Retractable Seat belt vrs Race Harness

Chris L · #1 (**permalink**) 04-09-2010, 05:58 PM

Morning all;

Can someone please confirm what I suspect to be fact here in Victoria with regard to the ADRs and seat belts. I have a retractable seat belt installed.However it its impossible to have a harness and seat belt living together due to a lack of space in my Cobra. I have just ordered a new RCI from Summitt and am going to put it in and remove the retractable.Here in the "nanny state" have I just compromised the laws ?. I suspect I have, but will run the gauntlet anyway.

Cheers
Chris Lidgerwood

Gav · #2 (**permalink**) 04-09-2010, 08:01 PM

I have both in mine, but you are correct in saying that they are not ADR complient.
I thought I would use the harness all the time but it restricts your movement making it a pain to look around while reversing ect.
I find I use the retractable for any road use and the harness on the track.

Merv and Sharon · #3 (**permalink**) 04-09-2010, 09:45 PM

They are very specific on this one, needlessly.

BJ's Snake · #4 (**permalink**) 04-09-2010, 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gav

I have both in mine, but you are correct in saying that they are not ADR complient.
I thought I would use the harness all the time but it restricts your movement making it a pain to look around while reversing ect.
I find I use the retractable for any road use and the harness on the track.

Hi Gav
Thinking of putting a harness in mine for track days and keeping the retractables fot street use. How have you mounted the harness? Is it onto the rollbar or through the body into the boot? Anyone else with ideas can chime in if they like. The back of my seat is real close to the bulkhead so to get the 45 degree angle on the belts has got me stumped. Don't really want to cut holes in the body.
Cheers
Brett

boxhead · #5 (**permalink**) 04-09-2010, 10:25 PM

Mine is setup the same as Gav's.
I wanted to get through engineering with just the harness, but now that the retractable belts are fitted, I find it much easier to use these belts as opposed to the harness type.

Gav · #6 (**permalink**) 04-09-2010, 10:37 PM

I have a four point harness, the upper two pionts are onto the roll bar and the lower two are the same point as the seat belts.
Works OK but my headrest gets in the way of the RHS upper belt, I will be modding the seats when they are recovered so it won't be an issue then.

How did the move go BJ?

BJ's Snake · #7 (**permalink**) 04-09-2010, 11:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gav

I have a four point harness, the upper two pionts are onto the roll bar and the lower two are the same point as the seat belts.
Works OK but my headrest gets in the way of the RHS upper belt, I will be modding the seats when they are recovered so it won't be an issue then.

How did the move go BJ?

Thanks for that mate, looks like I may have to weld some sort of mount off the rollbar. Still in the moving process as some nazi in the Council decided to make up some new rules with Occupancy Certificates. What goes around comes around I say.
Cheers
Brett

Chris L · #8 (**permalink**) 04-10-2010, 01:25 AM

My problem is the seat does not allow a hand down either side to disconnect or connect a harness without the seat coming out. As you could well imagine a complete pain in the arse. May have to get inventive !!

Cheers
Chris L

boxhead · #9 (**permalink**) 04-10-2010, 05:48 AM

You are allowed to go through engineering with both types fitted.

Merv and Sharon · #10 (**permalink**) 04-10-2010, 05:58 AM

David, when I asked the engineer, I was told that is not allowed in QLD.

boxhead · #11 (**permalink**) 04-11-2010, 03:18 AM

I presented my car with the harness belts only for engineer, he questioned the NT MVR in the hope of my car being approved with the harness belts only.
This was not allowed as he could not find a precident (since then I have heard of some WA guys being approved), The NT MVR guy told me that I can present the car with both types fitted, as there only concern was that the vehicle had approved seatbelts, any other belts was not there concern as long as they did not affect the fitment or impead the retractable belts.
I suppose it is the same regarding wipers, if you can get the correct wipe percentage with 2 blades that is great, but there is also no problem with fitting 3 and wipeing a larger area.