Race harness...

[TT Tim]

I've had a look back through posting on this forum, re: fitting a 3 point harness in the Cerb', but having looked at the car has anyone had experience of actually fitting one? I ask as there is so little room between the transmission tunnel and the seat, I am concerned that there isn't room to fit an eye.

Thanks

Tim

[gazzab]

my last cerb had one fitted - cant remember where the eyes were fitted. Am sure APM can fit.

[SlvrCrb]

gazzab said:

my last cerb had one fitted - cant remember where the eyes were fitted. Am sure APM can fit.

he can and very well too

[TT Tim]

Hi SlvrCrb, I saw your engine when I dropped my car off. It looked like the stuff of nightmares!

Hope you get it back on the road soon.

Tim

[SlvrCrb]

TT Tim said:

Hi SlvrCrb, I saw your engine when I dropped my car off. It looked like the stuff of nightmares! Hope you get it back on the road soon. Tim

I haven't seen it yet, just waved it bye-bye on the lo-loader 3 weeks ago. There's been sooo many issues with that feckin car in 14 months that I'm at the end of the thread that holds the tether onto the piece of straw that is being placed on the camel's back . Take a look at my car profile and you'll see what I mean. Decision time is looming....

[cerber450]

I fitted a set last year in the cerb. The harness was the easy part. once the seat belt clip was removed there was more than enough room for the eye bolt. Getting the seats out was the hardest part only due to the fact the nuts and bolts turned in the seat rails making it a pig to get a hold of! Aparently they all do that sir!!!

www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?t=184895

[TT Tim]

SlvrCrb said:

TT Tim said: Hi SlvrCrb, I saw your engine when I dropped my car off. It looked like the stuff of nightmares! Hope you get it back on the road soon. Tim I haven't seen it yet, just waved it bye-bye on the lo-loader 3 weeks ago. There's been sooo many issues with that feckin car in 14 months that I'm at the end of the thread that holds the tether onto the piece of straw that is being placed on the camel's back . Take a look at my car profile and you'll see what I mean. Decision time is looming....

Yep, I see what you mean, but with new g'box, engine and suspension, you'd be crazy to get shot! You've replaced all the 'big' bits, and you just know it's more fun that a 911 even if it's not as bullitproof!

Tim

[TT Tim]

cerber450 said:

I fitted a set last year in the cerb. The harness was the easy part. once the seat belt clip was removed there was more than enough room for the eye bolt. Getting the seats out was the hardest part only due to the fact the nuts and bolts turned in the seat rails making it a pig to get a hold of! Aparently they all do that sir!!! www.pistonheads.co.uk/gassing/topic.asp?t=184895

Hmm, nice:

I know what you mean about the seat bolts, I jammed a screwdriver in the runner to stop the head from jumping up, I've used stainless set screws to refit, and used the two-nut locking technique, so you can at lease take the torque off the nut and you're not fighting against a nyloc!

Tim

[SlvrCrb]

TT Tim said:

Yep, I see what you mean, but with new g'box, engine and suspension, you'd be crazy to get shot! You've replaced all the 'big' bits, and you just know it's more fun that a 911 even if it's not as bullitproof! Tim

A 911 would never be an option (Nervous has one for a start ) but would probably go '67-'69 mustang IF i was to sell. I know what you're saying about having now replaced the "big bits" but I've had 2 gearboxes AND 2 clutches. It's killing me slowly but surely but I know that as soon as I get back in her, slowly warm her up over 25 miles and then apply the loud pedal all hell will break loose and I'll be like a dog with 2 tails again.

DAMN YOU WHEELER. DAMN YOU!!!

[GreenV8S]

cerber450 said:

Getting the seats out was the hardest part only due to the fact the nuts and bolts turned in the seat rails making it a pig to get a hold of!

A good trick for that is to use an open ended spanner end-on from above, if you see what I mean.

[jesfirth]

you don't actually need to replace the seat. Once you have a harness it will hold you in place just fine. You could also change the existing ms bolts for bolts with a head to which the harnesses can be clipped-they are availbale from dmon tweaks and similar places but you need the ones with the long thread. I have used these and the harness can be removed in under a minute. If you do this and you take kids in the back seats you will nedd some padding on the bolt head to prevent them banging their heads on it.

[TT Tim]

jesfirth said:

you don't actually need to replace the seat. Once you have a harness it will hold you in place just fine. You could also change the existing ms bolts for bolts with a head to which the harnesses can be clipped-they are availbale from dmon tweaks and similar places but you need the ones with the long thread. I have used these and the harness can be removed in under a minute. If you do this and you take kids in the back seats you will nedd some padding on the bolt head to prevent them banging their heads on it.

That's my plan.

Keep existing seats, add eye bolts and clip in the 3-point harness as and when required.

Do you have a link to the long eye bolts? I'm looking at getting the harness from Rally Design, as it's local to me, but they don't seem to list long eye bolts.

I used to have an Elise with full harness and it was a nightmare to drive, you couldn't lean forward to look around at junctions, was a real PITA, so I want to keep the inertial belts as well.

Tim

[TooTall Paul]

Hi Tim

I have them in mine the single strap clips onto the rear belt loop, then just behind the headrest splits into two. Then theres a loop at eitherside. You can remove the rear strap easly but the side straps are very difficult to remove so i leave those in for normal day to day driving. (hope that makes sense)

[jesfirth]

try demon tweaks for the bolts 01978-664466. I think their reference is DB420 but I am not sure.

You can use the short bolts for harnesses but not if you retain the inertia belts as well because its all too thick for the length of the bolt if you understand what I mean.

One other point you want a 4p oint harness not three and you need extra long straps.

>> Edited by jesfirth on Wednesday 8th February 21:30

[Julian64]

Be careful at MOT time, I have a feeling that a three point harness is actual illegal below a certain age.

Its def illegal for a kit car to present to an SVA with a three point harness.

Might be worth checking cos it seems like a lot of work once a year

[purpleheadedcerb]

I seem to remember it has something to do with the type of buckle release not being compliant. If its the aircraft style release, they don't comply. Can't quite remember now.

[mikesr]

Street legal harnesses have to be ECE-R approved.
Any street legal harness will have a push button release like an ordinary seat belt.
In an emergency anyone rescuing you would know how to undo the harness since it works the same as a seat belt.

I think clip in ones could still fail an MOT if a ring bolt is used into the C pillar - something to do with the radius of the curve on it since its projecting into the passenger compartment?

I decided against using clip in - the C pillar bolt is too close to the childs head for my peace of mind. I'm planning on using a 3 point Scrotch harness onto the C pillar (if I ever get around to fitting them). The belt will follow the same route as the normal inertia reel so in theory at least could be used when the kids are in the back.

[greenv8s]

Make sure that the rear straps are pulling straight back on the centerline of the driver's seat, otherwise they will pull your neck sideways in an accident. Similarly, no more than 45 degrees from horizontal.