hinchcliffe

I know Devek had a nice looking harness bar that mounted across the rear shock towers. Anyone know of another good one? I've also seen just the rings that mount to the shock towers for holding the ends of the harnesses.

then there appears to be "universal" harness bars available..... Yeah right. For just DE'ing I'm looking at seats and harnesses, but not ready for a full cage.

Any other options, or shall I make something on my own? Otherwise anyone have one for sale????

jstadter

Years ago a 928 Rennlister successfully retrofitted a Stable Energies 944 harness bar to his 928, so I bought the same bar with the intent of fitting it to my S4. I later picked up a rollbar for DE events, so the harness bar has just been sitting. Not sure what it would cost to ship, but I'll give you a decent deal on it if you're interested.

http://www.stableenergies.com/Guide-...ductinfo/GB4F/

hacker-pschorr

Food for thought, some tracks / clubs are not allowing harnesses without a roll bar.

Being pinned up right in a rollover without a roll bar is not very safe.

With a factory 3 point belt your body is able to move away from the impact (crushing in roof). With a harness, your heat will be stuck against the roof, not good.

Personally I would never run a harness without a seat designed for them and a roll bar.

hinchcliffe

I agree a roll bar would be better, but the 928's are built pretty well from what I know and the kids would like to ride in the back from time to time.

So I plan to start with the seats/harness then slowly work into the bolt in roll bars from Carl or other suitable place. Anyone know of another suitable roll bar besides Carl's?

123quattro

I agree with what Hacker said. You'll be safer without it until you get a hoop.

Speedtoys

"928s are built pretty well..."

That doesnt pass insurance rules at reasonably responsible DE day organizers.

If you leave the DOT design of the interior safety systems, you MUST build them to SFI or FIA specifications.

A harness bar in a car with OEM seats dont pass muster, because the seat is meant to collapse backwards...with a harness bar, you'll break your back on it...and a race seat is meant to be secured to the harness bar...etc.

One little change, and you have to go a long way to be complete, and safe.

Gary Knox

Most roll bars for 928's that I've seen attach to the floor pan by the area where the seat belt anchor is. My acquaintance who used to drive his 928 on lots of tracks here in the east (Instructor, and tenured physics professor at a BTGN School with 14 members), always prophesied that the C pillar of a 928 was SO strong, and the attaching point of a roll bar was so weak that the roll bar was of little help.

He, as well as others indicated a roll bar might be a significant hazard if you are going to drive the car on the street without a helmet. THAT part I agreed with, as banging an unprotected head against the roll bar would lead to considerable mixing of the interior jelly stuff.

I've only seen one rollover in 12 years of track driving at about a dozen different tracks. That was a 944 at Mid-Ohio, went off the track, slid on the grass into a 'tire' barrier sideways, the tires absorbed the hit, then 'fought' back, pushing the car onto it's top, as the wheels/tires on the opposite side of the car dug into the soil. Kim Crumb, famous 928 guy in the '90's was the instructor!!! Chief instructor for a northeast region was the driver. Nobody hurt.

SO - I've never thought a roll bar was that important in a 928, and would NOT have one in a car I drove to and from the track (as all my track cars were).

Gary---

Speedtoys

Roll bars are supposed to have high density closed cell foam attached anywhere hands and heads can come into contact with them...no AS bad on the street that way.

That soft spongy foam stuff does no good.

123quattro

I have seen an E36 trip roll at speed on grass at Gingerman. Go off sideways and it's not hard to do.

KenRudd

I am in Gary's Camp on this.
While I certainly DO agree that a harness with a proper Roll Bar is better than a harness with just a harness bar, I do NOT agree that a harness with a harness bar is worse than factory 3 points.

I understand and see where its is _possible_ that being firmly restrained to your seat in a rollover accident without additional protection _may_ cause issues. I weigh that against the very real, tangible and repeatable benefits of added control, less fatigue and better protection in most other accidents that a harness/harness bar provides.

Not only do I believe it, I bet my life on it every time I am on the track.

For reference I am using Carl's brackets, as, like original poster, could find no ready source of an actual bar.

KenRudd

And to add to this mixture, my harness allows me to use a HANS device.

hinchcliffe

This will always be a debate of good versus evil. I plan to start with at least a harness bar and seats, as the harnesses without proper seats is incorrect.

I do wear a Simpson R3 and proper helmet. I also help with the safety guidelines at our events. Anything can and will happen on track. I have insurance on my car and plan to drive it to/from the track. I do not drive "flat out", but others around me do. I have gotten to the point of over driving street tires on track and plan to step up to rcomp And with that I plan to add safety in the way of seats and harnesses. As I feel this is much safer than the original seat and 26 year old stock seat belts. I've been track driving for 12 years myself and solo driving for 11 of them, but accidents happen no matter who you are.

I plan to search cages but want to start with seats and harness bar. This is not a cheap sport no is the equipment. I will not buy the cheapest stuff I can find or duct tape together as that makes it just as un safe for close around me.

James Bailey

The Devek "roll bar" made by Autopower in San Diego was primarily a harness bar and made a good attachment for the harness just behind your shoulders with proper angles and did add the hoop over your head.....for what that is worth. Since it attached to the shock mounts you only drilled six holes in the floor pan...four of which go into nothing the glued in disc on the floor pan. Try to find a Devek roll bar they are easy to resell just tough to ship !