This is a great topic. I have one of those inexpensive Poly hi-back seats in
my TR4. The slots for both the lap belts and the shoulder harness are so
poorly placed that I run both over the top instead of though the slots. Even
on top of the seat the shoulder harness is below my shoulders and pulling
them down, and I run the risk of the harness slipping over the side of the
seat and providing no forward protection ala Earnhart. I cinch them down
very tight to avoid this, but I think it's time to change seats or add a
mouting tube to the roll cage. I saw an ad in a circle track magazine for a
seat support structure that welds onto the roll cage for $50. It is designed
for a Kirkey aluminum seat. This sounds like the way to go.
Bob Kramer
TR6, TR4A, TR4, 2.5PI
Hill Country Triumph Club
Corinthians Vintage Auto Racing
rgk@flash.net
----- Original Message -----
From: "Wendy Hart" <hartw@plastekgroup.com>
Cc: <fot@autox.team.net>
Sent: Wednesday, March 21, 2001 10:41 AM
Subject: Re: : Driver restraints
> Bill and all:
>
> I don't think that Mordy was suggesting to keep shoulder belts loose. I
> think he was saying to not bolt them to the car in such a way that they
> create a downward-facing angle from your shoulders (ie, don't bolt them to
> the shelf behind the seat; find or build a place that will make the belts
> point slightly upwards). His lap belts are what holds Mordy in the seat,
> should he find himself with the shiny-side down.
>
> I have always tightened my shoulder belts by cinching them in, then
exhaling
> as much as I can, then cinch them in again. This is a trick my husband
> picked up when he started racing in SCCA an he taught me when I started
> autocrossing. The theory is that right before the event is when you're
most
> excited and also when you're tightening your belts. Once you are out on
> course, you begin to relax and your belts end up looser than when you
> started. The race car's shoulder belts are also attached to a horizontal
bar
> on his roll cage, right behind the seat and high enough so the belts are
> parallel to the ground (SCCA EProd. '83 Dodge Shelby Charger).
>
> It makes sense to keep your belts tight. Your shoulder belts prevent you
> from being thrown forward. If your belts are loose and you are thrown
> forward, hitting your loose belt would be like hitting your steering
wheel.
> If you are in a collision, regardless if you're in your competition car or
> your grocery-getter, there are two impacts: the one where your bones hit
> something (the belts, steering wheel, etc) and the one where your innards
> hit your bones. I'd rather my innards hit bones that are intact and not
> collapsed, pointy shards! Also, when you're belts are tight, there isn't
> anything for your chest to impact; the belts are holding you in place.
>
> Hope this helps someone, or if I'm wrong, someone will correct me.
>
> Later,
>
> Wendy Hart
> 75 TR6
> 76 TR7
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <BillDentin@aol.com>
> To: <gasket.works@gte.net>
> Cc: <fot@autox.team.net>
> Sent: Wednesday, March 21, 2001 9:48 AM
> Subject: Re: : Driver restraints
>
>
> > In a message dated 03/20/2001 9:41:51 PM Central Standard Time,
> > gasket.works@gte.net writes:
> >
> >
> > > Somehow, I
> > > recall that pre-loading the spine in compression by having the
shoulder
> > > harness pull down on the clavicles actually, excerbated spinal injuy.
> > > My shoulder harness is actually attached about 5deg above my
shoulders.
> > > Only the lap belt holds me down.
> > >
> > >
> >
> > Mordy:
> >
> > Interesting.
> >
> > I drive with my shoulder restraints pulled down as tight as I can stand
> them.
> > I choose to do this on purpose in an effort to reduce the amount of
sway
> in
> > the upper part of my body going around turns. There's way to much Bill
> > Dentinger hanging out of my TR3 to begin with, and if the shoulder
> restraints
> > are not winched down tight, I flop around in the seat. I never
considered
> I
> > might be preloading a problem for any sudden impact. I did hit a tire
> wall
> > head on at Gateway years ago, but that was like hitting a sponge. I
> wonder
> > what the right thing to do is. Cinch em down tight or loose?
> >
> > Bill Dentinger
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