The hunt for the Miata has not gone well, but I might have found one.

The car is getting a rollbar, and soon after, seats and harnesses.

How does one shop for harnesses? Once you know how many points you want - I'm pretty sure that for an HPDE machine I want 5, right? - how do you distinguish between one brand and another? Sparco vs G Force vs Schroth vs whoever. Fabric, width, ..?

edit: and what the hell is in those Takata harnesses that makes them $400?

Thanks,
john

I guess there is a lot of simple brand preference since I've seen a lot of different harnesses used at the track, but there is certainly some differences between the various selections out there. I only have experience with a few but some of it comes down to simple construction quality. I've found that while they work fine, the basic cheaper Sparco/Sabelt units are built rather chintzy. The stitching is rather rough and the plastics aren't very solid. The Schroths are built much more solid and have notable attention to detail, quality fit and finish but you pay a bit more for that than the cheaper Sparco/sabelt. Gforce is another inexpensive brand. You can see the finish of the metals/plastics/stitching and decide for yourself as to what your requirements are there. How many points is up to you. Can you support a 5-pt with your seats? My next belts will certainly be 3" as the 2" i have now get bothersome over time. But thats with a stock seat. To really crank down and keep you in check, a 2" belt (even with pads) starts to get constrictive after a while for taller folks. If you have a 1-piece racing seat, and/or are lighter/shorter you may not need a 3" belt to keep you in check as your seat will be doing more work to stabilize you.

Just a small bit of info to think about...

P.S. I think that Takata crap is a waste of money... Its just another case of the "Its JDM rare so it should be better and more expensive than anything else" crapola. :lol:

Go with a 3" web for both lap and shoulder belts. 5 pt harness is a must if you'd like to stay out of the footbox in a head-on impact. If you are belting yourself into the car you will need pull-up lap belts. If someone else will be belting you in, you can use pull-down lap belts. Finally, choose the belt release mechanism. I much prefer cam belts. My Simpsons use a lever to pull up on to release all belts. Other cam-locks have a knob that needs to be rotated. Take you're pick.

Gary
Sheehan Motor Racing
www.teamSMR.com

look for quality of the hardware, nice rounded edges, nothing that "could" cause abrasion or cutting.

I use good ol made in the USA Teamtech belts.
http://www.teamtechmotorsports.com

Lots of cheapo belts out there. Some have big brand names on them too. Schroth are nice if you need FIA cert.

JC

If you're considerate about certification, think of something you can get re-webbed.

Or, www.motordrive.com has everything 1/2 Sparco price, FIA certified, better quality(MHO).

PM me for dirt cheap shipped pricing.

For reference - I am looking at doing a max of 7 or 8 HPDE's next year - and that's optimistic. I am thinking a Sparco Evo for me, and an Evo2 for the passenger.

I'm about 5'8, 160 or so.

So the reason to get a 3" belt instead of 2 is that it is less likely to be uncomfortable because it's spread out over a larger area? Is there any compelling reason 2" is better, other than being cheaper?

Thanks for everyone's advice..

john

For reference - I am looking at doing a max of 7 or 8 HPDE's next year - and that's optimistic. I am thinking a Sparco Evo for me, and an Evo2 for the passenger.

I'm about 5'8, 160 or so.

So the reason to get a 3" belt instead of 2 is that it is less likely to be uncomfortable because it's spread out over a larger area? Is there any compelling reason 2" is better, other than being cheaper?

Thanks for everyone's advice..

john

wider is better!

You would think that 3'' has more material=more strecthing, in fact, it has more knots= more impact absorbing.