Seats with head restraint, your thoughts.....

[cranknpiston]

I don't mind spending money on a good seat. I am leaning towards getting a Sparco Circuit or Momo Daytona type seat. I am open to other brands as well.

Would anyone like to comment on their seat that has side head restraint built in vs using a right side net? Are the seats cumbersome? How is side visibility?

Any comments would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[RSCoupe]

I have a Sabelt Taurus XL (I'm 5'11", 215lbs), and love it. The head restraint will block your vision a little, but when wearing a HANS, you won't even notice.

[shiners780]

I just weighed those options myself this past spring. I put a Racetech 4009HR in my car for a trial fit. My concern with the HR seat was that the left head bolster blocked enough of the driver's side window to prevent egress through that window. I wasn't comfortable with not having that option should the need arise, so I ended up with a regular 4009 seat while utilizing the right-side net.

 

That may not be a concern with your particular car and seating position, but merely something to consider.

[cranknpiston]

Excellent point about the drivers egress and is a concern I have.

Its a BMW that I am doing to eventually go SpecE30 racing.

Thanks for the input. I need to find someone here in KC that stocks them so I can test fit it.

[swhiteh3]

I've been using Joie of Seating seats in my car for nearly 8 years now, and I would recommend them without question. Randy LaJoie has put together an amazing line of seats that are quite simply the best you can buy (unless you want to drop $10k for a Hendrick Carbon-Fiber seat). I use a Full Custom seat with Full-Wrap Headrest, which is the same seat that all our NASCAR Nationwide and most of our Cup cars use. I've seen those cars take hits at nearly 200mph, barrel roll multiple times, spike crash boxes with G-loads that would amaze you, and in general wreck in absolutely fantastic manners, and I've had a chance to examine the car and the seat afterwards, and the results speak for themselves.

 

They are NOT the cheapest seat out there. But they ARE among the best.

 

In my experience, I would STRONGLY recommend a seat with an integrated head-protection, and an integrated seat-back mount. Both of these are critically important. BTW, all the post crash-analysis I've seen has made me a non-believer in the FIA's (don't brace the seat-back, let it flex around) philosophy and instead a believer in NASCAR's (Build a tough seat that will contain, protect, and control the driver and mount it rigidly) philosophy.

[HBennett]

There are several good seats out there. There are an awful lot of pretenders also. The Racetech 4009 with halo is a very highly regarded seat. So are the LaJoie's. Install it and the harness properly and you won't go wrong with either. Whatever you get practice emergency egress. Everyone has some kind of issue with seat, nets, harness and/or HNR. The majority is easily overcome by developing an emergency egress plan and practicing it. You never know when you will need it.

 

swhiteh3, I just noticed in your sig you are with Michael Waltrip racing (I don't know why I've missed it before). Do you make it to the cup races?

 

Howard Bennett

HANS Performance

[swhiteh3]

I make it to some races, not all. Drop me a note - @gmail.com.

 

Scott

[Driver]

There is allot of concern mentioned about egress. This may be a good time to promote a good fire system.

In the even of an epic crash, the only reason you have for getting yourself out of the car is if it's on fire. If it's not on fire, sit back (or upside down) and wait for the professionals to come check you out and get you out.

If the car is on fire, a good fire system will save your life, and possibly even your car (if it's just on fire and not banged up). It also offers you the chance to put the fire out and stay in your seat, reducing the chances of you compounding any injuries you may have sustained.

 

I'll second the recomendation for La Joie's seats, I've never heard anythign but good about them. It almost looks like he's try to make the roll cage obosolete.

 

Point being, protect yourself in tiers: The first tier is the initial impact. If you don't protect yourself from that, your method egress will be on a stretcher or in a bag. Once you've survived hitting the wall, then worry about fire (tier 2)and getting out (tier 3).

 

P.S. If I see any of you opt for the swirly blue apholstery, I will take time out of my day to point at you and chuckle. I may suggest you add some curb feelers and 20" wire spoke wheels.

[RSCoupe]

Actually, if the car is upside down, you need to get out, because the chances of a fire are greatly increased.

And if there was a fire, and your fire system put it out, you should still exit the car, because the fire, or a new one, may start up again, and your fire system is now empty.

Plus, not all fire systems cover all areas of the car.

[Driver]

Plus, not all fire systems cover all areas of the car.

Very true, which id whay I said:

There is allot of concern mentioned about egress. This may be a good time to promote a good fire system.

Implying that you not just get the minimum. Get one with the best coverage you can afford, and the biggest tank you can fit.

By the time your tank is empty, the safety crew should be upon you with their own extinguishers. If we were talking about stage rally cars, I'd sing a different tune.

[swhiteh3]

P.S. If I see any of you opt for the swirly blue apholstery, I will take time out of my day to point at you and chuckle.

Don't knock the crushed velvet seat covers until you try them! They're da bomb!

