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Unless you have a +50" waist with a huge stomach that sticks up above the sides of the seat, I don't see how this will secure you properly (and safely) with the buckle so high above the side of the seat. The seat belt needs to wrap around your waist. This is why harness lap belts are routed via the side openings. The buckle either needs to be routed inside the seat (997GT3 bucket style) or go no higher than about 1" below the side bolster if routed outboard of the seat (OEM GT3 Euro bucket style). Pretty much all the 997 and later buckets route the belt buckle on the inside of the seat into a shallow recess. This is generally not an option on most aftermarket buckets however. Not my car, not my seats, not my life. Just saying, this doesn't seem to pass the smell test, and I stayed at a Holiday Inn last night.... Be safe
It looks high but works fine because the buckle flexes over and effectively just turns into part of the continuous length of belt. I think your concern would be valid if the buckle section did not flex. The shoulder belt shifts over just a little but since the bolster is so thick it winds up being pretty close to where the GT3 seat probably puts it. My bolster is up tight against the middle so I need to have it higher to fit, the buckle won't fit between there.
Last edited by Bernard IV; 01-18-2022 at 02:24 PM.
The buckle would be smashed into my hip and the seat then. I could make it super long with a longer buckle and do it that way but a buckle that long does not exist. I'm confident that this is just as solid as the setup in the 996 GT3.
It looks high but works fine because the buckle flexes over and effectively just turns into part of the continuous length of belt. I think your concern would be valid if the buckle section did not flex. The shoulder belt shifts over just a little but since the bolster is so thick it winds up being pretty close to where the GT3 seat probably puts it. My bolster is up tight against the middle so I need to have it higher to fit, the buckle won't fit between there.
What seats are those? They appear substantially wider than even the GT3 Euro bucket as there is virtually no room between the seat and the center console. My Recaros SPAs have a couple of inches of room there. It doesn’t even look like you could have squeezed the buckle there unless doing it up above the seat like you have it.
What seats are those? They appear substantially wider than even the GT3 Euro bucket as there is virtually no room between the seat and the center console. My Recaros SPAs have a couple of inches of room there. It doesn’t even look like you could have squeezed the buckle there unless doing it up above the seat like you have it.
Just looked these up. Appear to be really nice seats and super light to boot. Looking at the published specifications, they measure 8.7cm wider than the Recaros, so 4.35cm per side which explains why the are so snug on the console and the resulting buckle issues. The QRTs are probably comparable to the Recaro XLs.
Last edited by powdrhound; 01-18-2022 at 08:02 PM.
Just noting this in case anyone is considering these... The names are very similar, but there are some differences between the seats below.
I'm running the QRT-C Performance... Similar to the earlier (but still produced) QRT Performance, but with a carbon fiber shell and larger shoulder harness holes to properly fit a wider range of drivers. The 'performance' part of the name in Sparco-language = leather and Alcantara cover. They also offer both seats without the leather/alcantara covers at a lower price point.
QRT-C Performance:
Earlier (but still available) QRT-Performance. Similar size shell, different shoulder harness holes.
I could lower the bracket and pivot the buckle upwards to reduce the height maybe an inch and it will still fit.
Hard to say what the optimal solution is. It’s a balancing act between trying to fit a wide seat and safety. Bottom line, positioning the seat buckle lower is going to be optimal but simply not an option here due to the width of the seat. You just need to make sure the lap belt properly wraps around your waist so you don’t submarine under it with no crotch belt to restrain you. While this might work for a 220lb male, this set up could be problematic for a skinny small 100lb female for example.
Last edited by powdrhound; 01-18-2022 at 11:58 PM.
As this seems to be of interest, here is some follow up on my install...
I now have a fairly large assortment of rigid, semi-rigid and flexible OE style buckles as well as aftermarket extenders. I've tried several combos. What works best for me, in my car with my Sparco's is the OE buckles along with a high quality soft extender.
I can run the extender either through the side harness hole (works well for my wife or someone else on the smaller side) or over the bolster (works well for me or someone on the larger side). That said, I can use the through the hole and it's fine, just a bit less convenient, and my wife with the over-the-bolster, the belt also seems to fit just fine and not at all unsafe.
Also note that IMHO, the extenders I'm using are as safe as the OE buckles. Very well made, good webbing, over-stitched, nicely made tangs. I also have some ebay extenders that are not nearly as nicely made and with what looks like lesser materials. So if you do decide to get extenders, I suggest using sbepros.com. I'm sure there are other high quality ones out there, but these are pretty nice.
01-18-2022, 01:46 PM
