i didnt want to hijack the other thread and confuse the issue, but i got a curious question as to how you guys with a seat back brace actually get in and out of your seats. i DONT use one, and i cant imagine having to first, get in and out, and secondly strap the harness tight everytime. sure it could be done, and made easier with a removable steering wheel. but i use the stock sliders to push the seat back to get out of the car, and after i connected the harness with the straps slack because the seat is all the way back, then i just have to slide the seat back to normal position. it comes back to the same position when my voice gets high pitched fro mthe squeezing anti sub strap. the seat i use is a MOMO start fiberglass seat which is ok to not use a seat brace since its got the FIA cert. so how do you guys with seat back braces slide your seat, or you dont slide it, or you have someone else adjust your brace everytime you get in the car?

 

my seat stays put. i get in/out with the help of a removable steering wheel.

-tony

 

most dont slide.

 

With working sliders, wouldn't you want a seatback brace? I am just visualizing them "sliding" in a hard rear impact causing slackness in the belts.

 

There is plenty of room to get in/out with a stationary seat. I don't use a QR hub, just a smaller than stock wheel. Seat is a Momo Rookie mounted almost on floor. I do use a seat back brace, because they only stopped requiring them this year and I'm not sure if the Momo has the correct FIA label.

I'm not keen on the idea of sliding seats in a race car. Just another thing to fail in an accident.

 

If you seat has been properly mounted even with "sliders" it will not move during a crash. I know this first hand actually

As for the seat back braces, they are BAD NEWS to a lot of people including myself. The FIA seats do not require the seat back brace as it defeats the manufacturer's design and recommendations for seat mounting etc. The reversal came when some of the seat manufacturer's provided PROOF that having the seat back brace could in fact cause deadly injuries. I removed mine after the pleasant reading I did last year about the problems.

SCCA mandated them in the first place from a single accident that occured and did not IMO put enough thought into the rule when they created it. I am glad that you are given the choice to go with the seat manufacturer's recommendations for mounting instead of the "rulesmakers" in this case.

 

I am 5' 7" so I have no problems getting in and out.

 

I had no idea they were that "locked" in - never tested that feature out fortunately. I guess it makes sense as they are safe enough for highway use.

 

yeah my seat, the same as the Rookie seat just renamed, is mounted to the stock rails using an adaptor plate, so if they are good for highway crash tests, then im not worried. i need to pay more attention as to what other drivers are doing in the paddock...

so are you guys saying that you guys loosen your harness and then retighten it everytime you strap in? because otherwise, especially with my camlock, there would be no way to insert all 5 points without a whole lot of slack.


[Modified by Tyson, 9:29 PM 8/8/2002]

 

We use a slider on my car because my co-driver (enduro races) is 7" taller than me. I am using a Sparco FIA approved slider custom mounted into the car. The stock mounting points are not really that strong IMO. I have a 1" X 2" tube welded across the floorboard & to the side rail & tran. tunnel. Probably overkill but no more so than attaching it as part of the cage. We also have a removable wheel. We use a removable pin on the back brace because of the different driver positions.

I adjust the belts everytime I get in or out of the car.

The reason for the other thread was/is to get some info to possibly present to NASA. If the seat back brace isn't as safe, I don't want to use it!

 

if youre using a slider, try it my way. that way you dont have to loosen it, just push the seat back, strap in, then push the seat up and tighten as necessary depending on clothes and how much you ate, but usually not much. and it really does make it easier to get in and out.

 

That would work if it was just me using the car. The reason that the seat is being moved is because we are doing driver exchanges during a race. There is about a 7" difference in height between us.

 

Tyson,
I loosen the harness when I get ouf of the car. When I get out I also have to push my self up a little by placing one had on the hand brake and the other on the cage. I tighten and re-tighten the harness at the 5min mark and on the warm up lap.

 

That's how I do it. I couldn't reach the pedals with the seat moved back. I also like a "fresh" tension on the belts.

FWIW, I sit very close.

 

No slider here... my seat is bolted right to the floor. Since it's an older spec Momo seat, I have to use a seatback brace, which I have NEVER liked having. I'll get a new seat so I don't need it.

I don't have any trouble sliding past the seat and wheel to get in. Once in, loosen the belts, and get everything connected. At the 5-min warning, I tighten them most of the way... at the 3-min, I tighten them as tight as I can pull 'em.