OG Racing: Lets Talk about Seats.

[OG_Racing]

Does anyone have any questions regarding seats? many people here are starting to go road racing. I can't encourage you enough to have a safe seat.

[Build-It-Break-It]

What about reclining seats on the track. I see a lot of people using them with 5 point harnesses. There's been a debate on using them before but no distinctive answer. I'm personally going to be using a factory DOT approved reclining Recaro on my Camaro. I wanted a comfortable seat, yet something with a safety rating. Any issues using reclining seats on the track?

[Red67Mustang]

What's better...

Running no anti-sub belt (4 PT harness) or running the anti-sub belt over the front of the seat bottom (no hole in the seat).

Thx.

[joesbruiser]

We have been looking at seats for 2 months for my sons c-10.The factory bench seat is not going to cut it, way unsafe and uneasy feeling in a corner. The issues I am having is with it having a mild chop and laid back windshield I can not use a seat that is super tall,then without moving the steering column towards the center It can not have a giant flare at the shoulders. Then the big issue is I have a 38 inch waist and getting bigger. And last I am 6 foot 3 inches tall and with it being a truck I need a seat with not a lot of recline so that I can sit as far back as possible. Any suggestions on what to run in my situation? I am thinking Kirkeys.

[Ron Sutton]

Does anyone have any questions regarding seats? many people here are starting to go road racing. I can't encourage you enough to have a safe seat.

Agreed !

[Mr Nick]

My biggest issue is finding a vendor that has them in stock to sit in and test. Hard to pull the trigger on a grand worth of seats and brackets only to find I don't think they are comfortable... That's why I currently have seats from a wrecked Hyundai Tiberon, was able to sit in them before purchase.

[SSLance]

It seems like a lot of us use our cars primarily on the street and mix in a little track time here and there, so the large challenge is to find a seat that is safe to use with a harness but also daily driver friendly. Mix in access to the rear seat for some, reclining for others, and last...budget friendly and seat shopping gets very difficult very fast.

I spent a lot of time grafting late model GTO seats into my car to replace the horrible factory seats...and they are great for daily driving aspects. My problem now is they are not harness friendly. My shoulders are at least 5 inches above the seat back so add on harnesses like the schroth rally are not a good option for these. Also there is no slot for submarine belts...

So replace those with a harness friendly seat I'm looking at a very high dollar Corbeau, Recarro or the like if I want to retain some of the comfort while adding in the harness factor. I'm looking for any other options for this type of seat if you have any ideas... I've leaned toward adding at least a 4 point roll bar to accommodate a proper harness attachment point, but not until I come up with a good seat option to use at the same time.

[OG_Racing]

double post

[OG_Racing]

It seems like a lot of us use our cars primarily on the street and mix in a little track time here and there, so the large challenge is to find a seat that is safe to use with a harness but also daily driver friendly. Mix in access to the rear seat for some, reclining for others, and last...budget friendly and seat shopping gets very difficult very fast.

I spent a lot of time grafting late model GTO seats into my car to replace the horrible factory seats...and they are great for daily driving aspects. My problem now is they are not harness friendly. My shoulders are at least 5 inches above the seat back so add on harnesses like the schroth rally are not a good option for these. Also there is no slot for submarine belts...

So replace those with a harness friendly seat I'm looking at a very high dollar Corbeau, Recarro or the like if I want to retain some of the comfort while adding in the harness factor. I'm looking for any other options for this type of seat if you have any ideas... I've leaned toward adding at least a 4 point roll bar to accommodate a proper harness attachment point, but not until I come up with a good seat option to use at the same time.


Finding a seat that is Safe and easy to into and out of is a real challenge. we work many HPDE events. most of the people there use a factory or aftermarket reclinable seat. Every crash we have witnessed the seat snaps in half. Look threw coparts crashed cars. many of the seat backs failed upon impact. Nothing is safer than a properly mounted FIA seat. Some can be hard to get into and out of. Recently we have started selling OMP. they make an inexpensive reclinable seat called the Style. It like any oem seat needs to be braced securely.
**WARNING** DO not use a brace like this one98198 on a tube frame or aluminum seat. We have had reports from rear impacts of them breaking the spinal cord.

