Harness Shoulder Straps

[P I Staker]

For some background I'm building a Peugeot 106 rally car just now, it is being built on a tight budget for single venue rallys.

I managed to get hold of an OMP bolt in cage, unfortunately though this cage has no harness bars. Just now (As a road car) the shoulder straps go down to the rear seat belt points but this puts them at a steep angle and we all know that's not ideal.

My question is can I weld in a harness bar between the rear supports on the cage? Will this pass scrutineering? Or is there a better option?

[Weslake-Monza]

If the harness is of the correct standard it will be motorsport legal. However, even a minor accident might give you neck or back injuries due to the pull of the shoulder straps which might persuade the marshalls to remove the car's roof to get you out on whatever a medical board thing is called. The speed of the accident/decelaration and your weight will be factors on the pull of the shoulder straps.

It's in your interests to either find a way to bolt in a lateral bar and being bolt in ought not infringe the legality of the existing bar, or some other means of reducing the angle of the shoulder straps.

Any photos?

[P I Staker]

Thanks, would obviously like the car to be as safe as possible!


This is not my car but it is a 106 and the cage is very similar...

[Weslake-Monza]

They look to be about 40 degrees which will be ok. It's the 60+ degree which gets undesirable.

[P I Staker]

Ok thanks, I'll take a closer look at my car and make sure it will be ok.

Certainly makes my life a lot easier if they can just stay as is.

[skeggysteve]

The blue book has all the relevant details you need and it's online:

http://www.msauk.org/uploadedfiles/msa_forms/blueb...

Page 33 of the above pdf shows the allowed belt angles.

[P I Staker]

skeggysteve said:

The blue book has all the relevant details you need and it's online:

http://www.msauk.org/uploadedfiles/msa_forms/blueb...

Page 33 of the above pdf shows the allowed belt angles.

I had just managed to find that earlier actually. Unfortunately though if the belts are beyond that angle I don't know what I can do with it (Could I weld a couple of bars between the rear stays and the diagonal on the cage?), as I said I'll need to check my car.

[tapkaJohnD]

If you do anything to your OE bar, and it is a commercial one, it will lose its homologation.
Suggets weld/bolt a cross bar between the rear suspenion turrets, just below window sill level, where there look to be some convenient pressings that would be quite strong enough. Then as above, the Blue Book will guide you.

John

[indigorallye]

Sell your OMP cage and buy a Safety Devices Cup Car cage.
They come up on the Rallye Register quite often.

[P I Staker]

tapkaJohnD said:

If you do anything to your OE bar, and it is a commercial one, it will lose its homologation.
Suggets weld/bolt a cross bar between the rear suspenion turrets, just below window sill level, where there look to be some convenient pressings that would be quite strong enough. Then as above, the Blue Book will guide you.

John

Exactly the answer I was looking for, thank you.

indigorallye said:

Sell your OMP cage and buy a Safety Devices Cup Car cage.
They come up on the Rallye Register quite often.

I'll have a look, I doubt I could get one for near the price I paid for the OMP but thanks.

[Weslake-Monza]

The angles in the blue book for rear harness straps are NOT mandatory and never have been since there is no 'not acceptable' range. However, perhaps it would be better if there was a clearly defined 'not accepted' range for angles steeper than 45 degrees. K2.1.10 says 'should not be' but ought to say 'must not be' and even then the angle is likely to be 80 degrees negative from vertical.