safety harness ideas

[myth]

I know that this should be in the safety forum. But I figured being a truck I would get more help in here. I am going with a better seat(sparco or corbeau fixed back) and I am having trouble figuring out a harness solution. The truck is a 2000 regular cab s10. I dont mind adding a harness bar or even a roll bar. But I am not doing down bars through the rear window. Any ideas would be great.

Thanks in advance. Ryan

[Ben@SpeedTech]

Hey Ryan- If you're using it primarily for belt mounts then there isn't a need for bars going rearward. If you do a google image search you'll find plenty of harness only bars to give you some ideas. Add some low side bars for support, design to make it easy to get in and out and look cool too. ;) Here's what I did with my car. Although it's a cage that extends to the back you could do something like what is hoop forward. I used PVC pipe to design and mock it up then built it with .120 wall 1 3/4" tubing off that design. Good luck!

[myth]

Thanks Ben. I had thought about a hoop with door bars. The truck will be 99%, autocross. But that is not to say that 1 day it won't see a road course.

[Ben@SpeedTech]

If you built a full hoop now you can always add rear bars later I suppose. Hard core racers should chime in here, should you ever roll it I'm not sure if there is a safety concern or not of the hoop folding without rear support bars.

[myth]

Ben, what are your thoughts on a bolt in harness bar? The cab is double walled in the corners.

[myth]

I know the cage it and do it right argument.

[CSG]

Just to understand, I am assuming you are wanting to hold yourself in the seat better for autocross and are not worried about the reduced safety from the harness without a cage? Not preaching, just don't understand exactly what your goals are.

[myth]

Just to understand, I am assuming you are wanting to hold yourself in the seat better for autocross and are not worried about the reduced safety from the harness without a cage? Not preaching, just don't understand exactly what your goals are.

correct. looking for seat belt options without a cage.

[rentedmule]

I don't have any input on the harness bar question but I would suggest leaving your stock seat belt in place for street driving. I've heard of folks getting heat from law enforcement about harnesses.

[CSG]

correct. looking for seat belt options without a cage.

I would look at doing a harness bar connecting both rear cab corners and one tie into the rear of the cab. That would be easy to fabricate and you could place the height as needed.

[Ben@SpeedTech]

Ben, what are your thoughts on a bolt in harness bar? The cab is double walled in the corners.

Sorry, I don't have input on that, I see lots of them in photos on the web but have no personal experience. All cars I've been around with harnesses have permanent welded in bars.

Also- every place is different but I've had some cops profile me and pull me over and none of them questioned my harness. Not sure if it would pass a safety inspection though, state depending.

A harness is a bit of a pain in a daily driver. To really be safe you have to keep it tight and that limits movement and comfort. The metal tabs to adjust straps get awful hot in the summer and without a shirt might brand your chest. ;) They take longer to get buckled in so no Dukes of Hazzard jump in and take right off moves, and the latches have chipped the paint on the roll bar because they just flop over to the side of the seat rather than retract when I get out. I've been frustrated more than once that I removed the easy to use factory belt for daily use. Harnesses are safer at the track though, and when you go to cruise night everyone thinks you drive a race car, lol!

[CSG]

I'll second that pain in the ass. I hate harnesses. Been upside down twice with harnesses and 3 times with a 3-point and still hate harnesses!

[Steve-O-08]

Built harness bars for both my tuck and my girlfriends'. Needed to do at least a harness bar when swapping seats because the stock seats had the seat belts built in to them.

[Dr G]

Here's a pic of the seat/harness mounting solution I cobbled up for my '56 F100. It bolted to the cab just below the back glass, as well as to the mounting points for the original bench seat.

[myth]

I don't have any input on the harness bar question but I would suggest leaving your stock seat belt in place for street driving. I've heard of folks getting heat from law enforcement about harnesses.

yea this isnt my first trip with harnesses. But the last car i had had a roll bar so it was much easier then with a regular cab truck.

I went to LS Fest a month ago and got schooled by Brad Smith;). What are your alignment specs if you dont mind me asking?

[myth]

Here's a pic of the seat/harness mounting solution I cobbled up for my '56 F100. It bolted to the cab just below the back glass, as well as to the mounting points for the original bench seat.

Cobbled together my ass! That looks like it may be a good idea. Does the bar double as the seat mount. Or are you still using the seat brackets?

[myth]

Steve, I like that idea. What size tubing did you use? My truck is a s10 so the seat belts are in the b pillar.

[Steve-O-08]

Steve, I like that idea. What size tubing did you use? My truck is a s10 so the seat belts are in the b pillar.

Both of the bars were made with 1.5” .120” wall tubing.