When to replace seats and harness
07-17-2017, 11:53 AM
#1
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
When to replace seats and harness
Just curious what is everyone's recommendation for dates on replacing your seat and harness, I only do HPDE's and plan on doing some optimum events coming up. I Know if you do door to door you must follow the rules with the expiration dates.
Thanks
Thanks
07-17-2017, 12:59 PM
#2
Drifting
Racing seats expiring? First for me to hear of that...so, I googled it...the answer, at least for SCCA wheel to wheel (older answer though):
https://www.scca.com/forums/1963288/...-clarification
From the most current (July 2017) SCCA GCR:
9.3.40. SEATS
The driver’s seat shall be a one-piece bucket-type seat and shall be securely mounted, so as to provide fore/ aft and lateral support. Passenger seat back, if a folding seat, shall be securely bolted or strapped in place.
Mounting structures for racing seats may attach to the floor, cage and or center tunnel. Seat mounting points forward of the main hoop, between the center line of the car and the driver’s side door bar and rearward of the front edge of the seat bottom are not considered cage attachment points in classes with limitations on the number of attachments.
A system of head rest to prevent whiplash and rebound, and also to prevent the driver’s head from striking the underside of the main hoop shall be installed on all vehicles. Racing seats with integral headrests satisfy this requirement.
The head rest on non-integral seats shall have a minimum area of 36 square inches and be padded with a mini- mum of one inch thick padding. It is strongly recommended that padding meet SFI spec 45.2 or FIA Sports Car Head Rest Material. The head rest shall be capable of withstanding a force of two-hundred (200) lbs. in a rearward direction. The head rest support shall be such that it continues rearward or upward from the top edge in a way that the driver’s helmet can not hook over the pad.
Harnesses - replace when (well, before) they expire - for racing. Or have them recertified. You technically don't need "current" harnesses (or seat) for most HPDE, but it's your bacon (life) so to speak.
https://www.scca.com/forums/1963288/...-clarification
From the most current (July 2017) SCCA GCR:
9.3.40. SEATS
The driver’s seat shall be a one-piece bucket-type seat and shall be securely mounted, so as to provide fore/ aft and lateral support. Passenger seat back, if a folding seat, shall be securely bolted or strapped in place.
Mounting structures for racing seats may attach to the floor, cage and or center tunnel. Seat mounting points forward of the main hoop, between the center line of the car and the driver’s side door bar and rearward of the front edge of the seat bottom are not considered cage attachment points in classes with limitations on the number of attachments.
A system of head rest to prevent whiplash and rebound, and also to prevent the driver’s head from striking the underside of the main hoop shall be installed on all vehicles. Racing seats with integral headrests satisfy this requirement.
The head rest on non-integral seats shall have a minimum area of 36 square inches and be padded with a mini- mum of one inch thick padding. It is strongly recommended that padding meet SFI spec 45.2 or FIA Sports Car Head Rest Material. The head rest shall be capable of withstanding a force of two-hundred (200) lbs. in a rearward direction. The head rest support shall be such that it continues rearward or upward from the top edge in a way that the driver’s helmet can not hook over the pad.
Harnesses - replace when (well, before) they expire - for racing. Or have them recertified. You technically don't need "current" harnesses (or seat) for most HPDE, but it's your bacon (life) so to speak.
07-18-2017, 04:35 PM
#3
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How long you go depends on the harnesses and what kind of condition they are in. Nylon harnesses lose more than 50% of their strength in 30 months if exposed to sunlight on a continual basis. Poly belts last longer but even the FIA rated ones only go 5 years. You can probably go longer if the belts aren't exposed to sun all the time. If the belts are frayed or have been stretched in an incident they need to be replaced even if they are brand new.
Bill
Bill