I need some pointers on installation of a 5 point harness system in my 89 C4. Questions like pull up or pull up down adjustment is best? Can I use the attachment points for my factor belts for the lap belt? Specifically I am concerned with drilling holes for installation. I would like to get a handle on the complexity of this job as well .

 

Contact Dave at R-D Racing. Dave can hook you up with everything you need to install a five-point harness, without drilling any holes.



-Mike

 

I made my own harness bar from some square tubing I had sitting around the shop. I used the targe top mounts as the mounting points for the harness bar. Just need a good welder and something to cut the steel with. Loop the 2 top straps around the bar. 2 buttom waist straps bolt directly to stock mounting bolts. You have to slightly enlarge the mouning hole on the harness stap so the bolt can fit through it. The crotch strap I looped around the bar on the front of the seat frame. I used the Gforce 5 point harness. Here's a link to pic's. Hopefuly it works.
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/vicfab...e2.jpg&.src=ph
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/vicfab...e2.jpg&.src=ph

 

pull up down adjustment

 

I purchased a harness bar from Arizona Speed and Marine which connects to the top seat belt guides. The shoulder belts connects to the harness bar. The lap belts connects to the origional lap seat belt bolts and I don't use the fifth belt. Hope this helps some.

 

I have a real unhappy story about not using the crotch strap, and then crashing,.....use them all, the amount of damage to you if you wreck and aren't using that little strap is amazing. I like pulling down to tighten, thats where your upper body strenth is, be sure make them as tight as possiable or they wont work properly.

 

Man - I would be very wary about crafting up my own belt mounts. I watched a guy who had done exactly that put in a home crafted mounting bar -- just like mr accelerate is describing! - in fact I looked at his install and told my brother - boy that doesn't look right - anyway - 10 minutes later the guy drove it into a wall - the shoulder harness bar he was so proud of, bent like a piece of soft licorice - he ended up putting his head through the windshield.
The 5 point harness is only as good as the mounting stystem - my shoulder pieces are wrapped around the roll bar - the belt pieces mount to the factory seat belt mounts - and the crotch piece - you need to be carefull about that one - lot of fiberglass down there - with not much structural stability. I ended up putting a piece of steel bar - that fit into the channel of the seat mounting reinforcements - welded the nut to that and mounted it that way. All of this was done carefully following Daves' (at R-D racing) instructions.
In my opinion if you think you need 5 point harnesses - you really need a roll bar - and that will provide the solid mounts for the shoulder harnesses. Roll bar is cheap - I think I got it for about 275 bucks - went in nice and easy. the single most important safety device in my car! - then you can move on to 5 point harnesses fire systems and whatever else you think you need!

Oh yah - like gearhead says - i only use the 5 points with my racing seat - when I'm out just driving around I use the stock belts paired with the stock seat!

Carl "just my 2 cents - course my life might depend on the decisions I made" Johansson

BTW Lv2xlr8 - Does anybody know how secure those targa top mount are? is it strong enough to hold 200 lbs at the 30 or 40 G that are often encountered in a high speed wreck?

 

I like the "pull down" shoulder tightening. The loose ends hang in the right direction and is is easy when you are sitting in the seat.

 

 

I have a 5 point in my 89, but have a few concerns mostly when installed with stock seats.

Unlike a racing seat that has holes for the sholder straps the stock seats do not, therefore the sholder straps loop around the seat and do not fully come across the sholders as tight as I'd like. I plan on getting a sternum strap to pull the sholder straps in closer.

Again without the hole in the seat for the crotch strap, this is awkward. I ran a bar between the stock front seat mounts and run the crotch strap between the seat cushion and the seat fiberglass bucket. I unhook the lower cushion so it is loose and then cinch up the crotch strap real tight so that the cushion is drawn up and I can't slide down.

IMHO, the real answer is to add a racing seat when adding a racing harness

 

 

Hey accelerate,
you ought to take a close look at the harness bar mounting systems from R&D and several other manufacturers - NONE of them RELY on the Targa top mount exclusively - all have numerous other mounting points - ought to make you think about your set-up!

Carl Johansson

 

Where's you buy your roll bar?

 

R D racing - he shipped it to me in 3 days - went in easy - a couple of monkeys with a sawsall and a welder installed it (my brothers!)