THE OMP style is an inexpensive option as it come with the previsions for a 5-6 point harness. and retails for under $400. this will need to be braced properly to insure safety. please talk to your cage builder about how to brace it.
98200


A excellent FIA rated seat is the SPARCO Evo line. for years this has been the daddy when it comes to street driven track cars. the lower sides make it much easier to get into or out of. Because of the FIA rating you wont need to to be braced.
98199


click here to see the line up of EVO seats in different sizes. (http://www.ogracing.com/catalogsearch/result/index/?cat=179&dir=asc&order=relevance&q=sparco+evo+)

[OG_Racing]

My biggest issue is finding a vendor that has them in stock to sit in and test. Hard to pull the trigger on a grand worth of seats and brackets only to find I don't think they are comfortable... That's why I currently have seats from a wrecked Hyundai Tiberon, was able to sit in them before purchase.


Nick send us a PM. we can tell you where our closest OG racing dealer is.

[Yelcamino]

What are some options for track worthy seat sliders? Most of the ones I've seen/used are nothing more than thin wall mild steel C channel with some notches and a spring sliding on top of another C channel that's bolted to the floor boards. In a crash I can see the sliders coming apart.

The seats in my Chevelle are solid mounted so anyone shorter (wife) than me, can't fit properly or reach the pedals. A sturdy safe seat slider would be nice to have.

[OG_Racing]

these Sparco sliders are the ones we send out. we have sold hundreds of them. they've been crashed quite a bit and they do hold up well. they are meant to fit with sparco side mounts and seat base. Some fabrication might be needed to make them fit into a chavelle.

http://www.ogracing.com/sparco-seat-slide-mount-kit

98202

[Build-It-Break-It]

Could you show us some examples of how a properly braces reclining seat should be mounted?

[Yelcamino]

these Sparco sliders are the ones we send out. we have sold hundreds of them. they've been crashed quite a bit and they do hold up well. they are meant to fit with sparco side mounts and seat base. Some fabrication might be needed to make them fit into a chavelle.

http://www.ogracing.com/sparco-seat-slide-mount-kit

98202

I'm currently using those sliders in my El Camino and C10. I was hoping for something sturdier.

[OG_Racing]

Could you show us some examples of how a properly braces reclining seat should be mounted?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0F7hlz0DKXk

It needs to braced at the shoulder level, across the shoulders. not at the base of the neck. the Race tech video gives a good example


I'm currently using those sliders in my El Camino and C10. I was hoping for something sturdier.
what kind of seats are you mounting them to?

[TheJDMan]

That youtube video shows a Racetech seat that appears to have a built in provision for attaching the back brace. Do you have any pictures of a Sparco EVO with a similar back brace installed?

[OG_Racing]

I live in Fredericksburg, VA. so OG Racing would be my closest dealer. I installed a set of the inexpensive Cipher seats in Dust Off which fit me just fine. The problem is my wife has had hip replacement surgery and the Cipher seats are too narrow for her. The side bolsters put too much pressure on her hip joint. I am currently in the market for wider seats but I have to to be able to set in them, or rather my wife has be able to set in them. Do you sell Corbeau seats?

we do sell corbeau but we don't stock it, we do stock OMP, SPARCO, KIRKEY, and more. if you're close to the warehouse come on by. you can sit in every seat we currently stock. we do have allot of seats for her to try out.

[fxdlryan]

Steve,

I live in Ashburn and have a set of Corbeau TRS black leather seats you could try for fit if you'd like. Just hit me up offline if you're interested.

[OG_Racing]

Steve,

I live in Ashburn and have a set of Corbeau TRS black leather seats you could try for fit if you'd like. Just hit me up offline if you're interested.

