I bought a Sabelt harness at the end of last season, but noticed it doesnt fit very well. I can't get a good solid hold on the lower belts, they're tight as they go but I still have too much wiggle room. I had to raise them up near the bottom of my ribs in order to get a firm hold, this isnt good. So what are you guys using with stock seats? I can either sell the Sabelt cheap and pick up a Tenzo R fixed seat from a friend for the same price as I sell the harness, or I just go ahead and invest in a set of great harnesses that will work with the stock seats OR aftermarket seats. Sparco? Ralliart maybe?

 

anyone?

 

Takata harnesses are track proven, but it may have to do a lot with your seat as well. Maybe you're too skinny for the 'fatass' American seats Mitsu sent here.

 

Sounds like an installation problem. Where are the lower belts attached? The belt mounts need to be positioned to allow the belt to be tightened fully.

 

make sure you have the right size harnesses, I once tried to use the Sparco harness that were for a harness bar or 2door and it was tight and uncomfortable. I would suggest double checking if it is correctly installed also. I would suggest: Willans, Sabelt, and Takata.

 

I assume you're talking about one of their cheap, 4-point, 2" wide harnesses, right?


None of these 4-point harness systems really works well. You need an anti-sub strap to keep the lap belt down (otherwise it lifts up when you tighten the shoulder straps). The problem with our stock seats is we didn't get a proper slot in the seat-bottom to use 5- or 6-point belts. That means our seats will not really work safely in harness applications.

(BTW, you list Sparco as a potential replacement ofr your Sabelt. Sparco and Sabelt are the same company...only the branding is different).

Emre

 

Sure. So are Schroth, OMP, Sparco/Sabelt, Momo, Willians, Simpson and many others. Takata has a following in (surprise!) Japan...and is therefore favored by JDM fetishists. Worldwide, Schroth dominates in terms of popularity with racers, followed by Sparco/Sabelt.

But all of this is totally irrelevant since we're not talking about 3" wide 5-pointers with camlocks, but cheesy 2" wide 4-pointers with buckles. None of these "tuner" belts are not track legal anyway. Not only that, but most are not even legal to use on the street! Schroth finally managed to put together a system that has been given DOT approval, so now there's at least one that will be allowed on the street. But for the most part, these are show belts and not genuine safety equipment.

The only time you are allowed to use tuner belts in any kind of competition is when you run some stock classes in autocross (Solo 2). They are specifically outlawed by all race sanctioning bodies for use on the track.

Emre

 

So what belts are track legal, work with the stock seats and are affordable (say under $300)?

 

up

 

Unfortunately, there's no track-legal harnesses system you can use with stock seats. That's because we don't have a slot in the seat-bottom for an anti-sub strap. Without one, you're stuck with a 4-point unit. And no 4-pointers are legal.

If you must use stock seats and a 4-point harness system, then you can use pretty much whatever you like. Just pick an FIA-approved 3" system with some form of quick-release mechanism. Cam locks are best, but latch and locks are OK and cost much less.

Start with Racer Wholesale for some inexpensive options. Personally, I like Simpson's Platinum Series the best. But you can't really go wrong with Schroth.

Emre

 

I guess the Sabelt I got might be the cheap one, I paid about 90$ for it at a local Audi tuner. The problem I have was described in a few posts here, when you tighten the torso straps the lap belts start moving up Guess I'll just have to invest in a fixed position seat that I can use a 5 point with....doesnt that just suck lol, hopefully I can find a good deal on a nice light one

 

been in schroth before and they fit nice and im skinny

 

You should look into the Willans belts. They have a 6 point belt that does not need a sub belt hole in the seat. The two bottom belts in effect wrap around your legs then return to lap belt mounting points.

I don't know if this instillation is legal but it is used by track guys driving expensive street machines that dont want to disturb their nice stock seats. For that matter I don't know what makes the Willans different in this respect than another manufacture's six point harness.

Might be best if you go to the track you want to "race " with and see what others are using.
I will say that whatever belts you go with, keep the original shoulder belt too, if you can. Driving around town in a harness is a major pita. I was able to keep it hooked up to my aftermarket mounting frame(not stock seat) and it really makes daily driving much more comfortable. With a harness you really cant look over your shoulder when backing up, pay at the drive though window, turn up the radio...

 

These types of belts (like most 6-pointers) are designed for seats that are reclined at extreme angles (like in formula cars). They're not meant for upright seating positions (like in sedans).


If guys are running these belts in sedans, then they're taking a risk. This is not the intended use for these types of belts. They will not be adequately protected from submarining in the case of an accident.

Emre

 

I had the same problem with a Corbeau harness once. I am assuming you mounted the lap belts to the stock mounting locations? If so, you need to drill a hole in your floorpan to mount the inner lap belt further back. And if that doesn't fit, do the same to the outter belt. Make sure to use grade 8 bolts and large washers to hold it in securely. But with all that said, the harness still won't be street or track legal (these kinds of belts are really only good for autocross or car shows). They will probably let you use it on an open track session, but you're risking your neck (literally).

So if you want to do track events, just give your stock seatbelt a good yank to engage the lock, and save your pennies for a nice seat/roll bar/harness combination when you're ready to get serious.