 

(My first LaJoie, which I bought used from Roush, had a black crushed velvet seat cover, and it was actually very nice, durable, and easy to keep clean. My current one, which was purchased new, has the black cloth covering, which is also VERY nice and durable.)

 

(Also, I may have to repeat your "making the roll cage obsolete" comment to Randy.... very funny!)

[cranknpiston]

Does anyone have any thoughts or opinions on the Kirkey full containment?

http://www.kirkeyracing.com/index.php?link=browse&code=Series63

 

There were ( I felt) some good points made on this thread. I don't think I am as interested in a FIA seat as I once was. If I understand correctly, an FIA seat does not mount on the back? I would prefer something like this Kirkey or a LaJoie where it has more points of attachment.

[LMan]

15.6.22 (Seat back brace requirements):

 

 

........

An exception may be made for those seats homologated to, and mounted in accordance with, FIA 8855-1999 standards. Those

seats that qualify for the aforementioned exception must conform to the entire FIA 8855-1999 set of regulations. This includes a mandatory seat replacement, or use of a seat back brace, for any seat more than five (5) years old. Please reference the FIA rules.

[Ed M.]

I've got an Ultra-Shield (Lightweight RR halo) that I'm VERY happy with. Reasonably priced, high quality, and great people to work with. Send them your measurements and they make your seat. Worth a call to them...

 

http://www.ultrashieldrace.com/thumbs.php?cat=Road+Race+Seats" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

Ed

[sperkins]

I've heard it's not a wise idea to use a fixed back seat in a car without a rollbar. The reason is that in a rollover, the seat will not collapse and your head would be trying to keep the roof from collapsing - obviously not good. Supposedly a 2 piece seat will collapse and avoid this. What do you guys think?

[eMINI]

I think you're right. You need the roll bar, too. Not just the seat.

[laze1]

I don't believe that a stock/2-piece seat is "designed" to collapse....is it????

 

 

I've heard it's not a wise idea to use a fixed back seat in a car without a rollbar. The reason is that in a rollover, the seat will not collapse and your head would be trying to keep the roof from collapsing - obviously not good. Supposedly a 2 piece seat will collapse and avoid this. What do you guys think?

[RSCoupe]

The problem isn't just the 1-piece seat. Generally people with a 1-piece racing seat are using a 5 or 6 point harness, this is the main thing that keeps you upright in a rollover, thus causing the potential head/neck injuries when the roof collapses. The stock 3-point seat belt allows you to slump over to the side, allowing more "give".

I think a roll bar at minimum is a must when using a 1-piece seat and harness.

If it hadn't been for my cage, I would have been killed in my off at Putnam. And even with it, it was a miracle I wasn't.

[laze1]

Agreed!

[944-Spec#94]

I've heard it's not a wise idea to use a fixed back seat in a car without a rollbar. The reason is that in a rollover, the seat will not collapse and your head would be trying to keep the roof from collapsing - obviously not good. Supposedly a 2 piece seat will collapse and avoid this. What do you guys think?

 

 

I beleive this to be load of crap. Really!

 

Sure it is best to have roll bar with fixed seat and harness, but if you roll the biggest danger is having your body flop around inside the car and hit the inside of the car. If you can hold your body tight in the seat it will lessen the chances of hitting the inside of the car. If the roof crushes down to the point in pinches you. Well you are in trouble anyway. Fixed seat vs 2 piece, 3pt vs harness you have big issue. The risk however is that 2 piece seat & 3 pt belts are more likely to alllow your body to move to hit the inside of the car before roof crushes. If the roof crushes and starts pushing you around you have major problem and sliding under the belt won't help you. That why the roll bar is there. I would figure also that in most impacts rolls are not part of them. In those cases a harness and fixed seat give you the most protection.

 

So while it maybe that in for 1 50 roll overs the roof crushes and 3pt might be some advantage... what about the other 49 rolls where being held tightly is bigger savings and not to metion that you roll over in maybe 1 of 100 chashes. So maybe 1 in what 5000 events using fixed seat & harness without roll bar might be issue. Then in 4999 times it will be better.

 

Still I don't advocate no roll bar as harness, fixed seat and bar are very good for most impacts and still streetable. Cages in street cars not ideal. However rollbars are not perfect either and we all must make some compomises. I would rather see a harnss & fixed seat with NO BAR than just stock seats and 3pts (assuming you can properly mount the harness and that can be hard without a roll bar). Even when you go full cage and full race level gear you need to makesure you give your self the best chance at most incidents. There will aways be a crazy one off case were the safety gear you chose may not be optimal.

 

BTW... when I got my HANS I also got a rightside net. I feel this more effective than just a halo seat since it can catch more of my body in the case of angled front/side impacts and will be easlier to get out fast if needed. I also added in a fire system to supplement my hand bottle. By adding in the HANS and net I have made it harder to get out quick. So the fire system is designed to put retardant over the headers in the engine bay and over me. I figure the heat from the headers is most likely place of a fire starting and the other nozzle is over me such that if something happens I am the most important think to keep from burning.

 

I still keep the hand held just incase.