Bill and all:
I don't think that Mordy was suggesting to keep shoulder belts loose. I
think he was saying to not bolt them to the car in such a way that they
create a downward-facing angle from your shoulders (ie, don't bolt them to
the shelf behind the seat; find or build a place that will make the belts
point slightly upwards). His lap belts are what holds Mordy in the seat,
should he find himself with the shiny-side down.
I have always tightened my shoulder belts by cinching them in, then exhaling
as much as I can, then cinch them in again. This is a trick my husband
picked up when he started racing in SCCA an he taught me when I started
autocrossing. The theory is that right before the event is when you're most
excited and also when you're tightening your belts. Once you are out on
course, you begin to relax and your belts end up looser than when you
started. The race car's shoulder belts are also attached to a horizontal bar
on his roll cage, right behind the seat and high enough so the belts are
parallel to the ground (SCCA EProd. '83 Dodge Shelby Charger).
It makes sense to keep your belts tight. Your shoulder belts prevent you
from being thrown forward. If your belts are loose and you are thrown
forward, hitting your loose belt would be like hitting your steering wheel.
If you are in a collision, regardless if you're in your competition car or
your grocery-getter, there are two impacts: the one where your bones hit
something (the belts, steering wheel, etc) and the one where your innards
hit your bones. I'd rather my innards hit bones that are intact and not
collapsed, pointy shards! Also, when you're belts are tight, there isn't
anything for your chest to impact; the belts are holding you in place.
Hope this helps someone, or if I'm wrong, someone will correct me.
Later,
Wendy Hart
75 TR6
76 TR7
----- Original Message -----
From: <BillDentin@aol.com>
To: <gasket.works@gte.net>
Cc: <fot@autox.team.net>
Sent: Wednesday, March 21, 2001 9:48 AM
Subject: Re: : Driver restraints
> In a message dated 03/20/2001 9:41:51 PM Central Standard Time,
> gasket.works@gte.net writes:
>
>
> > Somehow, I
> > recall that pre-loading the spine in compression by having the shoulder
> > harness pull down on the clavicles actually, excerbated spinal injuy.
> > My shoulder harness is actually attached about 5deg above my shoulders.
> > Only the lap belt holds me down.
> >
> >
>
> Mordy:
>
> Interesting.
>
> I drive with my shoulder restraints pulled down as tight as I can stand
them.
> I choose to do this on purpose in an effort to reduce the amount of sway
in
> the upper part of my body going around turns. There's way to much Bill
> Dentinger hanging out of my TR3 to begin with, and if the shoulder
restraints
> are not winched down tight, I flop around in the seat. I never considered
I
> might be preloading a problem for any sudden impact. I did hit a tire
wall
> head on at Gateway years ago, but that was like hitting a sponge. I
wonder
> what the right thing to do is. Cinch em down tight or loose?
>
> Bill Dentinger
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