Lots of harness questions

[fissionspeed]

I am about to start mounting my harness in the truck, and would just like to ask a few newbie questions and see if what I'm planning is kosher. This will all be pre-inspected before finish welding but I just wanted to run it by the forum before I started getting too crazy.

For context, my cage is a standard 8.50 cage which will have some additions to be SCTA-friendly. I have a kirkey containment seat mounted to the floor with custom mounts, attached to the factory reinforced mounting points, and ultimately to the harness bar.

Shoulder belts: Attached to the harness bar by wrapping the belt around the bar and back through the adjuster. Restrained laterally by shaft collars. Is this ok or do I need to weld a bolt-in style mount?

Crotch strap: What is considered a satisfactory mounting method? I was considering a thick steel plate, with a backing plate, sandwiching the floor.

Lap belts: I was thinking of installing a rocker bar on the driver's side to mount that side of the lap belt. Should I take that route, what should I do about the other side? There is a factory seatbelt bolt in the area, but it is not in the correct location to get the angle across my hip bone correct. Would it be ill-advised to just reinforce the floor and mount the belts to that instead of bothering with extra bars?

Lastly, what is the standard method of attachment for these straps to their hard points? I see things for sale that would fit the bill in my eyes, like weld-on tabs with bolt holes in them. Is this typically done in single shear or double shear? The belt mounts are able to pivot around the bolt, but is any provision typically made for hinging of the mount? Or do you just weld it on at the proper angle to the seat?

I'm acknowledging that non of this is "legal advice" I'm just wondering what would you do, what have you seen, etc.

[Mike Borders]

Rule Book, Paragraph 3.D in it's entirety.  Get one.

[Dodge Brother]

All of my belt mounts are bolted through the roll bar tubing with welded 0.125"  inserts, to reinforce the tubing. Just my $0.02 but I wouldn't rely on reinforced sheet metal.

[AJR192]

Just wondering why you are bolting the seat to the floor of the car and not the roll cage structure? Every car I have ever raced had a seat mount that was tied to the roll cage structure. If the vehicle crashes the seat should be tied to the structure that the belts are as well. The thinking is that if the seat and belts will move the same direction if the structure bends, not have the belt get loose or overly tighten due to moving a different amount or direction. Just my .002....

[fissionspeed]

Just wondering why you are bolting the seat to the floor of the car and not the roll cage structure?

For now, it's because it is allowed, the factory mounts are there, and because I don't (currently) have a cage structure that allows the bottom of the seat to be mounted to it. If enough people tell me it's a bad idea to mount it to the floor, I will probably try to find a way to tie it into the cage without cutting the floor pans out of the truck. One of the things that has made this whole thing difficult is that the rulebook tells you what will pass tech, it does not tell you what the best practices are. I really do appreciate everyone's input in these matters for that reason 

[Stan Back]

Here's one more that thinks it's a bad idea to secure it to the floor . . .

[Dodge Brother]

Curious, if you don't have room to mount the seat to the cage, how are you providing cage protection from the underside of the truck?

[Stan Back]

Crossmembers

[71GSSDemon]

I ran double frame rails on each side, then tubing crossmembers to mount the seats and submarine belt to.  Each have threaded bar stock welded in for mounting.  Just my 2c as to how I did it

[will6er]

Look in your rule book and find a tech person near you (or load up your truck and take it to one of them.) It's cheaper and easier than trying to do repairs on Friday of Speed Week

Will6er
6302 XOGC