Swanpuppy

We talked earlier about head and neck restraints, one main comment was the higher the price the lighter the weight which translates to a more enjoyable experience. Has anyone seen anything on this restraint below? I assume its a bit heavier, but the entry level price point is quite nice compared to the competition. I'm sure this will be viewed similar to how this size views eBay parts, but if its safe to use, does the job correctly, and lets me save a bit to put towards another track day, that seems like a win win.

Savington

iTrader: (31)

It's got SFI 38.1 certification, so it's fine.

Swanpuppy

So safe to use and affordable, Ill have to do some research on usability and comfort. Thanks Savington.

aidandj

iTrader: (5)

Its a zamp. So probably similar to their other stuff. Obviously not top of the line, but functional.

Swanpuppy

One other question perhaps people can chime in on. My car came with an aftermarket steering wheel, lots of people on here run aftermarket wheels as well. What is the preferred action for maximum safety on a street car that sometimes sees the track? (assuming ill be using stock seats and stock belt)

- Re install a 1990 stock steering wheel with air bag and hope it works after 25 years?
- Keep aftermarket wheel, cut out seat belt stitching so you hopefully don't slam into the wheel?
- Use my existing full race seat, 6pt belt, and hope my neck doesn't snap in a collision?

deezums

iTrader: (3)

I suggest you read the ******* thread.

OGRacing

iTrader: (1)

We are planning on renting HANS devices soon.

Swanpuppy

Deezums, I did "read the ******* thread", the thread goes all over the place. Aftermarket wheels allow your face to slam into the wheel. Race seat and full harness snap your neck so you must have neck bracing. Cutting the stiching on the OEM seat belts removes the slack so you don't hit the wheel, but now you're modifying OEM and tested equipment. And one person commented on the safety of using a 25 year old air bag.

So at this point OEM is the safest on the street, but you still have the issue of using a car with a quarter of a century old exploding gas bag in your face. Ideally I like the idea of putting a modern steering wheel with bag in, but most people say it can't be done due to the differences in computer and electrical systems. The question narrowed down to; is the original air bag considered something that will save you, or fail and do nothing or maim you.

Joe Perez

iTrader: (8)

Insofar as the design of the OEM single-stage airbag, there's nothing dangerous about it for an adult who is healthy enough to be driving a race car, seated in a normal position and wearing a functioning seat belt. First-gen airbags are "dangerous" principally to infants in rear-facing car seats, elderly women sitting four inches away from the steering wheel, and so on.

As for the reliability of old airbags, I did a fair bit of reading on this about a year ago during the original thread. Academic data is hard to come by, but I found several anecdotal reports from both automotive engineers and people who work at scrapyards who, in the course of their normal job, routinely detonate old airbags prior to disposal. The data can be summarized as this: an undamaged airbag has an essentially infinite lifespan. I couldn't find a single report where an airbag failed to detonate during the disposal process, and that's a sample set consisting almost entirely of very old airbags.

EDIT: I did find one article suggesting a failure rate of approximately 1% for a large sample of Takata-brand airbags, mostly due to rupture of the fabric rather than a failure to detonate. This study was focused on build and materials quality, and did not correlate failure rate with age.

The closest thing I found to an official report was this article, in which Douglas Campbell, president of the Automotive Safety Council and 25 veteran of the airbag industry, noted that "airbags from 1990s vehicles are operating correctly in today's accidents."

While the electronics inside the SRS module (principally the large electrolytic capacitors) may degrade after a few decades, there are self-diagnostics in the module to detect this. If the airbag light comes on when you start the vehicle, and then goes off, chances are very nearly 100% that the airbag will function correctly in an accident.

Swanpuppy

Perfect Joe, eBay looks to have quite a few old stock wheels available for around 50 bucks, or try to source one locally. That should give maximum street safety without breaking my face. I hate the OEM 1990 wheel, but I guess I'll live with it.

aidandj

iTrader: (5)

What is the ruling on the HANS 2" shoulder belts without a HANS. I'd like to put the matching set I got in drivers and passenger, but most of the time my passenger doesn't have a HANS.

OGRacing

iTrader: (1)

The recommendation we get from belt manufactures is to not run a 2" belt without a hans. you have a larger risk of breaking your collar bones.

a 3" belt will work with a hans. i would recommend using a 3" belt.

aidandj

iTrader: (5)

Interesting thanks. I just picked up a couple sets of schroth HANS belts. And because I always wear a HANS when I wear my harness I figured I would move my current 3" belt to the passenger side and use the HANS belt on the drivers side.

thumpetto007

iTrader: (15)

Is there any way to get rid of this post? I have already bought M2 hardtop harddog rollbar, Novec fire suppression, hans... all the safeties. I keep getting negcats, and it gets me depressed.

nigelt

iTrader: (10)

Have a poscat to balance it out

OGRacing

iTrader: (1)

there are no stupid questions. seriously, no joke at the end of that one.

cyotani

iTrader: (8)

poscat *****... I to help offset

Savington

iTrader: (31)

Sort of an old post, but as a passenger, I'd rather wear 3-points than a 5/6-point without a HNRS. Unrestricted head motion during a big impact while wearing a harness is something to be avoided at all costs.

The answer that you really don't want to hear is that your passenger shouldn't be wearing a harness without a HNRS.

aidandj

iTrader: (5)

Hmmm. Thats a tough one. I do have my 3 points still installed. And without an airbag they should be okish. maybe. tough.

dasting

This is the correct answer, enough so that I've been considering buying a second HNRS because I like taking passengers a lot. Then I run into the problem that their helmets aren't prepped for use with it.

Even if they were, what system is it prepped for? I'd like to see the new sfi standard have attachment points from the factory and a standardized attachment so whether it's a Hans or other, it works. But that's never gonna happen.

I'll just hope that more people are getting HNRS themselves I guess. I'll probably buy a second one anyway on the rare chance that my wife comes out to the track so I don't have to borrow one.