Hi, mid-build on my first buggy and looking at fitting seat belt harnesses, I remember reading somewhere that they had to be fitted at a certain height... did I remember correctly and if so any guidance as to correct fitting please?
I've been looking at https://www.carbuildersolutions.com/uk/seat-belts-and-harnesses-sabelt-harnesses (https://www.carbuildersolutions.com/uk/seat-belts-and-harnesses-sabelt-harnesses) - are these any good or would you recommend somewhere else?
Appreciate any guidance, thanks Neil
Nothing wrong with these. I use CBS quite a lot. The important thing with a harness is to have the restraining strap at rear bolted at a correct height. Don`t bolt the strap at floor level behind the seat. This would result in too severe an angle.
Thanks Paul, so when you say "at the correct height" would you expect there to be instructions that come with the harnesses to give an indication of the height they need to be bolted to?
Cheers
What you are aiming for is no downward pull on the shoulder so mount either at or above shoulder height and central so no sideways pull in an accident
No instructions... Don`t over-think this. The basis of safety for all seat belts is of course the strength of mounting points but equally important that of how the webbing crosses the body. The webbing must pass over muscled area and not joints. That is over the shoulder not into neck. Over thighs not into hip joints.
So for harness just don`t bolt to floor as this is too extreme an angle even when webbing goes over the shoulder muscle. Should you have a frontal impact the consequences could be extreme to your body,
Generally, on a buggy body. you could locate the rearward straps on say the "seat area", the "vertical section of the body tub", or if you have a roll cage take a look at BuggyPete`s web site for pictures that might give inspiration.
Also use stress plates at points the bolts go through the fibre-glass. Both sides so that you sandwich the fibre-glass between the two plates... Fibre glass bodywork has quite a high tensile strength but is not good under compression so the plates spread the load.
Thanks both, appreciate your feedback,
Cheers,
Neil
if you do want actual dimensions, look on pages 211 to 213 (or thereabouts) of the current BIVA manual.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/696880/individual-vehicle-approval-inspection-manual-passenger-vehicles.pdf