GOing to a local race is the best way to try out seats. there will be a higher quantity of seats available to you than any dealer.

[Space Dynamics]

I read people saying non FIA solid back seats need bracing and kinda flex on their own. Is it possible these seats, unbraced, can be more dangerous then the stock seats out of my 79' Camaro?

Ex: Corbeau FX1 Pro

[Yelcamino]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0F7hlz0DKXk

what kind of seats are you mounting them to?

A pair of aluminum Kirkey road race seats I purchased from you. The driver seat is currently solid mounted to the cage structure and positioned correctly for me. My wife can't reach the pedals from my seating position which is why I'd like to add sliders.

[Mr Nick]

What are your thoughts on the Sparco R100 for a street car? What approx size waist are they good for?

http://www.ogracing.com/sparco-r100-seat-4

[OG_Racing]

What are your thoughts on the Sparco R100 for a street car? What approx size waist are they good for?

http://www.ogracing.com/sparco-r100-seat-4

sorry i've been out for a few days.
R100 is a good seat. I fit in it very well. i'm 6' 220lbs, so sized like a real american. the plastic adjusters on the sides can be a bit flimsy but overall a good fitting seat for normal sized people.

[mikedc]

A few thoughts on the subject of seats:


#1 - The OEM stuff is very weak in the backs. It has gradually become a big glaring loophole in crash safety regs. The standards will get raised dramatically if the Feds ever take a hard look at this issue.


#2 - If we're going to try to fix this lack of rigidity in the seatbacks, then it might be better to start building in a bit of "give". Yeah, of course 10-15 degrees of flex is very bad news. But 2-3 degrees might be more practical & safer than trying to make something that holds up 100% rigidly in a very hard rear-ender. Just a personal viewpoint.


#3 - I'm starting to think the best solution is two different seats between track and street. I dunno, maybe some kind of quick-release mounting method. (And while we're at it, switch all the belts too.)

[TheJDMan]

Is a back brace necessary for an FIA rated seat?

[OG_Racing]

A few thoughts on the subject of seats:


#1 - The OEM stuff is very weak in the backs. It has gradually become a big glaring loophole in crash safety regs. The standards will get raised dramatically if the Feds ever take a hard look at this issue.


#2 - If we're going to try to fix this lack of rigidity in the seatbacks, then it might be better to start building in a bit of "give". Yeah, of course 10-15 degrees of flex is very bad news. But 2-3 degrees might be more practical & safer than trying to make something that holds up 100% rigidly in a very hard rear-ender. Just a personal viewpoint.


#3 - I'm starting to think the best solution is two different seats between track and street. I dunno, maybe some kind of quick-release mounting method. (And while we're at it, switch all the belts too.)

#1&2 a crash on the road is calculated at 35-45 mph. that is what the GOV sets the safety standards too. a crash on the track is twice the speed if not more. closing speed between a spec miata and a PT car is 40mph. once your cars are out on track you need to be prepared for it.

You can do the seat swap fairly easy. if you use a bolt in seat mount it's 4 bolts to swap the seats. i use the craftsman cordless impact and seat swaps take 10min. Do leave the harnesses in the car though. Tuck them under the seat or tie them out of the way. they do take some time to get adjusted, but once they are in, you are good to go.




What can you tell me about the OG racing Hyper Drives run in conjunction with the NASA HPDE events at Summit Point? I'm primarily interested in attending one as a shakedown for the car and new drive train before spending the money for a full out HPDE event.

I can explain that. The Hyperdrive is a quick 20 min get-out-on-track for the experience. IMO it's not long enough to do a total shake down. if you have a real problem it will come out quickly, but 20 min might not be long enough to catch everything. I take my car to a track day for shake downs. If you do a one day track day it's 1/2 the price of the two day events. The HPDE is a drivers education event. You'll be in and out of classes and learning the proper way to drive fast. If you miss a class by working on the car then you'll miss the next session. This might be a problem if the car is constantly having fits.

