Racerrob

Where are folks attaching the front mount for these nets if you dont have a knee bar on the cage? In trying to mount it to the firewall, the heater core is right in the way. Thanks for any help.

RedlineMan

Indeed;

That heater core is right where you'd wnt to go. I've just gotten into this on a couple of customer cars. The 911 was fairly easy, as the heater stuff is not as extensive and on the other side of the firewall. Fortunately the current project is a NASA Spec944 (SP3) and so the HVAC stuff can be tossed. I just gutted the heater case and that has made it MUCH easier.

To be honest with you, I'm not quite sure how I would do it with the case still there. I imagine I'd have to build some sort of a structure that projected out and around the heater case toward the drivers side, built off the battery well. This would obviate the glove box.

Geo

In the early car, why not just install an eye bolt behind the speaker grill?

On a late car I couldn't tell you.

M758

This is what I did in my 944 (early car and no A/C of course).

One thing I needed to do was to make sure the forward part of the net did not interfere with my access to the shifter. That is one reason is slightly angled.


In the rear I mounted mine to the cage with collars to prevent sliding and to the battery tray area since I do not have a dash bar.






I hope this helps.

spazegun2213

joe, thats a great way to do it!

Racerrob

I have a late car. I might be able to do what you did Joe, but I am a little concerned with the angle over to the glove box area. I have not really had any guidance on this but isn't the net supposed to mount perpendicular to your right shoulder? Thanks guys.

ApexPerformance

There's not too much info out there available on recommended installation on right side nets, but I did find the blurb below on Simpson's website. They recommend installing the net so that it covers the shoulder wings of the seat. The top of the net should be just below the driver's line of sight, and the bottom portion aligns with the shoulder rest. If your seat fits you properly, a safe bet would be to mount the net so it is wrapping around the shoulder wing portion of the seat. The front of the net should be mounted as close to the driver as possible but should not interfere with the operation of the car. Keeping the net mounted as close to the driver as possible protects the driver better and the net is right there for the driver to access the quick release in an emergency.

From the SimpsonRacing website: The Right Side Restraint compliments the safety provisions provided by the seat. The upper portion of the restraint is mounted in-line with the headrest just below the driver’s line of sight. The lower portion aligns with the shoulder rest. The dash mount wraps around the roll cage behind the dash as far to the right as reasonably comfortable for the driver without interference to the operation of the car.

PS: We actually recommend the Safety Solutions right side sprint net and like the features of that model better. However, they are closed for the day so I couldn't get recommended installation tips from them (and we are out of stock at the moment on them - they are selling as fast as we get them in). With all the different race cars out there, it is a challenge mounting these nets correctly.

Racerrob

Thanks Linda. If you get some info from Safety Solutions would you post it or PM me? It is their net that I got from you guys that I am trying to install.

RedlineMan

Ideally;

The net should run straight forward from where it comes by the seat to where it attaches in the front. However, that is pretty tough unless you have a dash tube in the right spot.

The highest degree of protection is if it is perpendicular to the direction you would be travelling to activate it. However, some degree of angle is often necessary, and as long as it is not extreme it will not degrade the performance too much. As long as the net will keep you from too much hyperextention to the side (mostly in the head/neck), it is doing its job.

Joe, I see the ratchet mechanism. I was not aware they come with those? If not then great minds think alike because I had the same thought. I installed a Simpson side net in Sean's 911, and was not impressed. The center strap connecting the two main straps did have a slide adjuster, but it was not long enough to spread the two straps wide enough. Further, you cannot get the main straps tight with a normal slide adjuster. Unlike with a lap or shoulder belt, in a straight line the belt will not pull tight, so it is a bit floppy. That is what had me thinking of the ratchet.

My feeling is that it is a good idea to wrap the net around the seat to some degree, sort of pre-tensioning to hold the seat in place. It is also a good idea to have some locating device like a metal loop to keep the belt positioned on the seat where it belongs. One each on the head and shoulder bolster would work nicely. I wanted to do this with Sean's car, but I ran out of time.

Eric in Chicago

I am fitting my net (bought from Apex Performance-great customer service!!!). I have a knee crusher bar but if fitted properly, the net attachement point is too close to the shifter and will be in the way, I could go on a angle but the best fittment would be into the dash vent (high, straight and out of the way) as mentioned above, with the heater core still in place, the mounting is not possible. I may have a tab welded to the knee bar, say 4 or 5 inches and hook the end up to that.

What are people using to keep the ends that wrap around the cage from moving??

Geo

Use split collars. Cheap and to a great job.

RedlineMan

Hey;

You certainly could "T" up a tube off of the knee knocker, with a little taco brace on either side for added stiffness. That would work great.

RedlineMan

Speaking of side nets;

I've been told that NASA is requiring them, but for some reason I do not see it in the rules. That said, I have only looked in the 944 Spec rules.

Where is that requirement written in their code? I've been dumb and blind before...

ApexPerformance

Here's the rule from the NASA CCR page 67. They are requiring a right side net or headwrap seat July 1 and a head & neck restraint "may" become mandatory on all road race series July 1 (I think they will definitely become mandatory as well)

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Use of a head and neck restraint system or device, meeting SFI
specifications, may become mandatory for all road race series as of July 1, 2007.

15.17.9 Head Restraint – Side Impact
As of July 1st, 2007 it is required that all drivers employ a right-side impact head restraint
system. A seat with a “bolster” to keep the head from moving to the right side in an
impact is acceptable. Note- all side-impact head-net restraint systems must
have a quick-release mechanism to aid the driver in case of a necessary egress via the
passenger side.

M758

My net came with the wratch end as part of the net.

What you can't see really well is the cage mount is actualy behind the seat. It is mounted very close to the shoulder harness and uses collar that keep the shoulder harness from moving as its side anchor. This then takes the back of the net and wraps it around the back of the should support on the seat. The front is angled off a bit, but that was needed to ensure I did not need to reach under it get to the shifter. When mounting it I played around with where the front attachment point should go and first looked at keeping it straight as possible. For that reason I was going for the center of the dash. The problem was that I did not give me free access to the shifter. I kept hitting it going back and forth to the steering wheel. So I angled it until it was clear. By this time I found that lower corner of the battery tray and it seemed perfect.

Of course with that wratchet I can crank it tight and then use the red pull strap to open the quick release if needed. I like net I got since it is large and is adjustable on all 4 ends (3 back and 1 front). I believe the only part I fabbed was the buckle for the front mount. I believe it was spare seat belt anchor that I used, but I forget exactly.