Hi,

A couple more 6 pt harness questions:

What are pros and cons of CamLock vs Latch? Is it worth paying more for the CamLock?

Is a brand like Deist that much better then a lesser known like AutoPower? I am only using it for autox and DE's (not club racing) and there is about a $125 price difference per seat.

Do some brands have a longer useful life?

Does each brand install differently or are they all basically the same?

Thanks

 

I prefer a camlock because the latch is smaller and L&L can hang up a bit, certainly moreso than CL.

G-Force has a FIA homologated 5 point belt set with camlock for $109. Can't beat the deal.

 

I'm always amazed that folks want to discount the need for safety with DE. While the odds of being involved in a crash are less, the forces encountered if a crash were to occur can be equal.

 

Mitch,
I totally agree with you in that you cannot put a pricetag on safety, however higher price does not ALWAYS mean better quality. This is what I am trying to determine.
Being a girl I can tell you that a coach leather bags last longer then a Liz Clairborne leather bag but Manolo Blahnik stillettos do not last any longer then Kenneth Cole ones. Sometimes we pay for the "brand".
Kim

 

Kim,

I club race and use L&L only because I like the fact that it is very easy to make sure that the belts are all connected and secure. Camlock is a nicer looking set, but I have had the experience of a belt popping out because I had not secured it to the cam properly. That can't happen with L&L.

4master/#909/1985.5 944/I class

"goes like a herd of mice"

 

I also like the "security" of the latch system.

I also like the idea of a girl with a leather bag, stilleto heels and a boxster,
sorry

 

But you will look better in the Blahniks, at least that's what Carrie wants us to believe!!

 

Like stillettos or flats, both Latch Link and Cam Locks install the same. They are also rated equally, as it's the webbing that's the determining factor on "useful life".

Personal preference and arguments about ease or lack-of-same in the respective fastening mechanisms are all that separate the two types for all intents and purposes.

 

Thanks!

What about the brands? Does anyone know if one is better/safer/ then the others?

PS Not that I really care as long as I have nice shoes on when I crash...just kidding!

BTW it isn't easy wearing a skirt and stillettos while wearing a 6 pt harness and using a clutch. You guys should try it sometime!

 

Same thing happened to me, but I consider it my fault. Rushing to get out for a run session and I guess I didn't pull down on my shoulder strap hard enough. I now check each and every time that all the pieces click in and are in!
That being said, I still like the cam setup over the latch.

 

Where do you find Nomex lined skirts and stilettos???

As to brands - look for certification and don't worry about brand. G-Force (as Geo said) usually has inexpensive, yet effective equipment.

 

Over my carrier I have run 3 harnesses.

First was a RJS latch & lock. Cheap and worked fine. I did find it to be a pain to put the latch lock together. I had to get the order just right. My father espically had issues when we were sharing the car. In quick change between DE groups he would often get fluster if he could not get it right away. They worked fine once together. Never crashed tested.

I then swapped to Sparco 6 point camlock's when I started to race. I was basicly tired of farting with latch lock. I also looked at the Simpson latch lock and generally liked the feel of the webing better of the sparco. Both were rated to the same SFI spec, but I chose the Sparco/Sabelt on webbing feel and cam lock feel. Easy in and out. I never had an issues with not locking quickly or poping out. Nice harness and looked pretty good to.

I reciently switched to a Schoth FIA certed 6pt harness cam lock. Reason is that my Sparco "expired" due to the 2 year SFI rating rule. So while I felt my sparco was perfectly good I went to get another one. I ended up getting the Schroth mostly because of the FIA cert that means it is good for 5 years. I paid $300 for the Schroth when the Sparco would have been $200, but due to FIA tag the Schroth was cheaper in the long run. (had not heard abotu G-Force yet) I was really impressed with Schroth wend I got it. Very nice study, but light hardware and nice webbing. In my hands the harness feels to be higher quality. That said while the like the appernet quality and the reputation of Schroth I cannot honeslty say it is really any better than say the G-force. I know they carry the same cert so based on the test they meet the same minimum requirements for both webbing and hardware, but I can only guess if one is really "better".

 

this thread could go down hill faster than a twin turbo

I use the Dietz harnesses as they're what my preferred purveyor of parts sells.

 

I use the M&R latch/link harnesses bought from OG Racing. Reasonable price, and like others I like the positive latch.

 

After trying a latch-link and a cam-lock, I won't use anything but cam-lock harnesses. Prices have come down enough that there isn't much reason to go latch-link. As for the "you get what you pay for" argument, I don't buy it, if it meets SFI/FIA certification standards, I'll take the cheap one.

Sam