Hey guys, I just finished installing a autopower 4pt race roll bar with a friend this past weekend and was curious about the harness mounting. I've read that mounting the harness directly around the harness bar is the ideal method? I only have Sparco 2" 4-pt bolt-in harnesses currently that I previously had mounted to the rear seat area and I'm curious what the ideal method for mounting them is now with the roll bar? Should I still pull the harnesses over the harness bar then down to the floor to bolt in or should I just continue bolting them directly to the floor and just utilize the harness bar once I pick up some wrap around harnesses? I'm just using the car for recreational trackdays. I've been reading conflicting information about harness mounting and I'll attach some pictures below that confuse me further on the correct harness mounting position:
Here's my bar:

Here's a Kirk cage with the the harness over the bar and bolted to the floor:

No harness bar on the roll bar in this one, and the harness is mounted directly to the floor:

Same deal here:

So what is the ideal method of mounting them on my bar?? Any advice would be great, thanks!

 

Ditch the 2" 4 point belts and pick up a 3", 5 or 6 point SFI approved belt.

Wrap it around the harness bar of the rollbar, that way it keeps the belt lengths short Less stretch on impact.

 

I concur

 

I agree with .RJ - get a 3" belt that is designed to wrap around the harnes bar.

But, until then, I'd mount the current belts similarly to the bottom two pictues (directly to the floor in the rear seat area, using the stock anchor pointsif possible).

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Crack Monkey &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
But, until then, I'd mount the current belts similarly to the bottom two pictues (directly to the floor in the rear seat area, using the stock anchor pointsif possible).</TD></TR></TABLE>

Why not over the harness bar and then to the floor? Isn't that essentially what a "guide bar" is supposed to do?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by travis &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Why not over the harness bar and then to the floor?</TD></TR></TABLE>

To reduce total belt stretch?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by JeffS &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

To reduce total belt stretch? </TD></TR></TABLE>

Yea, I don't know which is a better compromise: length or angle.

 

I thought an excessive down angle would be undesireable because it can cause your spine to compress. In a non rollover accident (head on into a wall) it's going to push down on your spine, whereas if it went over the harness bar and then down the angle of force is (somehwat) perpendicular to the spine.

Cheers,
Sean

 

thanks for the advice everybody. I ended up dropping by Rod Millen and I picked up a set of the 3" competition harnesses that can properly mount onto the harness bar


Modified by SoichiroH at 11:25 PM 2/17/2004

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by SoichiroH &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">thanks for the advice everybody. I ended up dropping by Rod Millen and I picked up a set of the 3" competition harnesses that can properly mount onto the harness bar


Modified by SoichiroH at 11:25 PM 2/17/2004</TD></TR></TABLE>

Problem solved

 

Update: Finally finished installing the 3" belts (I was waiting for the longer eyebolts I ordered from RW to come in). Thanks again for the advice guys, now I feel much more at ease that everything is done correctly

 

don't forget to pad those bars around your head...

 

What size and wall thickness is that tube? It's probably best to mount directly to that.

All things being equal, around the tube is best. Unless of course it is not strong enough, and most people grossly underestimate how strong that mounting needs to be...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by bulldog_RS20 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">don't forget to pad those bars around your head...</TD></TR></TABLE>

ditto for your poor passenger. Otherwise, looks good from here.

 

who did your guys cages?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by joesefcivic &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">who did your guys cages?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Which ones?

Most of the rollbars are either Autopower or Kirk Racing (the two most common bolt-in applications). These usually run in the $350-$500 range.

The roll cages are a mix of Autopower, Kirk, and custom jobs. The Autopower and Kirk stuff ranges from $600-$1000. Custom jobs range from $1000-$2500.