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Re: Harnesses

To: Rocky Entriken <rocky@tri.net>
Subject: Re: Harnesses
From: Joshua Hadler <jhadler@rmi.net>
Date: Mon, 04 Oct 1999 16:52:55 -0700
Rocky Entriken wrote:
> 
> What I will never understand is why anyone would buy the Schroth system
> described above for $219 -- which has a skinnier lap belt and an
> illegal-for-anything-but-Solo-II Y-type shoulder strap -- when you can get a
> legal-for-anything complete system from Simpson for $89.95?

Probably because they:

A] look real cool.
B] are easier to get into and out of than a conventional harness.
C] are comfortable enough that you can use them in a daily driver. 

        I fully agree with you though, that for competition only purposes, they
are a waste of money. But if you're going to use them in a daily driver,
they start to make a little more sense.

        I have one in my Syncro (daily driver), and it is quite comfortable. I
don't use it often though, as I have to fold the rear seats down to hook
it up. But I do like it, and it does seem to work quite well.

> BTW, for those who think they might ever go on a track (including Solo I),
> the mandated lap belt is 3". Schroth fails that spec too.

        Yes it does, and I really don't think that Schroth sells that harness
system with track in mind. They also sell conventional harnesses, and
they're just as good as a simpson or otherwise, they just cost more...
 
> I am not dissing the Schroth product or workmanship, which from all I've
> heard is quite good. Just that it does not meet rulebook specs for any SCCA
> competition in which specs are established. It may not be legal, but it
> costs more.

        And there are certainly more competition bodies than SCCA out there.
And some of them probably allow those belts in more ways than the SCCA
does. But I think the main reasons are the three I listed above. They do
look alot nicer in a street car than a big latch-lock harness.

> But yes, if you just want a 2" lap belt for Solo II because 3" feels too
> wide, you can get that from Simpson also. It's their
> quarter-midget/mini-dragster system (obviously intended for kiddie racers,
> but easily as good as whatever OEM belt came in your car) for $59.95.

        I dunno, the Schroth setup I have I feel is a good bit better for autox
than the OEM 3 point belt. It definitely holds me in the seat better
than the stock belt does. 

        But just to be clear, I would never imply that the Schroth harnessbelts
are as safe as the real deal. It is a neat, nice looking, and
comfortable pseudo-harness. It is not real a racing harness.

-Josh2

-- 
Joshua Hadler    '74 914 2.0 CSP/Bi - Hooligan Racing #29 - CONIVOR
                 '87 Quantum Syncro - aka stealth quattro

jhadler@rmi.net
http://rainbow.rmi.net/~jhadler/

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