4 Point harness advice please....

I have my 2 rear straps mounted to the top rear seat belt point and to the centre, lower rear seatbelt point (shown below).

Anyone knoe if this is all ok... or should they both be mounted low down?

 

i think a mate of mine fixed his (in a ford capri) to the middle belt buckle (like you) and the other side to where the old rear seat belt was fixed to the car, so they are both roughly the same height,

tim

 

I think this is what Tim is saying.


(Locations circled in blue)

 

I read somewhere that it aint too good to mount the harness on the rear seat belt bolts high up on either side. Something to do with what happens if you crashed though I can't be more accurate as to what happens sorry. I think the correct position is to have them BOTH low down where you have the left harness in your picture.

 

msa blue book specifies between 45 and 65 degrees to the seat for competition cars (i think), if you roll there will be more give in the belt mounted high up so your body will twist - not good!
IMO it would be better to have both belts low down even if they arent as well lined up as they are now.

best bet would be to attach some proper mounting eyes in the right place using some load spreading plates (see tweeks catalogue page113)

cheers
rob

 

On the same topic is there a way to have 4 point harnesses in a mk2 without making the rear seats useless and so that the back seats can still fold up?

Buzz

 

I was trying to keep the belts mounted onto solid existing points... VW won't have got those wrong!

I think i can mount the right hand side one to the lower belt mounting point... will have to ouble check though.

 

Pick the bones outta that Tub..

 

p.s. I agree with fish18, the most dangerous thing is to have them on different mounting points.

 

I've got a 4 point, but have both the rear straps on the same rear seat belt mounting (where Tub's got his inner belt)

 

tubs, did you say you are getting a cage?
has the cage got belt mounts?
if it hasnt you could add a rear strut brace bar then the seat belts would mount up to these no problems!

gvk - imo yours should be ok.

 

fit a proper rear strut brace (i.e. not a dubweiser one) and strap them around that. ideal.

 

yeah, i'd say phats idea is the best.

remember if they're too low down they can snap the seast in a shunt.

 

i thought that most people use mounting eyes and mount to the rear seat belt buckles? i want a rear strutbrace 4 mine as it goes,been after one for ages! a nice thick chromed 1! any ideas?

 

I read somewhere that a strutbrace isn't ideal unless the mounting points that have been drilled are re-inforced

 

i wouldnt put my harnesses on most of the shiny boy racer rear strut braces you can buy!

i meant that the belts could be atached to a strut brace which was an integral part of a roll cage.

i have a strut brace made from 25mm box steel which has a piece of box welded all the way up the strut tower then a link bar at the top which is triangulated(sp?).
i would say this is strong enough but i still have my harnesses atached to the standard mounts. until i get a cage......

by the way does anyone know where there may be a second hand cage for a mk1? (or an RAC logbook for a mk1 golf for that matter!)

cheers
rob
Edited by: fish18

 

Can't put a rear strut in as i need the boot still for my drum kit. The cage is coming witha removable diagonal in it to fit in with this.

Looking at Golden's post the belt is better higher up (like my O/S strap) rather than lower on the N/S strap.

Right....?

 

Tub, I was once told by very respected race engineer that belt shoulder straps should be near horizontal as if the seat where to break free, with belts at 30-45 degrees the seat can submarine. This causes the shoulder straps to go floppy and your knees to hit the column/dash.

I've never bothered looking into the physics of this, I have just always mounted shoulder straps as close to horizontal as possible

 

sounds fair, thinking about it most roll cages with belt mounting bars, which i have seen, have them about in line with the seat holes so mounting both belts on the rear top mounting might not be too bad. new MSA blue book will be coming in a few days with my competition licence (only just got round to renewing it!) so i will chack the specified angles in there when it comes.

must of been thinking of the lap belts with the 45-65 degrees thing above!

Cheers
Rob
Edited by: fish18

 

has any1 got pics of how their mk1 seats are mounted pls i need 2 do this asap