Race-Style seat-belts aquisition

dave egan · 11-01-2008, 02:11 PM

Hey , Guys , thinking of changing out my OEM seat belts in my 89' 930 to aftermarket ''race-type'' belts. I never liked the ''restrictive'' feeling of the shoulder span, always trying to ''tighten'' against my chest, etc. Is there any ''brand'' better suited to our cars ,over another brand? (eg) , "Deist" , "Simpson" , "G-Tech" , etc , etc , or are they all pretty much the same? I'm just looking for something to replace the OEM , not "Race-track" legal or anything. Just the lap-belt and maybe a shoulder harness that can be mounted to the OEM anchor on the ceiling and then connect to the main lap clasp., (both seats) , not a ''six-point'' setup , etc. thanks , dave:

Noah930 · Noah930's Garage

What's wrong with the 3-point OEM set-up? Just replace the 20 year-old old belts with newer (fresher) stuff. (Or is that what you don't like, when you're referring to the "restrictive" feeling? I couldn't tell.)

If you go with a more secure set-up, you'll have to decide if you want 4-, 5-, or 6-point harnesses. Most options involve some slight modifications (more than just bolt-in), though I have a 5-point bolt-in system in my car. There are opinions that if you go with these types of harnesses, you should also go with aftermarket seats, too, so that the shoulder straps don't slide off in event of a crash. A lot of systems aren't DOT legal. And they often take more time to strap on than OEM style 3-point belts.

Again, I've had a 5-point system in my car. The belts (Diest, FWIW) connect to the 2 stock lap belt anchor points with some hardware. The crotch belt hooks up to a Brey-Krause bar that attaches between the two rails of the seat mounting points. And the two shoulder belt anchor points bolt to a Brey-Krause harness truss (not the same as their harness bar) that bolts into the two B pillar mounting points. Makes you lose use of the back seat, though.

Maybe not worth it in a street car. YMMV.

Jack Olsen · 11-01-2008, 02:58 PM

Most race harnesses are not DOT legal.

rvanderpyl · rvanderpyl's Garage

And if you think that a three point harness with a retractor is restrictive, you will hate a system that has no give at all.

Steve@Rennsport · 11-01-2008, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jack Olsen

Most race harnesses are not DOT legal.

Jack is correct, except for the Schroth Harnessbelts.

Further, ANY 4pt, 5pt, or 6pt belt arrangement is decidedly unsafe and dangerous when used with the OEM integral headrest seats.

One must either use seats with separate headrests or racing seats with a harness bar to safely install anything but stock interia-reel seat belts.