Advice on Racelidz Harness and JK Seats required please.

[Geoffrey Carter (Buttercup)]

I am looking at upgrading my Willans harnesses

I have been looking at these from Plays-Kool.

http://www.plays-kool.co.uk/acatalog/FIA-4-Point-LightWeight-Harness-314.html#SID=61

I remember previous comments that stated that people had issues with the buckles not lifting high enough in the JK Composite seats so that when people sat in the car they sat on the buckles  first.

My seats are on runners and they are the wide seats so they fit tight against the sides and they are also all the way forward.

has anyone encountered the above issues or do I need to purchase additional fittings to make the buckles lift out of the seats.

I am not the smallest of people so I do ideally need the buckles to lift onto the tunnel top and also over the side of the car whilst I get in.

[Onliest Smeg David]

IMO the pull ups from Playskool are great if the buckle falls right for the position seat is, which will probably mean no chance of resting buckles out of bucket with seat in correct position. But may work if push seat right back, get in then move seat forward to correct position. Be very careful with measuring distance between fixing point and buckle, then Luke can have them made to suit.

I have JK's and went for Schroth Westfield Harnesses, very nice bits of kit. The sides adjust to suit seat position and with the JK I have loose end passed through side hole then back up to work like pull up harness.

IF you like I'll try and take pics so you can visualise it better.

[John Williams (Panda) - Joint Manchester AO]

PM sent

[Geoffrey Carter (Buttercup)]

Thanks for the replies men.

DAVE.

My seat is so far forward its difficult for me to move it backwards and forwards as I need it all the way forward for my legs to reach the peddles. The seat is tight in and I would like to keep it where it is in case it does not go all the way forward again to the same place.

Pictures would be great if you could and it would be a great help.

JOHN.

 

PM replied to and thank you.

[John Williams (Panda) - Joint Manchester AO]

no secrets just swapping measurements... I have the harness but not the JK's

[Geoffrey Carter (Buttercup)]

36 minutes ago, John Williams - WSCC Competition Secretary said:

no secrets just swapping measurements... I have the harness but not the JK's

For heavens sake....Please don't disclose my measurements.....I would never live it down.

[clansman]

When you order the belts ask for the longer buckle straps as you are fitting them with JK seats, Luke is very helpful. I've got the 3" 6 points with the JK's and both belts and seats are brilliant. 

[Rory's Dad]

Clansman - Please can you tell me where and how you fitted the crotch straps??  In particular the anchorage at each end and the position and shape of the slots through the seat.  My seat is a bit forward and tilted slightly backwards so the submarining outcome is more likely.  Also want to avoid any potential damage in the wedding tackle department 

Looking forward to hearing from you - thanks!  

(Sorry for the thread hijack!)

[clansman]

13 hours ago, Rory's Dad said:

Clansman - Please can you tell me where and how you fitted the crotch straps??  In particular the anchorage at each end and the position and shape of the slots through the seat.  My seat is a bit forward and tilted slightly backwards so the submarining outcome is more likely.  Also want to avoid any potential damage in the wedding tackle department 

Looking forward to hearing from you - thanks!  

(Sorry for the thread hijack!)

 

Sent you a PM

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

If I'm right in thinking you treat your seat effectively as a "fixed position" seat, just mounted as far forward as you can slide it, then you can probably get pretty close to what you want, depending on how, ahem, ample the Christmas tum spread has been!

BUT, it's not necessarily going to be the easiest thing to set up and make work - a lot will depend on your actual "shape" rather than outright size. 

Also, if set up to do what you want, the waist straps will be totally unusable by anyone else should the seat ever be slid back, OR even if someone really slightly built were to sit in the driver's seat in it's current position.

The Pays Kool harnesses are a beautifully made piece of kit, and I always highly recommend them, but due to the pull up waist belts, and the large size of the adjusters there are some combinations of driver size and seat type that just don't work.  

I had to admit defeat with these myself. I too had longer lower straps to a custom length from Luke, whose service throughout was superb. As an example of what I meant by driver "shape", in addition to just being a regular fat b******d, I have the proportions of a barn door! (probably make a good sail!!), and am wide in the hip, between that and the bulk of the lap belt adjusters, I can't "squeeze past them" if they're trapped between me and the sides of the car, so I needed lower straps long enough to hang over the tunnel and the side of the car. Because this moves the adjusters up and closer to the central buckle, it seriously reduces the amount of adjustment possible. I could get the belts done up tightly enough, but someone much thinner than me would simply run out of adjustment, way before they got the lap belt properly tightened.

Unfortunately, the combination of my  and the large adjusters also caused damage to interior trim on the car, as i tried to squeeze in past the, before realising exactly what was causing the problem.

Like Dave, I fitted Schroth harnesses instead, not cheap, and no where near the bargain price of Luke's. but the pull down waist belts work superbly!0

[Rory's Dad]

Just a quick side note to thank Clansman for his great advice.  The good news is that the Westy is now undercover but there is not much room round its edges!

[Onliest Smeg David]

On 02/01/2017 at 12:50, Geoffrey (Buttercup) - North Yorkshire AO said:

Pictures would be great if you could and it would be a great help.

Here's me tightening tiggers harness.

Note loose end through hole in seat side turning it into pull up set up rather than pull down...

Buckle has plenty of adjustment to lengthen so rest on centre and over side.

Here they are waiting for me to clamber in.... 

(n.b. may not be as much adjustability with seat far forward, but some chasis have two sets of mounting bolts {Pandas} which would enable mounting lower harness bolts further forward.)

Set up works well for me, with me at 5ft 10 and a bit with seat right back & Wendz of short person stature with seat completely forward.

HTH

[Geoffrey Carter (Buttercup)]

Thanks everyone for the great advice and pictures as it has all helped.

I think I will postpone my idea for now until I have thought about things a bit further.

I really do appreciate the help given.

[SootySport]

I have the wide JK's and Racelidz harnesses.   My physique is as Dave Eastwood describes  so was difficult to set up the straps but I did manage it.  I have the shorter lap straps but to compensate for  the extra length required and so the buckles end up in the right place, I made up some steel extension straps.  The steel straps have holes approx. 90mm in between centres, one end bolted to the chassis fixing and the other carries the lap strap mounting plate, they just bolt together with short bolts and nuts. You'll have to experiment with the length of the extension straps to have the buckle fall into the right place which is just inside the seat lap strap cut out. I also made it work for the boy who has the seat a couple inches further forward than I have it.  

[Geoffrey Carter (Buttercup)]

Thankyou for the advice SootySport. 

That is a great help and is certainly another option for me to consider.