Mounting 4 point harness in a ute

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In preparations for jambo, i've been reading the rules, and i need to get a few things installed.

Most of the things are straight forward (like battery cut off, and tailshaft loop)

The one that does make it difficult for me. Is the mounting of a 4 point harness.

I have a single cab hilux, no cage at present, and no real mounting points i can mount a harness. 2 points i can grab already from where my belts are mounted at the moment (the ones going across my lap) the shoulder strags i have no obvious place to mount from.

Any ideas how i could?... This will be te difference between 12's, and 11's at jambo.

[CLG]

Most ideal place will unfortunately be through the rear cab steel, under the rear windscreen. you could bling it up with a bit of detail, so it wouldn't look like two mount points placed there - if you do it right, people will drool when they see the stinless washers under the high tensile nuts, and ask what they're for, as you casually reply, Cool Hand Luke style - "race harness bizacth!".

In all seriousness, the safest way to mount it is easily described in most CAMS manuals if you have a copy spare - there are safety limits to angle of mounting that assist in retention when you actually need the harness in a crash.

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Drilling a coupla holes doesn't phase me, but will the rear cab be strong enough without extra reinforcement... i'd imagine it's be too thin, and would rip out in a severe accident... (god forbid!)

[CLG]

Thats why you will probably have to include a minimum 50mm washer in front of the nut - go with a theme that compliments your tray (brushed/satin look) to really get the people excited, and wipe the drool up when they've left. You could also choose to install a bar between the two mounting points - if you rip that through the cab, in a crash - you have more than mounting points to worry about!

50mm is the minimum requirement size I've seen specified when engineering seats into car for legality - while I agree we're not talking road worthiness here, it's stil lworth inviting expereinced comment on the mounting procedure.

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Hrrrm, thanks, given me something to think about. I'll have to chase up my mates CAMS manual and see what it says.

Gotta find a belt as well!

[oldcorollas]

tie a kind of roll bar on the back tray, with tabs meeting the rear of the cab, and bolting thru? a big flat sheet of metal will tear too easily

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would there be anything wrong with mounting a bar between where the belt mounting points are in the cab, and mount off that?

(the top bit where the normal 3 point sah belt spools from.)

[oldcorollas]

if you have the space behind the seat, and the angle is ok, worth lookign into
as long as the seatbelt mounting points are strong enough to withstand the direction forces will be generated when the belts pull on the bar.. or the bar bends?

good idea!

[CLG]

the cab and tray are independant of each other - the area would wear. A mounting bar from one area of the cab to the other may be feasible, but you still run into the same problem of "fall or roll" regarding the bar stability, upon a crash - the bar would have no lateral support.

[jonra23]

The top mounts for original lapsash belts would be too high.

I am with Clint, drill two holes in back of cab below the frame under the rear window.

Get a pair of plates made that takes in both bolt holes about 50mm high and 50mm longer than bolt centres, make sure they have nice radiuses on the corners and inside edges so the dont cut into sheet metal in case of an accident.

Mount one on the inside and one on the outside and bolt through, wil be as strong as a standard mounting point.

regards
jon

[Ben Wilson]

The CAMS manual specifies a load speader plate at least 50x75mm (I think) made of 3mm steel behind the nuts.

If you use plates like this, the rear of the cab should be fine.

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Thanks guys, given me some insight on the matter +rep all round.

[takai]

Lance: if you go down to your local speed shop, or Revolution Racegear you can buy the load spreader plates which Ben is talking about. They use them for mounting the 5th and 6th harness points in cars. Last time i had to get some they were like $15 each, and then the eyelets another $5 or so.

GLHF

[Ben Wilson]

$15 for a bit of 3mm plate and a nut - I might go into business....

[takai]

Dont forget the Argoshield and wire
Yeah, it is expensive, but much faster when you are under a big time pressure. Or dont have a welder handy.