jd_black_00

Hi All,

I'm looking into buying either a harness bar or some form of partial roll cage. I like the reviews I've heard about the Hardbar harness bar, but I'm slightly concerned about the seat clearance issue. I'm 6'2" 235lbs with relatively long legs. The Sparco seems like it provides better clearance, but do you guys trust it structurally? Let me be clear that I'm not interested in the Brey Krause bar, as it weights over 10lbs more than the other two. My other option would be a partial cage, as I'd trade a little lightness for added stiffness. Can anyone recommend a good cage? My friends that I work with have welding experience but aren't certified by any means, so any difficult welds might be out of the question. Thanks in advance for your help

NOSLO6

I had an older Hardbar and it mounted too high to get the right belt angle when I started wearing a HANS device.

Other folks had posted here that the Sharkbar has a lower mounting location and it's true-- I switched to one and the position was much better.

Just 2-cents.

69autoXr

I have the Sparco bar in my C5Z. I'm very happy with it, and yes I trust it structurally. I am curious why you ask that? Have you heard something that would lead you to think otherwise?

At the time that I bought my bar (May 2013), the Sparco bar was VERY hard to find. Most dealers that I checked with had the Sparco bar on backorder, with no ETA. I found ONE available via Amazon, and bought it.

jd_black_00

Thanks for the input, however, I don't think the Sharkbar is available for the C5

jd_black_00

Actually, I haven't heard anything about it which is why I'm curious. I hear a lot of people trust the Brey Krause Bar and Hardbar but I don't like the drawbacks that those particular bars have

c4cruiser

You might want to contact Dan and ask him if he may have one left in stock or if he would make some more. He's a good guy to deal with and he may help you out.

It looks like he still has the Sparco bars for C5 coupes and Z06's so that may be a good option. I got a Sparco bar from him for my '87 and the install was simple and it's very strong.

69autoXr

That may be the case, however the website said exactly the same thing (two in stock ready to ship) when I was looking for my Sparco back in May, and it was actually backordered. I recommend calling to confirm availability before ordering.

69autoXr

Gotcha. My only beef with the Sparco bar is that it didn't come with installation instructions of any kind, and Sparco's tech support was less than helpful. It wasn't hard to install by any means, I just wasn't sure about the orientation of the lower brackets. If you end up getting one and need help let me know.

I didn't consider the Hardbar at all, given the height it sits at once installed. I have seen several of the BK bars and would've used that, but it doesn't appear to be legal for SCCA Stock autocrossing.

Bill Dearborn

[QUOTE=69autoXr;1585527781]Gotcha. My only beef with the Sparco bar is that it didn't come with installation instructions of any kind, and Sparco's tech support was less than helpful. It wasn't hard to install by any means, I just wasn't sure about the orientation of the lower brackets. If you end up getting one and need help let me know.

I didn't consider the Hardbar at all, given the height it sits at once installed. I have seen several of the BK bars and would've used that, but it doesn't appear to be legal for SCCA Stock autocrossing.[/QUOTE]


Why would you think it isn't legal for stock autocrossing? It seems to fit the C type bar mentioned in the rule book and 4 attachment points are permitted. See Paragraph 13.2 Subparagraph J.


“A horizontal “harness bar” may be used as part of the installation hardware for allowed driver restraints provided it has no more than 2 attachment points to the chassis and is bolted at those locations. A C-type harness bar may also be used. It may have 4 bolted attachment points to the chassis (2 primary and 2 supporting connections to resist rotation). Truss-type harness bars are not allowed."


Bill

jd_black_00

Thanks, who is Dan and how should I go about contacting him?

69autoXr

Apologies to the OP if this is getting off your topic.

I said the BK "appears" not to be legal for SCCA Stock because I've never found evidence that it is legal, but I have seen posts that do specifically say it is illegal. The most recent was a post at the z06vetteforum that said the SCCA specifically deemed the BK was illegal. See post #6 here: http://www.z06vette.com/forums/f5/sp...5/#post1341722

I also thought I saw a post on the SCCA Forums that concurred, but I can't find it now.

My thought was that the BK was not a "C" type bar because it is a straight bar (between the mounting brackets), therefore I assumed this is why it is not legal. Whereas the Sparco is most definitely bent into a "C" shape. I found a Sparco bar available and bought it. If I never found a Sparco bar I probably would have taken the chance with the BK.

c4cruiser

Dan owns the company that makes the Sharkbar. Or call him at the "Service/orders" number.

jd_black_00

Thanks, I'll give him a ring

Pumba

James,


I am 6'3" and I use the Hardbar. Perhaps you are not familiar with the extenders that they make for tall drivers? I installed the extenders in my Z and now I have plenty of clearance for my seat.


I did a post on the installation - http://forums.corvetteforum.com/auto...-a-c5-z06.html


Good luck with your decision.

JeremyGSU

I'm 6'2 and had the Hardbar without the extenders and found it too high for use with a Hans device. I have since switched to a Sparco bar and it sits much lower.

jd_black_00

I just ordered the Hardbar today. If I need them I'll buy the extensions. Did you notice a difference in weight between the Hardbar and the Sparco?