Swede_Speed Posted July 13, 2008 Share Posted July 13, 2008 I've seen that some of the SFI and FIA rated 5/6 point harnesses on the market say "HANS compatible" and have narrower upper shoulder straps. Does that mean that the other SFI and FIA approved units won't work with a HANS? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HBennett Posted July 14, 2008 Share Posted July 14, 2008 No. Any SFI/FIA certified race harness will work. Howard Bennett HANS Performance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swede_Speed Posted July 15, 2008 Author Share Posted July 15, 2008 Thanks. I guess it's just their marketing strategy, I might have fallen for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingDog Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 One thing many companies forget to mention is that if you're not wearing a HANS, the 'HANS compatible' 2" shoulders are not legal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brant giere Posted August 15, 2008 Share Posted August 15, 2008 If you are wearing a HANS I would recommend the Schroth HANS specific harness...They really do make a difference and are much better fitting and feeling than a 3" harness. I had Sparco 3 " prior and while they work fine and are approved, they are "clunky" and don't feel quite right with the HANS underneath. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbuskuhl Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 Thanks. I guess it's just their marketing strategy, I might have fallen for it. It's not marketing. It's by design. From Schroth... "The HANS specific shoulder belts are designed to make HANS use safer and more comfortable. The belts start as 3" webbing at the cam lock, then after the length adjuster they are 2" webbing which fits completely on the HANS yoke. This gives you the optimal force distribution, entirely on the surface of the HANS. A standard 3" belt will work, however some of the load is not distributed on the HANS. This also can be a comfort issue with some of the webbing falling off the HANS." I have 3" belts now that expire at the end of this year. I am going to the Schroth HANS belts next. While the 3" belts work, mine sit partially on the HANS and partially hang over and I see how 2" would be better. BTW, strongly consider FIA belts. 5 years on those things, 2 years for SFI. Do the math and FIA should be a better value in the long run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RSCoupe Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 At an open house last spring, John Ruther (owner of Northstar Motorsports), said that when using 3" belts with a Hans, you shouldn't let them hang off the side, but rather have them ride up the yoke on the inside, and have the outside edge of the belt against the lip. This prevents the possibility of the belts sliding off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HBennett Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 RSCoupe, right, if the harness is mounted properly (harness manufacturers instructions, not ours), there are no issues with comfort or performance. If mounted properly, the shoulder straps should partially "wrap around" the collar of the device. Even with 3" straps, the outside edge of each strap should just barely touch, if at all, the epaulets on the device. At no time should the straps hang over the device. It they do, the belts aren't properly mounted. The key is the racer taking the time and patience to mount them properly. The Schroth product is nice (I use it) but not because they work better than the 3" shoulder straps, but because the importer/distributor is a dealer of mine and they are a nice product. I've used 3" straps before with no comfort or performance issues. Another point that can help comfort, the adjusters should be as low on the device or off the device as possible. My view, in a lot of cases, of the 2" HANS specific straps is they mask less than optimal harness installation issues. There are some instances where the 2" straps work very well, such as a formular car with the harness mounts are incorporated into the seat right behind the shoulders. Less than a year ago, the only thing we recommended were 3" SFI harnesses because that is what we tested with. Howard Bennett HANS Performance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edison_GTI Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 One thing many companies forget to mention is that if you're not wearing a HANS, the 'HANS compatible' 2" shoulders are not legal. I wish I had read this before ordering my harness Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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