I'm looking into installing a racing harness in my Z06. But I don't want to leave it in all the time.

Are there any harness kits that a) are easily removed and reinstalled. and b) don't mangle my Z?

I mostly want the harness for the in-seat stability it gives (my butt cheeks get tired trying to grip the seat ) But I don't want to drive around in a racing harness

TIA

Rick

 

To properly mount the the shoulder harness, you will need a harness bar. It will bolt to the stock shoulder-harness location, but still allow use of the stock belt. Depending on which bar you use, you will need a way to fasten lapbelt and anti-sub belts to the floor. Get clip-on mounts, not bolt-on. This will allow you to easily remove the belts. I'm not sure if you can get clip-ons for the shoulder harness. I have wrap-arounds for the shoulder harnesses. They stay neatly out of the way behind the seat backs. Send me you email address and I will send you photos of my setup.

 

I'd like photos, antvette@hotmail.com

 

Rick,
If all you are looking for is better butt holding power have you used the stock belt systems cinch capability? I can get the stock lap belt to hold me in just as tight as my Simpson race lap belt by using the cinch feature and running the seat forward once the belt is as tight as I can make it before I move the seat.
Bill

 

Brey-Krause harness bar, clip-in's, and Crow 6-pt harnesses. I have this setup (got it from LAPD) and it works great. Easily installed and removed.

 

I do use that feature, though I haven't tried the move the seat forward trick. But I still expend too much energy using the "dead pedal" to hold my self in place. I was told by more seasoned drivers that harnesses greatly improve the situation. True?

Ciao,

Rick

 

I installed harnesses because during autocrosses, my helmet was constantly smacking the B post on turns. Photos on the way.

 

The harness is a big improvement if you're tracking, or autocrossing the car. I also have the Brey-Krause bar with clip in belts. Works great.

 

Where are y'all mounting belts into the floor at?

 

If you use a 6-pt harness and the BK clips, you don't need a floor mount. The lower harness clips into the same place as the waist harness, then runs under you legs and up the crotch, i.e. fighter pilot style.

 

I have the Brey Krause harness mounts with a Simpson 6 point setup. As I said before the lap belt holds you about the same (I also run the seat forward with the race harness) since you can only pull the lap belt so tight with the adjusters. I am 5'10" and can get either lap belt tight enough to make me feel like they are cutting me in half. If you buy shoulder harnesses with the sternum strap built in they will work better than the stock shoulder harness since there are two of them to one for the stock setup. As for using the dead pedal and the door to brace your lower body you will still need to do that since neither race or stock harnesses can make up for the seat's lack of leg support.

If you cinch the stock lap belt in place with the seat all the way back and then force feed the belt in a little further before running the seat forward you can get the stock belt very tight. Then as soon as you make a quick move with the car (starting/stopping) the shoulder belt locks and you have a very tight package. In comparison to the race harness the only thing missing is the shoulder belt on the right side. It is also more comfortable since the lap belt on the race harness is adjusted to about as short as it can go and the adjusters end up across your thighs and push into the tops of the legs when using the clutch and brake. You might be able to avoid that if you buy a lap belt with pull up adjusters (much longer) or use a harness mount different than the BK set up.
Bill

 

Yes, besides your butt not sliding around, a harness will keep your torso in the middle of the seat, something your stock belt cannot do.

I have a Crow 6-point harness with clip in lap belts and anti-sub belt. I leave the shoulder belts, both driver and passenger side, in the Vette all the time. Since I have Sport Seats, the shoulder belts will go through the top of the seat. If you don't have Sport Seats, you will need a breast plate that will keep the shoulder belts in place while they are in use.

Here is a picture of Sport Seats and the shoulder belts coming through the top of the seat. These shoulder belts also have the breast plate in-case the belts have to go around the top of the seat.

 

I have a Sparco 5 point harness and seat mounts for sale at a great price. As the posts above indicate, you'll still need a harness bar, and I don't believe that the stock Z06 seats have the needed holes/slot for the shoulder straps. If you're interested, PM me.

 

I recommend the hardbar harness bar and the team tech belts. I used them for track events and then removed them when I got home. Can leave it in if you want as it allows the stock belts to remain. Very easy install and removal. I leased my vette and had to make sure there was no interior mods or damage from the install.

http://hardbar.net/

 

Rick,

You're in exactly the same boat I was in. I bought a used AS&M harness bar witha 5-point Simpson harness. The lap belts bolt to the seat rail bolts in the rear. I just tuck the lap belts behind the seat and let the shoulder straps drape down there as well. Everything's out of the way until I pull it all out to autocross.

But, every harness is going to have the same problem in a Z06: there's no way to get the shoulder straps straight over your shoulders, because there's no option to get Sport Seats in a Z06 (or FRC, in my case). Smart move, GM. It's still better than the original setup wrapping the shoulder straps around the seatback, but the sport seats work SO much better.

Which is what I did. I found a set of Sport Seat leather covers on Ebay, added a new foam back piece from Gene at Fred Beans, and Voila!: I now have seats that allow me to use my harness correctly!

Send me your email address and I'll send you some photos of my setup.

Have a good one,
Mike