Expired belts in DEs?
12-12-2013, 12:29 PM
#16
Instructor
I had heard that NJSP also does this for gas can violations.....(
Do they cite SFI/FIA? Really how can they...Are there laws/codes in the books in NJ regarding expired harnesses?
Things like this make Lime Rock a much more welcoming place....
wrong color can)
What code is in Motor Vehicle or State/County/Town laws of NJ that they can cite, an non-registered off road vehicle for expired belts?Do they cite SFI/FIA? Really how can they...Are there laws/codes in the books in NJ regarding expired harnesses?
Things like this make Lime Rock a much more welcoming place....
In NJ it is the racetrack's responsibility to make sure the vehicles are inspected prior to the event hence the pre-event tech forms. Also in NJ the Superintendent of the State Police or designee is allowed to perform unannounced inspections to ensure the racetrack is follow the Section 62 of the State of NJ Motor Vechicle Race Track Regulations . Title 13. Section 62-3.7 Safety Belt, shoulder harness and crotch belt allows the police to inspect that the belts adhere to the sited DOT, SFI and FIA regulations.
Last edited by asamhall; 12-12-2013 at 01:46 PM.
12-12-2013, 03:49 PM
#20
Three Wheelin'
Those regulations are intriguing. Looks like something new to look for when scrutineering at NJMP this year....
Doh, cancel that, just for oval racing....
§ 13:62-4.13 Nerfing bars
(a) All vehicles shall be equipped with auxiliary bumpers,
also known as nerfing bars, of a construction and design to
afford the driver maximum protection against injury.
(b) Nerfing bars shall extend within two inches of, but not
beyond, the outside edge of the tire.
Doh, cancel that, just for oval racing....
§ 13:62-4.13 Nerfing bars
(a) All vehicles shall be equipped with auxiliary bumpers,
also known as nerfing bars, of a construction and design to
afford the driver maximum protection against injury.
(b) Nerfing bars shall extend within two inches of, but not
beyond, the outside edge of the tire.
12-12-2013, 06:07 PM
#22
FYI- Yes you must replace those expired belts. - Schroth Porsche GT 3 Hans belts, Black are on back order. I'm on the list. I expect local PCA regions will comply. Yes- the State Police show up at tech at NJMP to check belts.
12-12-2013, 08:08 PM
#23
Still plays with cars.
Lifetime Rennlist
Member
That rule really annoys me up here in the frozen north, Our cars see 6 months of use and very few really hot days. All winter they sit in sheltered garages. Yet a 20 year old car with OEM belts is "OK". It seems to me that they guys who make harnesses decided that if we have to replace helmets after ten years, let's get more sales by making the harness last 2 or 5 years depending. The good news is that in our region the Schroth harness supplied by Porsche for the GT3/RS is considered OEM.
12-12-2013, 08:18 PM
#24
Rennlist Member
12-13-2013, 12:56 AM
#25
Rennlist Member
The day the local constabulary starts doing DE tech on my car, I'm outta here.
And yes, an arbitrary rule, applying to 1 single, lone item on a car - that ostensibly could be AS GOOD AS BRAND NEW - is utter nonsense.
Your local milleage, of course, may vary.
And yes, an arbitrary rule, applying to 1 single, lone item on a car - that ostensibly could be AS GOOD AS BRAND NEW - is utter nonsense.
Your local milleage, of course, may vary.
12-13-2013, 03:47 PM
#26
As for it being stupid to allow 30 y/o factory belts but not a 6 y/o FIA belt... well... I kinda agree it's stupid. But it's cheap insurance if you ask me. Last thing I'd need is to get hurt on the track running expired belts and find myself either injured due to them, or out of an insurance claim or something due to negligence for running expired equipment.
Plus you CAN get FIA belts for reasonable money if you consider, say, the G-Force Camlock set at $200 over a Sparco set at $600...
12-13-2013, 07:58 PM
#28
Instructor
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Victoria BC Canada
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Australia disagrees
So I just bought an '04 GT3 with roll bar and Schroth 6 pts for a track day car.
I checked the expiry on the harness and sure enough they are tagged 2012.
I was doing the Google about this topic and found this interesting site.
http://aimss.com.au/full-story-compe...ife-extension/
Looks like some one did some real world testing and is calling bull**** on the 5 years.
Of course this doesn't really help me and I'll be ordering new harnesses in the New Year.
Jim
I checked the expiry on the harness and sure enough they are tagged 2012.
I was doing the Google about this topic and found this interesting site.
http://aimss.com.au/full-story-compe...ife-extension/
Looks like some one did some real world testing and is calling bull**** on the 5 years.
Of course this doesn't really help me and I'll be ordering new harnesses in the New Year.
Jim
12-13-2013, 08:07 PM
#29
Race Director
Ah, all sorts of things have expiration dates that are semi-arbitrary. Look at that old bottle of aspirin in your medicine cabinet. Prolly expired 5 years ago. However, it is almost certainly to be as effective for a headache as the day the bottle was filled. Many products have expiration dates that are assigned mainly to limit liability on the part of the manufacturer, not because the product "magically" has changed after the posted date.
12-14-2013, 07:30 AM
#30
Three Wheelin'
No question that for most cases the 5 year limit on race belts is aggressive. The rule probably covers the worst case scenario - belts exposed to lots of sun, heat, maybe even fluids or who knows what else ...
I read once that race belt straps are designed to stretch in an impact, and that this is what gets compromised most as the belts age. Still safer than stock belts, but then again race belts are designed to a different standard, and I'd imagine the expiration rule takes this into account. In direct comparison to stock belts, the rule can seem silly, but in the end replacing race belts every 5 years is pretty cheap life insurance.
Scott
I read once that race belt straps are designed to stretch in an impact, and that this is what gets compromised most as the belts age. Still safer than stock belts, but then again race belts are designed to a different standard, and I'd imagine the expiration rule takes this into account. In direct comparison to stock belts, the rule can seem silly, but in the end replacing race belts every 5 years is pretty cheap life insurance.
Scott