rtpassini

I've been looking at seat options, but while searching on google some say no to having aluminum seats without a cage. but this was in a drag racing section....

does this also apply to road racing? Im looking at some cheap options for seats.

JDIllon

Guys do run them!! But I called Kirkey and they say not to run there seats unless the seat is supported in the back to a cage or some sort of support! They told me that the seat is not designed to be run unsupported. And that it could collapse the back. They said the aluminum is not like the fiberglass because it does not flex, after so much stress it just breaks. I would contact the seat Mfg and see what they say before installing. JD

Jason

I would and did with a harness bar, back support and 5pt belts/HANS.

rtpassini

seat back braces are another $100 a piece. man...this sucks. haha.

can you mount them to a harness bar?

Jason

Yes you can mount then to a harness bar. look at a few online and you can probably fab something up yourself.

gmccreary

You could also try the Corbeau FX1 Pro seat. $299.

rtpassini

im worried I might not fit in them. I'm 38 waist. MAYBE 36. And I have no way of trying them out

Jason

I shopped for alum seats on racingjunk.com. Made a wooden jig to see what size I could fit in. You want it tight. Tighter than you think.

Bill Dearborn

You choose the size of an aluminum seat by sitting on a bench and having somebody measure the distance across your butt and then going with the size that will fit that measurement. Waist size doesn't matter. You will be snug. The race seat will hold you in a lot better than a Sparco will since the sides along your legs are higher, the sides along your waist are deeper and the shoulder supports are probably a little better as well. Run a brace from the seat to the harness bar. Remember you have to get two of them since most organizations require equal restraints for the passenger/instructor. To outfit the car you will need to spend about $350/seat, $350/seat mount, $100/seat back brace plus some customization work. If you don't like the way the seat fits or you need more room some place all you do is bend it or cut it. Can't do that with a fiberglass seat. By the way braces are recommended for fiberglass seats as well. Even though supposedly FIA certified they don't seem to hold up that much better than aluminum when in a crash. First your body gets thrown forward against the belts and then it rebounds back into the seat and that is when the seat back is broken unless it is braced. You can also order the aluminum seats in either 10 or 20 degree laybacks. I have one of each in my car. Driver's side is 20 and the passenger side is 10. The 10 is laid back more in the mount thus the seat bottom comes up and catches the legs and butt at a sharper angle than my seat does. This helps hold the multi size passengers that I get in place when they are in the seat.

Bill

MJM

You can measure your seated hip width very easily.

Find a flat bench or an old footlocker. Grab two shoeboxes. Sit on the bench and slide one shoebox against each hip. Hold the shoeboxes in place and stand up. Now use a tape measure to get the distance between the two boxes.

That number will be your basic seat size....15 inches, 16 inches, etc.

You can go all fancy and get a bunch of other measurements for a completely custom seat, but that will cost you a lot more. A basic aluminum seat in your correct size can have all the other stuff (shoulders, knees, etc) adjusted by bending the aluminum to fit.

Matt

AU N EGL

Ultra-Shield ALuminum seats



BK Harness bar and my own back brace



6 point belts

However, I would like to get a different seat with a helmet halo

bosco022

We added the Kirkey Containment top to our Kirkey Intermed. Road Race seat, works well.

The Kirkey looks very similar to the ultra shield above.

jawfixer

Are the seat braces mounted a little high here? We mounted mine on the Kirkey seat at a lower position on the seat back. It appears yours are at neck level. I am inquiring here as to whether it matters at what level they are mounted. Thanks

AU N EGL

that was the best place to mount them.

also right behind the Hans device.

If I went under the harness bar that would put it right between the harness holes.


Mentioned I am looking at containment seat now.

davidfarmer

I think you could put a brace to the bulkhead behind the seat. It is as thick as the seat material. I could see riveting a brace there and you'd likely be just fine.

trackboss

That is what I did, but I installed 6 steel threaded inserts into the bulkead. The back brace I made myself from some sheet aluminum.

rtpassini

is there any access from underneat so you can reach up and get some nuts there?

meldog21

Whoa, whoa, whoa. What the heck are you asking?

Dog

rtpassini

LOL!!!!!!!!!
Didn't realize what I wrote

fatbillybob

Do not confuse fliberglass, carbon, reinforced plastic composite etc with FIA non-metalic seats. Fia seats are certified to something like 40g's. The newest hot FIA seats are certified to 70G's and good for 10 years if I remember correctly and have places for an integral backbrace. Older FIA standard were never tested for back braces but some clubs like SCCA want BB's on expired FIA seats over 5 years old. These FIA seats are way better in crashes than an unsupported metal seat.