seatbelt/harness installation ?'s

[Hayduke]

This is my first time dealing with the installation of a 5 point harness. The Rotus came with these belts and I'm trying to fit them to the car and me correctly. The lower belts and attachments follow the installation guides very well, it's the upper mounts that are a concern.

The 'factory' upper mount points are directly behind the seat back which causes the mount hardware and 'three-bar adjuster' to protrude thru the openings in the seat back, way too close to my neck.

My "solution" for the mount bracket was to install it backwards, I figure this will get me around the block but likely wont pass an auto-x tech inspection. But even this doesn't address the three bar adjuster placement issue.

I'm wondering if there are other belt mount designs that would work is such tight confines? Otherwise I suppose I'll have to relocate the mounts somehow.

[Driven5]

Have you considered adding a harness bar to the roll bar?

[Hayduke]

Have you considered adding a harness bar to the roll bar?

Yeah, but there's not a good (ie ~horizontal with the top of my shoulders) mount location available. I was able to thread the 3-bar adjuster behind the opening in the seat back and locate them just above the mount bracket. Not ideal but serviceable (and safer) for the time being at least. Thanks

[rx7locost]

When I built mine with 5-point harness, I had to add a harness bar behind the roll bar in order to provide clearance for the buckle to clear the back of the seat. It was a bolt-on. This may help you see what I'm talking about. I later went to 3 point inertia belts for street driving, so I simply unbolted the harness bar.

[Hayduke]

Thanks Chuck, that's a tidy solution. I can tell already the 5-point is going to be fiddly to use and a simpler belt may be in my future, but I have very little room between my hips and framework, I'm not sure I can fit an inertia type in there. Where did you get yours?

[rx7locost]

The 5 point was extremely fiddly when two people are involved. The small cockpit makes it a serial process. First on gets strapped in, then the next one did. 5 points take a lot of time, not to mention it is arguably not the safest restraint for the street. By the time we were both strapped in, almost everyone else was gone.

Best for me and you to link that part of my build direct.

viewtopic.php?f=35&t=4145&start=595

[KB58]

When I bought my belts, I went to several seat belt manufacturer websites and they had all the drawings and instructions about installing them correctly.

[Miatav8,MstrASE,A&P,F]

To bring the belt mounts aft, consider a 5/16 x 3 x whatever length is needed plate; one for each seat.

[Hayduke]

To bring the belt mounts aft, consider a 5/16 x 3 x whatever length is needed plate; one for each seat.

Thanks, that crossed my mind, but was looking for other options that don't resemble a guillotine But I suppose if a rear impact was hard enough to make it a guillotine, I'd have other, bigger problems... or none at all It would certainly be a simpler solution.

[Miatav8,MstrASE,A&P,F]

It doesn't need to be a full 3 inch width between the attachment points. Could be tabs on the ends and a cross tube on the aft side with a vertical rib down each side to ensure it can't bend. I can draw a pic if interested.