Circuit Motorsports

Not attached to the gearshift. The tether got wrapped around the gearshift. When they are on the wrist the tether is longer than when it is at the elbow.

Find what works and do it. In teh SRF we are pretty well contained that you can still get to the controls and keep the tethers short enough to keep the hands inside the car. The odd part is whether or not you want to be able to signal other drivers (bump drafting, pit in, etc.). If you do that your tethers are too long to protect.

GVA-SFO

Bringing up an old, but very good topic.
And, pushing it to : Yes to Arm Restraints, ..during DE’s ?

One can say, during DE’s, where “Point By” is a courtesy that is required in all groups i.e.: with PCA, this becomes hard to archive ..if you do not have your top on !

Interesting side note that being from Europe, there are pretty much never any “Point By” usage ! (Use of the mirrors and good attitude is the “rule in place”.)
Note that I have no problem at all with the “Point By”, which is basically nothing else than a physical proof that “you are using the mirrors and you have a good attitude”.

To be back on Arm Restraints :
As mentioned above, I also seriously doubt that a thin piece of fiberglass makes any difference for our arms in case of trouble, or, may be, it could even make it worse (than no roof at all) !
So, we use helmet, we use six points, we use Hans, shall we not **all** use Arm Restraints ? (..the “Hans” of our hands) ???
Or: agreeing to protect our head, our body, our neck, so why not including our hands ?

As soon as you agree to that, securing the position of the restraints at the right place on your body becomes a key, and it looks like stitching an appropriate “positioner” is definitively the way to go.

But frankly, all of this raises questions in my side :
When you like to drive with no roof (in my case, no races, but 10 years of DE’s), I’m asking myself if “compromises” can be “taken” ? (Sure: thinking compromises for DE’s, NOT about races), or : shall I go for the “full safety” (???), this when I’m doing HPDE, ..just for the fun ?

Even on DE’s, when you enter in your car, you may be in the mood for a session, being relax, driving in view of perfecting your trajectory, and other “enter in your car”, with the “idea” to make your best lap time.
I think, you can decide before this point, how you want to be equipped (within the rules). I.e.: I’m even thinking about a Spyder light roof, that would makes me be “OK” without arm restraints !!

I should admit, that since I have a Hans, it happen to me that I did laps, ..without it !!!
This like, ..I have been in the freeways (and open roads), with a cab (and roof off), ..with no helmet and no Hans !
Did you ever tried to do some laps during DE’s without your Hans ?
And if yes, a stupid question : Do you not feel more “comfy”, more “free” and have more pleasure, without Hans ?

Sorry to be a bit off topic, but I think, the use of arm restraints, is a very good one.
But ..generating lots of side questions.

PS: My car is a Boxster S (stock engine, except IPD), have a BK bar mounted in “reverse mode”, (in the back of the OEM Hops, not in the front) as I feel that if you drive a car with no helmet (open roads) with a roll bar, ..then, I do not think you should ask yourself about arm restraints ! (..as your head is in a big danger, and having your arms OK, but no head is not a good path !), Sparco seats, Schroth 6pt harness, and currently Nitto NT01. And, the roof (18kg) ..is no longer in place. (My battery is a 5 pounds “Antigravity” Li-Ion.)

sbelles

Five years later and I still haven't sewn mine in or put in a roof net yet every video I watch, I'm pushing up the damn arm restraints on every straight. Time to do one or the other!

stownsen914

I've been wearing arm restraints for years in my open topped 914 racecar. I've also had them slip. For some reason I never thought to stitch them to my driving suit. I like the idea.

As for where to put arm restraints, I can't see how they'd do much good above the elbow, but maybe I'm missing something.

To the question above - how would I feel not wearing my HANS on track? I've been wearing one for a few years now. I instruct without it since most students don't have harnesses. I'd probably feel "OK" driving without it, but it would feel a little weird to not have it on, and it would sit in the back of my mind. Maybe not quite as "naked" as I'd feel without seat belts or my helmet.

Glen

No way, just one more way to get trapped.

sbelles

If there is a fire, I'm not wasting time taking the cuffs off of my arms anyway. Mine have an O ring that the harness passes through on the buckle. If the buckle won't open then I've got bigger problems then the arm restraint.

Professor Helmüt Tester

I've had simple loops, slightly larger than the width of my arm restraint cuffs, sewn to the backside of the sleeves of my racing jammies.

Been doing that for a couple decades. Never an issue. Keeps'em right where I want'em. Open cockpit thingys are tiny-enough as it is, without me having to worry about what kind of hijinks the cuffs & straps have gotten up to.

The cuffs have their own rings & snap hooks, so if I end up jumping in a "door car", the cuffs go along for the ride but the straps stay hanging in "Les Bolide Plastique".

Not getting into the "Where to wear them ?" thing...cuz...like in many other areas...I'm a contrarian. But it's MY pasty-white honkey *** in the seat. So there.

savyboy

Used them when I owned a Boxster Spyder I used on track. Made the mistake of having Stand21 sew them into sleeves of suit.

1. Stand21 sews them onto the mid-forearm area.
2. Heavy
3. Uncomfortable
4. The d-rings rattle loudly when restraints not in use - like walking around the paddock. clank clank clank. Ugh.
5. Like others, I always felt like emergency egress was compromised.

I really disliked mine sewn in and I'll never do that again. I don't need them in the tiny cockpits I inhabit now anyhow...can't even raise my elbows