schvetkaaks

The fellow I am buying my Boxster race car from suggested to me that the seats with side head protection really are more of a gimmick than a true safety feature - true?

A930Rocket

No, it's not a gimmick IMHO. I have an aluminum Butler Built seat that has the head and should bracing. NASCAR cars of a few years ago had them, but have moved on to new and improved styles.

analogmike

Not at all a gimmick IF they are sufficiently rigid. The screw on aluminum sheet type on my Kirkey is not really string enough so I am thinking of upgrading it.

schvetkaaks

What about the built-in ones like the Sabelt Taurus and Sparco Circuit?

Cookie Porsche

In a side impact you really want those 'ears'. Together with the HANS they keep your head where it's meant to be!

Without the ears your helmet might hit the side bars / door frame and will split like an eggshell. With two seats in a car (say rally) the two helmets will hit each other...

jlucas

Do an inside window net as well. (regardless of seat type).

Sean F

If you do a search, you'll find a post with a video of an ARCA (?) car hitting the wall at an angle and disintegrating the seat wing with his head. Not sure how much protection the seat wings actually provide. I have a net in my car because it's mandated by the race series. Never seen any studies that show how effective it is. From what I understand, it's designed to redirect your body forward so the harness and HANS can work.

KRA993tt

Some good information here http://www.joieofseating.net/full-custom_race-seat.html

As usual this is more involved than picking something out of a catalog. If you really want maximum protection the cockpit, cage, and seat are all working together to keep you in place and protected. Which means building to your body size and shape.

But a good one piece seat and a head and neck (HANS etc..) device is better than not having one.

Gary R.

Mike - is your's the Kirkey 43xxx series with the built in shoulder wings? I just ordered the head restraint and because I have the wings built in all I will get is the head restraint section. I spoke with Kirkey and they agree with my adding more reinforcement to the assembly, even to the point of a brace to the cage itself. I have to wait and see what it looks like and will fabricate what I need to, no matter what it will be a lot better than no head side restraint at all..

gbaker

Just use a head and neck restraint having side protection.

schvetkaaks

What head/neck restraint has side protection?

If you have a net on the right side, doesn't the potential of impact of helmet to padded cage (on the left side) seem deadly?

chrisp

ISAAC has side protection.

I was very close to buying a Kirkey full containment seat but unlike composite seats, the aluminum shoulder and head support needs to be mounted to the cage (separate mounting points for each I might add). When I looked closely at how it's been done in other cars (not 911's...couldn't find anyone who had done it) I realized that it's a big project to be taken on by experts and I wasn't in a position to easily add the required bits and pieces to my cage. So, I went the composite route an dropped in a COBRA Evolution GT.

schvetkaaks

I saw that video of the aluminum head restraint that just popped off, and it was scary to be sure, but I would think that a seat that has the head restraints integrated into the frame would work, as it would require the tubular steel frame to really give way completely, and that seems unlikely given the head does not weigh that much, and that at least some of the movement is restricted by the H/N device and shoulder blades, no?

Seth Thomas

Yes they are worth it. Your head moves more than you ever think about it moving in an impact. The HANS does help to limit the movement but mainly in the forward motion. Most of your professional race series are mandating at the minimum a side window net on both sides of the driver now. This is all for the safety of the driver. We use a Racetech seat in our World Challenge BMWs with the side protection on them. The seat is awesome and they don't get in the way of the movement of your head. You honestly forget they are they but I can tell you that my head does touch the sides even during normal racing conditions. After every race I see small spots on my helmet where it has rubbed up against the seat.

analogmike

My seat is the normal Kirkey Deluxe (I got it before they made the Road Race version with the shoulder wings). Mine has the rib breakers which I have cut down quite a bit. I think I will add the new shoulder and head restraints if possible, and further cut down the rib supports.

Good luck!