[TheJDMan]

If you don't mind, I have another off topic question. When does the Snell SA2015 helmet standard go into effect and how soon will SA2015 helmets be available for sale?

[OG_Racing]

If you don't mind, I have another off topic question. When does the Snell SA2015 helmet standard go into effect and how soon will SA2015 helmets be available for sale?

October of 2015 we'll start getting the SA2015 & SAH2015

[TheJDMan]

My wife and I stopped by the OG Racing showroom this past weekend so she could try on some seats. I was thinking along the lines of the Sparco R100 or Crono but she didn't like the way they felt. She then wandered over to the racing seats and sat down in a Sparco EVO III and it fit her like a glove. She was comfortable in the seat, I was in shock, and we headed for home with a pair of new Sparco EVO III seats in the back of the pickup.

Thanks Brian!

[therobski]

Guys when I get my 64 F-85 car in the street, it will be like my RV for long tours. I may get involved with some AC time but mainly cruises. That said, for safety and comfort I am leaning on the Corbeau LG1 part number 25507, Corbeau 3-point retractable belt part number 43301B. I had to install new floors and braces in this car, prior to that it was a base F-85 no seat belts. So I ordered bucket seat braces for a 64-65 Chevelle from Auto Metal Direct-measure 3 times weld once! I also think I will order Wedge double lock sliders, I like the idea of sitting in the car and looking straight out the windshield instead of being higher up and looking down at the road. I read from some reviews the Wedge seat bracket and sliders sit lower than others. Any comments from you guys would be greatly appreciated.

[OG_Racing]

Guys when I get my 64 F-85 car in the street, it will be like my RV for long tours. I may get involved with some AC time but mainly cruises. That said, for safety and comfort I am leaning on the Corbeau LG1 part number 25507, Corbeau 3-point retractable belt part number 43301B. I had to install new floors and braces in this car, prior to that it was a base F-85 no seat belts. So I ordered bucket seat braces for a 64-65 Chevelle from Auto Metal Direct-measure 3 times weld once! I also think I will order Wedge double lock sliders, I like the idea of sitting in the car and looking straight out the windshield instead of being higher up and looking down at the road. I read from some reviews the Wedge seat bracket and sliders sit lower than others. Any comments from you guys would be greatly appreciated.

Your application is truly unique. Please dont be to surprised as i do not know what seat would fit you best. Generally speaking The corbau's have a fair amount of padding that does lift you up. the LG1 is a nice seat. I think with any seat that you do pick out will need a custom fabbed seat base. that way you will get to the required seat height. i personally shy away from any 4 point harness. many tests have been done and i have yet to see the data that says they are safe to use. it's hard to beat a good factory 3 point.

[Yelcamino]

i personally shy away from any 4 point harness. many tests have been done and i have yet to see the data that says they are safe to use. it's hard to beat a good factory 3 point.

Any thoughts regarding the Schroth Profi II ASM (http://www.schrothracing.com/competition/profi-asm/profi-II-asm)(Anti-SubMarining) 4 point harness?

[OG_Racing]

You can clearly see in the video of the lap harness entering the crash test dummy's stomach. Even in a slow pact that could lead to internal bleeding. The engineering is not there for 4 point harness to be safe.

[Buryingthesun]

I've always wondered why people cheap out on one of the most important things in their car

[FLYNAVY53]

Hey guys, so Ive got a '69 Corvette convertible that Im just building as an enjoyable street car with upgraded suspension and brakes. Im planning on upgrading to a 3 point belt as the '69s actually had the provisions for them, even though they did not come with them. My question is, what kind of seat should I be looking at? My two biggest constraints are 1.) my size....6'6 - 210 lbs and 2.) the available real estate in the Corvette. Id like to go with a fixed back seat but haven't been able to find anything that looks like it will work without looking ridiculous in the car. Thanks!