originalmotorhead

I'm stuck on the idea of replacing my current race seat with one that has the head containment tabs because of my 'perception' that its going to be a safer setup.

Has anyone else gone this route? Opinions ?

Right off the bat, I am anticipating the car entry and exit to be more difficult with the tabs right there at your helmet.


Tom

Lemming

Tom,

I have a Racetech containment seat and really like it when I am in the car and driving. In fact, I use the sides to support my head during 3 hr endurance races (saves my neck). However, because I am short and drive a 944, getting in and out of the car with an R3 and helmet on is a PITA. It does worry me some that I might be a bit slower getting out of the car in the case of a crash. With the driver door closed, it is very difficult to get out. To overcome this I do practice getting out the passenger side as well as the driver side.

Carrera51

A head containment seat will provide additional protection as another part of your head and neck restraint system. Yes, they can present challenges in some cars when sliders are not being used for shorter drivers as far as making a quick exit from the car in the event of an emergency that would require a quick exit, say through the window. I have also seen a car that had a custom cage done around a non head restraint seat that would make fitting a halo seat a challenge, so take that into account.

If you are wondering about decreased vision when using a halo seat, you will find it is not as bad as you might think.

J richard

I'd echo Tims comments. I bolted a recaro Hans in my 944spec and getting out of the car was problematic so I took it back out. I do prefer the halo for all the same reasons but to get the seat position the a pillar rake is the issue. You can see the relationship in Tims avatar. I'm 5'10 and the pedal throw is the limitation on seat position, it's a long throw. The best you can do is drop the seat as low as you can and rake it back. A QD hub is essential, which helps move the position back. If you're taller you might be fine.

mglobe

I go back and forth on this. I like the extra protection, but I hate getting in and out of my halo seat and worry about quick exit in an emergency. There is not question that mine slows exit for me. I keep my seat on sliders to make exit easier/faster.

Charles A. Toupin

I do have a Racetech halo seat and I thought that it would be bad for vision, but it's not the case. With proper rearview mirrors (Longacre etc...), it is just fine. Getting in and out is not that bad (944), but it ain't easy either.

I assume that if my car is on fire, I will escape quite quickly, whatever the size of the hole!

c.

kurt M

I have a Kirky with the older style halo. Unlike some of the ear level wing like seats there is no restriction is vision with the split halo type. The seat is easy to get out of in a hurry...But.... I had to plan the cage, steering wheel location and seat placement all together so they work well together. I have seen some installs that make me uncomfortable with regards to a speedy exit.

I felt it was well worth the time and work spent to have a containment seat but it would be a lot harder in a stock class car. I don't see a beer keg like containment seat in a dual use car ether.

My opinion is yes, use a containment seat, if you can do it as part of a well thought out system. everything has + and - to it. Maximize the + minimize the -

After looking at links G Baker provided years ago and building out from there that I now feel that impact protection is not just about intrusion protection, body containment and G event smoothing is is key. Keep the parts away from then hard stuff and smooth out the G forces. A single clean G spike is better than a rag doll X,Y and Z axis flop fest.

YZ250

I have the Recaro Hans containment, and while seated, I love the seat.

I'm 6'1", and to make it work takes a lot of finesse. My seat is on the floor with seat padding removed, carefully angled, and as far back as it can go and still enable me to reach the pedals. The mounting brackets are custom that I had fab'ed up at a machine shop. The roll cage padding is cut so that window exit works. I can get in and out without any extra time. I can see over the top. I've been using it for 3 years.

With all that said, if I were doing it again, I would not use a halo seat.

Racerrob

I have a containment seat (Sabelt Taurus) in my 944 SP2 car. I am 6'3, 190bls. It is a little harder to get out of the car than with a regular seat but I view the added safety a worthy trade. I do also have a removable wheel. Practice getting out both sides is key. The visibility is a non issue for me.

mglobe

That sounds good in principal, but in practice maybe not. This past year my engine blew, putting out enough smoke that the corner workers at Hallett scrambled the fire truck. While I didn't think I was on fire, I decided I needed to get out as fast as possible just in case. In spite of having practiced emergency exits, there was more fumbling on my part than I would like to admit, and part of it was due to having more adrenalin flowing than when I practiced. I now think little things like a more easily operated QR wheel, and MAYBE a seat that makes egress easier might be worthwhile. When my seat expires, I'm going to think long and hard about going to a non-halo seat next time. For me, a halo seat is no longer a no-brainer.

originalmotorhead

I'm 5'10" and 160lbs, so I have the seat moved forward a decent bit to be able to push the pedals in all the way.

My current MOMO start seat(non halo) is really easy to pop out of and exit the car in the 10 seconds allowed by NASA. I do have a quick disconnect on my steering wheel and it definately helps.

I've never tried a window exit but that makes sense to try it out, as well as the passenger side exit too.

I also agree the long pedal throw is somewhat an issue for us shorter drivers. If I could somehow move the pedals back, man that would cure a lot ! My luck, that would violate a spec class rule or something :P

I'll probably pick up the containment seat tonight from Jegs and sit it inside the car, on the floorboard, and try and get an idea of how bad its going to be or not be. That store has been good about returning goods in the past and as much as I've measured with the ruler, having the actual seat in the car will make the decision a little more apparent.(I hope)

Tom

M758

Tom,
I am 5' 7" and 160. I use a Sparco pro2000 and have the seat mounted just about where the origial stock seat mount is. I do not have a halo seat and just use a side net. I personally like this alot.

As for pedal blocks... I have not checked the rules, but I would not like to see blocks one the pedals to allow the driver to sit farther back. The reason?

Weight distribution. Take a look at alot of pro level touring cars. Many make it look like the driver is sitting the back seat. They move the driver as far back as allowed to improve weight distribution. The 944 when stock is 50/50, but when stripped out goes a little nose heavy because the stripping process tends to remove more from the rear than the front. So it would be an advantage to move the driver 2" back. That is the primary reason we limit the location of ballast as well.

fatbillybob

It is always a compromise. You can consider an additional left side net and a right side net and skip the FCS. I use a FCS and have been hit once really hard destroyed the back end of my car and flipped over once totaled a car. I think the FCS prevented injury because I was not a ragdoll. Another consideration is how your seat is mounted. If you mounted the seat to the cage you could build additional custom containment because your seat is integral with the cage. Then if later you decide you don't like the egress you just cut out the elements you don't like and go with the sidenets. The halo interferes with egress as much as the extended shoulder wraps of a FCS but I think they are worth it. I have always been a safety chicken long before my first big wreck. I'm that guy with the super stout cage and the dorky scroth hybrid 6pt double shoulderbelt hans in a FCS and i wear my fireproof underwear too.

pmason

I tried putting in a Sparco ProADV this year and I couldn't get in or out with my helment and Hans on, I barely could get in without them. So I took it out and putting in a right side net.

Craig T.

I’ll tell you a true story about why the Recaro Hans and other “Halo” seats are a good investment. I sustained a neck injury in a mountain bike accident in 1999, resulting in a titanium plate fixation. Basically, my head is held to my shoulders by four titanium screws and plate. Last year I was hit in the door in a fast Spring Mountain sweeper and push into the desert at 100 mph. I slid sideways until I was stopped dead by a rock the size of a toilet lodged in a ravine. The side impact was so hard that I was dazed, and kept reaching up around the “halo” to see what come in the window and hit me in the side of the head.

The impact was my helmet hitting the halo which stopping my neck from hyper-extending to the right. For three days my cheek and jaw were sore. Had that halo not been there, my head would have traveled MUCH further, most likely ending my race hobby.