up to six inches in a crash, which is why it's so important to wear them tight).

As for what Snowboarder said, Schroth (and I believe Sparco and SABelt) make "tuner" lines of harnesses that look "cool" and probably work pretty well, but these aren't generally approved by any safety body like the SFI or FIA, but they are DOT approved. The other street legal option is a full race harness, that uses the push-button camlock I described earlier rather than the standard twist camlock. All the top brands are good, but I recommend Schroth and their US distributor, HMS Motorsport. Alright, class is dismissed for today.

Oh and for extra credit, the correct way to pronounce Schorth: shroat

 

[selmerguy]

I dont want to argue to much but.... In the Army we use 5 point harnesses. And I have never seen someone die from the Harness being bad. I have never seen any men hurt themselves with the harness so bad they cant have kids. And I seriously doubt that a car accident has more force than the IED's that we hit. But the tracks might be a little more dangerous than Route Irish or some other roads I have been on.

 

[kahl23]

Nah I'd say Route Irish is probably higher on the dangerous scale. However I assume IEDs usually hit from the side, submarining happens in a head on accident at very high speeds. It's not just the force of the impact, but the direction of impact. The things I described are very well documented in auto racing. Stay safe over there and thanks for protecting us.


EDIT: There is a great video on the Schroth site showing exactly what happens when you submarine. Schroth Racing Harnesses go down to "Other Tech Documents" and then click on "Explanation of Schroth ASM"

 

[selmerguy]

Wow that was a good link. Thats crazy. When we got the new MRAPs in Iraq I shat myself when I saw Recaro seats with 5 point harnesses. I was going to try and see if I could get ahold of some but that didnt work out. Even in Blackhawks we wear 5 point harnesses. Crazy now that I see that video.

 

[kahl23]

Haha yeah, it's pretty wild. I think the answer is that in the MRAP, the harnesses are designed to keep you guys from getting thrown around in the event of a roll over. Even in a Blackhawk, it's rare that you'd hit head on, more likely straight up and down. All the same, maybe we should forward that video to the fine people at Sikorsky.