Harness Chat

[Tsurara]

I am in the market for new harnesses. I talked with the guys at HMSMotorsport, who were reccomended to me by many, and one of their suggestions struck me as odd, since it isn't very traditional (I was always told to use a 3" shoulder and 3" lap), I just wanted everyones opinion on it.

I was originally interested in the Schroth Profi III because it was a solid 3"shoulder/3" lap belt. They told me the Profi II would be a better bet. The Profi II has a 3" shoulder and 2" lap belt. They said the 2" belt allowed it to be an inch and a half tighter to the pelvis, which added extra safety because it would be acting quicker in an accident. It apparently is more comfortable also. Also SCCA rules changed to allow 2" lap belts. I guess I shouldn't question their judgement since they are a reputable shop and know their stuff, but I just wanted some opinions.

Any thoughts?

[WillM]

I recently moved to a Schroth 2" lap belt & 3" shoulder 6-point harness. While the web wrapping proceedure around the hardware is unorthodox, it works. I specifically went with the 2" lap belt for the 'better fit', and in my opinion, it works as advertised. Perhaps the biggest advantage is that the more narrow 2" lap belt fits the opening in the seat a little better, which allows the belt to tighten down where it wants to, as opposed to where the seat opening allows.

[WillM]

Oh, and a quick note about the adjustible anti-sub belts. They are a great idea that was killed by a lousy execution. The adjusters are under the seat and unreachable when installed, making them totally useless. Worse, when I installed mine, the adjusters sat in such a position that they were pinched against the seat bottom (when the harnesses were tightened) and stuck in the 'release' mode. I had to remove the belts and adjust the length several times to make it work. Would have been much easier without the adjusters.

[Tsurara]

Thanks a lot for the info Will!

[brucesallen]

I moved to a Schroth 6 point 2 inch lap and 2 inch shoulder to go with the HANS I got last summer AFTER a crash with the wall in the oval. Much more comfortable and easier to adjust in the confines of a formula car. And the shoulder belt fits in the HANS better and the adjusters are lower so your helmet won't hit them with a HANS.