Crotch Strap

The Oily Bits S1 Specific Topics
1

Looking to fit a Scroth twin crotch strap to the passenger seat to make it a 5 point harness. Hate the 4 point as it keeps riding up (drivers 5 point is much more secure).

Already have Schroth harnesses, so the questions are:

Do I need to take the seat out?

Looks like I attach the plates under the rear runner bolts. Do I need longer bolts? (drivers side looks like the original bolts were used).

Hole in seat is sharp metal, even on the drivers side. Can I just fit edging strips to protect the belt from being cut?

Anything else I’m missing?

Ta

2

Of course you would need to take the setas out. What seats do you have in order to have a metal hole? Most seats I know are composite.

Actually I’m thinking the same but I have the standard seats, which don’t have the slot.

I can cut the slot, but assume somebody out there must be able to re-upholster it, maybe even with the new Probax padding shape?

3

Mmmm

Read this first - the exact reason why I dont use my “fifth” strap …

Although you have a 6 point design and that is far safter if installed correct.

Possibly even SAFER

4

got any photos?

5

got any photos?

Steady on, old boy!

6

Looks like I attach the plates under the rear runner bolts. Do I need longer bolts? (drivers side looks like the original bolts were used).

Hole in seat is sharp metal, even on the drivers side. Can I just fit edging strips to protect the belt from being cut?

I’ll re-phrase…any pics of the installation on your drivers seat

7

Thought you were asking for a photo of my hole



I’ll take one today and post up later.

8

[image]http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/sc_jones/Dsc_0014.jpg[/image]

[image]http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e163/sc_jones/DSC_0002.jpg[/image]

Can’t get a decent photo of under the seat but basically the strap goes through the hole in the seat, splits into two straps which are attached via metal clips to the rear seat frame bolts.

Can I just losen the two rear bolts on the passenger seat, slip the clips under and retighten?

9

If you follow the link in Andy’s post above or have a look at this from Safety Devices:
[image]http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d121/stevegreen101/SafetyDevicesRecommendedFittingAngl.jpg[/image]

then there is a slight difference in opinion between the two - but both seem to imply that your current mounting points are just wrong, ie, they are far to far to the rear of the car.

Also doesn’t the current mounting on the driver’s seat pitch the seat further forward and make it a little uncomfortable. It also means that the subframe is not seated flat on the floor.

Taking all these factors together it would imply to me that it is not the “official” mounting point for the kit. Have you looked on the manufacturer’s website or do you have the fitting instructions? If its a Lotus spec’d item I would expect there to be quite a good set of instructions?

Mine is mounted directly through the floor with a load spreading plate. An alternative might be to fix a bar across the seat subframe and then attach it to that.

10

I once had a load spreading plate, mounted underneath where the seat runners end, but it interferes with the jacking point, so I relocated the mounting points more centrally to avoid the problem.

11

I once had a load spreading plate, mounted underneath where the seat runners end, but it interferes with the jacking point, so I relocated the mounting points more centrally to avoid the problem.

Do you mean the lap belt mounting points? I know the outside one sits adjacent to the chassis/side sill jacking point. Just how far inboard did you go?

12

I originally bolted the lap belts and the crotch belts underneath the seat mount, with a spreader plate underneath.

When I fitted the MOG seats I drilled two new holes in the cross bar behind the seats. Can’t give a measurement, but the two new holes created three equal spaces between the existing holes behind the seat, if that makes any sense…

13

Mike are they all in a line or in a equilateral triangle - with the crotch mounting in the middle right underneath the buckle?

I’ve just read the Scroth instructions here HMS Motorsport and will now be checking to see if my shoulder belts are actually “handed”, ie, there is a left-hand and right-hand shoulder belt.

14

These harnesses were fitted by the Lotus dealer, so I assumed they were fitted correctly

15

all four in a line with the lap belts in the conventional place and the crotch straps equally spaced between them…

16

Sorry to bring the fitting thing up - its one of those PITA things most people think about later.

We all got hot under the collar about fire - but it helps if your awake and able to move as well - badly fitting harness reducess that chance …

17

I’m pretty sure Lotus use the rear seat mounting points so surely it can’t be such a bad idea. I know my Elise Sport 190 was done that way, and I think I remember seeing the same in instructions in the workshop manual.

I guess the reason for limiting the angle of the belt through the hole it to reduce the force on the edge of the hole which could break the seat.

I don’t think this is a problem with the crotch strap as it should not be subject to anything like the same force as the shoulder/lap belts. I’d fear for my spuds if it was

18

What was the out come of the strap, I also found a hole and I would like to use it.

19

Horizon have also recommended that it fitted to a bar underneath the seat rather than as currently to the rear runner bolts. So look like I’m going to have to pay to have both fitted correctly.

20

Look on the bright side - you could be lying in a hospital bed wondering why nobody had pointed out your belts were fitted incorrectly.