1cockyZ

iTrader: (46)

After comparing prices of roll bars to harness bars. A weld in 4 point might be a possibilty. Still doesn't give me mounting points for my lap belts.

mhoward1

If I remember correctly, Glen Mead mounted is side lap belts at the stock 3 point locations, then added eye bolts to the front seat mounting location (which is reinforced) for a 6 point harness. The shoulder belts were mounted onto his roll bar with harness mount bar.

I will see his and a few others next weekend and can verify

daveh

iTrader: (9)

For the lap belts. On the outboard side, you can use the stock seatbelt mouning location. For the inboard side, is typical to mount a backing plate in the transmission tunnel. This is what my installer did during the rollbar installation.

Stack

Obviously, the mounting may not be ideal... but if you can use the factory mounting points for the lap belts, then I'd suggest doing that instead of welding anything to the car. For the anti-sub straps, what I did in my personal car was use the rear seat bracket mounting points. Obviously, the belt attachment had to go under the bracket, but the difference is not noticeable. Then again, I was able to modify my seat so the straps worked through the seat bottom, I don't think you can do that with the 350Z seats (at least not easily or cheaply.) Here are some pics of my install:




Not sure if that would work for your application or not, either for the lap belts or the anti-sub straps, but maybe it'll spark some alternatives.

1cockyZ

iTrader: (46)

That sounds very logical. If you could bring along a camera that would be great. Are the front seat base bolts to far forward for a proper six point installation? I was thinking about making some u shaped brackets and fastening them using the rear seat base mounting bolts. The lap belt bolted to the outside and the sub belts mounted to the inside. It would position the sub belt mounting points more than 4" apart and also you can use the same mount for the lap belt as the sub belt in a six point installation. My seat is as thin bottomed as it gets so they would run through the sub belt hole and under my ****. If anybody see's anything wrong with this let me know. I am just reading the information and trying to tie it in to my application.

Axelerate

iTrader: (19)

I got a eye let bolt the same size as the outside factory seatbelt bolt to use. I think I got it from Pegasus.

For the other side I drilled a hole with a plate like others have.

1cockyZ

iTrader: (46)

To further up the safety of that kind of install the bolt that goes through the seat base then through the floor and into a backing plate. Thats what I am thinking.

gixracer

iTrader: (2)

fro a 5/ 6 point sub my solution was self fabricated using the stock mount for my sub strap. the outboard lap is in the oem spot, and the inboard is drilled and 4"plated to scca spec.

the sub mount is coppied from brey krause who is heavilly tied in with the pca and their rules. the coppied mount is for a corvette.
the z mount wat a little trickey because i used round holes instead of the ovalized ones. the z holes are not square and have different distances(go figure)
the reason for the eyehole was because i needed the length for the strap because going around was to long and the system i had did not have enough length
heres the pics

tomzz

Anybody seen or using the Recaro Speed 5 pt seats? Seems like an interesting option as a comprimise for a street and DE track use Z? It has a sub strap hole with more comfort, tilt, but with what looks like pretty good lateral support.

Any opinions or experience with this seat? This seat in a Z?

OPTIMO

Just to confirm, I can run Cobra Suzuka seats with the OEM 3 point seat belts and no roll/harness bar, correct? I've not seen anyone use this setup. I don't want to invest in a rollbar w/harnesses, I just want more lateral grip than the OEM seats can provide. Thoughts? I had some Corbeau (I didn't buy them - I didn't like them) in my E30 M3 and they ran with the OEM seat belt until the rollbar went in.

Also, will the OEM seat belt clear the shoulder padding of a race seat? I'd also like to mount them as low as possible. The stock seats are too high.

Stack

Who are you trying to confirm with? It is IMPERATIVE that you contact directly any organization you plan to run with and make sure the set up you're contemplating will be approved. We (Triangle Z/Tarheel SCC, Asphalt Ventures) would have to take a close look at how your stock belts worked with those seats. If the seat prevented the stock belts from fitting properly, that set up would not be allowed (and my guess looking at the seat is that they would, in fact, prevent the stock shoulder belt from wrapping around properly, and most likely the lap belts as well unless you can figure out a way to run them through the lap belt routing holes.)

