Confused on safety equipment?
 

Hey guys, I need some help on this I'm kinda lost. A little background I've been racing in auto-x for a couple years now and I feel that I'm more prepared to finally get on the track. I have my first session scheduled for oct 17th at NJMP Lightning, I'm just signed up for progressively paced laps.

I'm shopping around for a harness and harness bar, but I have no idea what I'm looking for in a harness, where I can mount it, and what harness' are recommended. I'm going to be purchasing the cipher auto harness bar, trying to keep things somewhat affordable.


Any of you track gurus got some really good advice for me? Anything helps. Thanks guys.

Don't buy a 5 or 6 point belt unless you have a roll cage (not a harness bar). The only multi point harnesses I would run without a cage have a breakaway section on the inner shoulder strap so that if you roll the strap will give way before the roof breaks your neck.

That said, you don't need a harness bar and multi point harnesses for your first track sessions.

If you want to feel tightened down in the seat, one of these should be sufficient:


http://www.walmart.com/ip/21391103?w...139312&veh=sem

you should first and foremost ask the organizers of your particular event which rules they follow. They should tell you the type of standards they expect from their belts, from which you could figure out the pool from which to buy.


having said that, your car's 3-point is fine for a first time is more than adequate..


hell, I'd just stick a CG-Lock in and call it a day.

What wparsons said.

what they all said.

All jokes aside, I have ran 9 events with stock seats and stock belts. Unless you are a big dude that won't fit in the seat, you're perfectly fine.
And if you bounce around too much... either your suspension is set up wrong or you have horrible track surfaces.

-alex

thank you very very much fellas, i've had some fast cars but never had to put in a harness or harness bars or anything. Looks like I'll just get the clip for my stock belt for now. Thanks!

I recommend you just go to the track initially with 100% stock safety equipment.

To properly use a harness, you need a cage, and a 5 or 6 point harness, and an appropriate bucket seat. You'll also need a head and heck restraint, and probably an airbag removal.

Unless you have *all* of the safety equipment together, you're actually hurting the safety of the car and putting yourself at risk of worse injury.

Everything @CSG Mike recommended is the way(s) to go : all stock or dive deep into roll-bar, seats and 5/6 point harness, and HANS (or equiv.), etc.

Everything in between is almost always less safe.

Confused on safety equipment?
 

For HPDE I use Simpson R3 with sliding tether attached to the helmet, OEM seat belts and seats.

It should also be added that you have to have a correctly fitted seat to use a 5 or 6 point harness along with the mount for the harness being at the correct height for that seat. If the harness mount is too low it could crush your back in a wreck and I think too high also has unpleasant results. Similarly, just threading the harness through headrest mounts on a stock seat is quite likely to tear apart the seat and leave some part of your body taking excessive load (ie. the belt could crush your internal organs as all of your mass being decelerated is focused on one part of your body). Safety is hard and you really need to build a proper system; half ass'ing it puts you in extreme risk during a bad accident.