i ordered, picked up & installed (had installed @ a friend's muffler
shop) a set of the simpson (4 point) belts. they are much wider,
and feel much more stable / safer than the factory belt. the factory belt
had a small tear slowly developing.......the new belt (driver side
only) installed easily on existing 79 spit bolts / points....i got the
two lap belts (right & left side w/the main clip) & the "Y" shaped
over the shoulder belts....i'll sent the spit group a snapshot later...
>> thanx to all for the ideas and advice......
richard / colorado / 79 spit
>
> Simpson, RCI and Sabelt(TRC?)are all well-known racing
> harnesses. And you can purchase or atleast see them at
> the individual manufacturer web pages.
>
> Warning: Not all racing harnesses are the same. There
> are kart (short) harnesses which may or may not fit a
> spitfire (I assume it would be a tight fit). I also
> assume it depends on how you mount them, and how high
> the seats are. Also, make sure you know which style
> you're buying (H shoulder and Y and whether they're
> roll-bar secured or chassis mounted)
>
> WHICH BELT?
> Also see How many belts you're actually getting, or
> how many you even need. Some "harnesses" are just the
> lap-belt (2-point), or lap and the over the shoulder
> belts (4-point) or lap shoulder and between the leg
> strap.
>
> CLASPS
> Also, there are medieval pin type clasps (which look
> like they require four hands and a prehensile tail to
> line-up to get the pin set). And there is the "twist
> release" which are on newer Simpsons and some of the
> more expensive RCI and Sabelt brand. Which each belt
> clicks into a central buckle. VB also sells a 5 point
> (I'm not sure of the brand) that has this same twist
> clasp. They look large, and knowing VB, I wouldn't be
> surprised if they were selling a set of harnesses that
> won't even fit a spitfire. The VB's are priced about
> the same as a set of Simpsons MSRP.
>
> I can't really give tips on which brand or style is
> best as I haven't done the mod yet. But I've noticed
> that people do sell them on Ebay at reduced cost (SCCA
> and other racing clubs require current belts, to pass
> safety inspection. So they tend to change them out
> often. safety harnesses have date-stamps). I wouldn't
> be too concerned about belts a few years old,
> personally as most racers use their cars for about 10
> races a year and only get 2-3 years out of a set of
> belts. (but sunlight and constant race stresses are
> perported to reduce the strength of the nylon weave).
> But if we were to listen to manufacturer 'warning
> labels' we should all change the shoulder belts in our
> daily drivers every few years, or when you back into a
> garage pillar. I would NOT purchase used racing
> harnesses if there is any assumption that they had
> been through an accident or if the manufacturer/date
> label has been removed.
>
> For the safest install support plates and nuts should
> be tack welded to the tub where mounted. Merely
> drilling a hole and bolting a harness in place will
> only look secure. In a moderate collision, a belt
> bolted to thin sheetmetal will pull free like a nail
> through reynolds wrap.
>
> If you want them new, two distributors I can suggest
> for decent prices are Summit Racing (which didn't have
> the belt selection listed on their web page, but all
> of their other items are excellently priced) and Jim
> Cook Performance (usually sells at a minimum of 10%
> under market value). But you'll have to go to the
> manufacturer web page to find out which you want and
> THEN call the distributor on the availability of that
> brand, style and color.
>
> -Terry
> '76 spitfire 1500
> Maryland
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