IF all you need is some more lateral grip... look into the cheap solutions first:

1. How you drive? if you keep your hands at 9-3, you lose some lateral support in the turns. Try pre-positioning your hands so they'll be at 9-3 IN the turn
2. If you have leather seats, try sitting on some tool-box shelf grip liner (that black knobby foam stuff that keeps your tools from sliding around), you'd be surprised how well that stuff works
3. Slide your seat back a little, put your belts on, make sure your seat back is upright, then slide your seat forward so you "lock yourself" into your belts
4. Look into the CG-Lock for your stock belts

OPTIMO

Thanks for the advice.
1 - done.
2 - Purposely bought cloth.
3 - done.
4 - Will do.

Stack

NP... FWIW, my advice comes from six years of working my way up through the TZC/THSCC ranks without harnesses or race seats. Granted, that time has been spent in slower cars than a 350Z, but the theories are sound. But it speaks to an overall philosophy that you can reach a point where going faster only increases your risk factor, not your fun factor.

white_sg

maybe I missed something but when you use a seat with the holes in the headrest for the straps and lower holes where do "they" want you to mount the harness?

For example when using this seat?

mhoward1

The harnesses still get mounted in the same specified locations, the holes in the seats just allow a smoother pass through. There are no mounts on the seats themselves.

Morris

iTrader: (1)

I am almost certain Glenn's eye bolts for the sub straps are in the rear seat mount locations.

white_sg

Oh ok. I just stumbled into a good deal on one of these seats and wanted to make sure Im going the right route. Found one for 179$ lightly used. Ill be using it for autox mostly and some hpde. And harness bars are not allowed, forgive my "noobness" could someone post some pics of a setup please.

tomzz

Hi,


PCA begins with the use of Harnesses and they goes to seats and then what it attached to. If you use harnesses you then must have race seats designed to go with the harness, ie 5-6 pt must have sub strap and shoulder holes. PCA does not specify a roll cage or roll bar, but specifies the proper angle of the harness strap, normally offered by a roll bar of cage. I will attach the written text from the PCA rule book fior your review. That could mean a "harness bar". My personal take on the harness, then race seats gig is that if you have a race harness, and race seats, you will be driving in conditions that basic safety would require at lest a roll bar if not a roll cage. A roll bar is about the cost of your medical deductible.

I put in a padded roll Bar when I installed harnesses 4 years ago and put race seats in when the PCA rule went into effect lats year.

Here is PCA Rule.

Hope this helps - Safety First!!\

Tom


3. Harness Systems: If the participant chooses to install a 5 or 6 point
driving harness ( four point systems are not safe and therefore not
allowed) several changes to the automobile must be made to create a
safe occupant restraint system. Harnesses must include a
antisubmarine strap and be mounted in an approved manner
consistent the manufacturer’s instructions. The Harness system must
be used in conjunction with a seat which has the supplied routing holes
for the shoulder and anti-submarine belts. All pieces of the restraint
system must be installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s
instructions.
This means that a seat is required to have the proper routing holes for
the harness as supplied by the seat manufacturer for the shoulder and
anti-submarine straps. The shoulder straps should be mounted at 90
degrees to the axis of your spine or at most 40 degrees down from
horizontal. Because the addition of the harness system means that the
occupants are fastened upright in the vehicle, a properly padded roll
bar or roll cage is strongly encouraged to complete the SYSTEM. The
use of one without the other may result in an unsafe environment and
is not a COMPLETE SYSTEM. Due to UV degradation and wear the
harness webbing must be replaced every five years.

white_sg

so, you could use seat above and a 5/6 point with no harness bar(I've always heard they are unsafe so I adopted that view)/roll bar/roll cage by using correct angles or no?

Stack

There is no good way to mount harnesses at the proper angle and structural integrity without using a harness bar integrated into a roll bar or roll cage.

Harness guide holes are just that: Guides The seat is NOT a structural member and will not perform properly in the event of an impact. For example: you cannot mount harness shoulder straps to the floor behind the seat and run them up and then through the guide holes. In an impact, the seat will either buckle under the force, or (depending on where your shoulders are in relation to the guide holes) the belts will exert force in a downward fashion on your spine causing spinal compression. The same theory applies even if you can mount the belts somehow to the rear bulkhead.