bmc

The CG-Lock works great, but there are a few gotchas.

Check out the original thread I posted on the subject for more details.

BTW, anyone in the DC/Baltimore area that wants to see how it fits in an RX-8, just let me know.

Brian

f1clc

Hi there!

We are a group of French 8 owners ( rx8france.com ) and we're very interested in adding a harness to the 8! I've already seen some great things concerning this but i'm still wondering how you manage to attach the harness to the front seat ( left and right )?

Do you have any infos or photos about this? Thx a lot!

Ben / f1clc

Edit: there's indeed a picture in this thread concerning my question but it sounds a bit strange to me!
The harness is attached behind the front seat?
I wish i could attach it on each sides but i'm aware there's not much space by there!

_

AlexCisneros

Any chance you used to play hyperiums?

f1clc

Sry but i don't understand what you mean, Alex!

Rotary Titus

sorry, about the left and right side where you mounted the side belts, did you have to drill or remove something? is there a hole that exists there before that you can screw into at the base of the seats? Thanks!

AlexCisneros

No, I there are two plastic covers behind the seat. One is where the Seatbelt Rail is mounted (left side next to door), the other is where the seat is mounted (right side). Both plastic covers hide these bolts. To these I had eyebolts (more like eye since I cut off the bolt part) welded to the heads.

Rotary Titus

I see, so you just pry off the plastic covers eh?
cool thanks for the info!

AlexCisneros

oui, aussi facile que cela

leo69

Hi,
Do you speak french?
I'm Leo another RX-8 french owner interested by installing harness in my car.
May I ask you some questions in French?

Bye

RotaryZZ

Does anyone know of any harness guide bar being made for the 8?

This one is nice but they're not making it for the 8 :-(
http://www.sparcousa.com/harness_bars.asp

I probably won't use it to strap my belts on like its shown in the picture though ;-)

Dark8

I doubt anyone will make one for the RX-8 since we don't have B pillars to bolt them on to. The top child safety seat clip in the back seems the best logical mount point.

Is anyone using a harness with their stock seats? If so, did you run it through the rotor cutout? Is it comfortable?

expo1

I am also interesting in putting in a 5-point harness for track use. I emailed Mazda in regards to what strength standard the top tether of the LATCH system is and they couldn’t or didn’t want to give me that exact info. I thought that would be the case in this litigious world we live in. I did tell them my intentions and they recommended that the top LATCH point was not strong enough to provide restraint of an adult in a crash. Now while going around a track it would be fine and it is at the correct angle but when you would need it the most (a wreak) would it fail? I guess the thing that would answer that question is how much stress, pull, what ever specification they use, the top LATCH can handle as compared to a seatbelt anchor point? This has to be some standard set by the government.

Imp

I was looking at that this weekend for my 3 point harness...

In the manual it states that its not to be used for anything other than a child seat.

However... for auto-x purposes... why not use it? The harness in auto-x isn't for safety.. it's for keeping yourself planted in your seat. Now... I don't really know how much force it can withstand when you tighten up the straps. It's made for a child and child safety seat only.... so did they make it to give way or can it break after a certain amt of force is encountered? (I would hope not...)

Will it break when tightening? Will it bend? WIll it give way 1/2 way through the run? Dunno. (But looks like a great place.. I need to see how it's secured in a little more detail.)

--kC

RotaryZZ

>I doubt anyone will make one for the RX-8 since we don't have
>B pillars to bolt them on to.

Not really. You can use the bolt for the stock seat belt which is on the virual B-pillar (on the back door) That's what I used to do on my old bimmer before. Of course you can't open the back door while you've the harness guide bar on.

And you shouldn't wrap the harness on the guide bar either. Its not strong enough in case of an accident. I used to hook the harness belts to the stock seat belt anchors at the back seat, and then use the guide bar to bring the belts up to the proper angle. That's what the guide bar is supposed to be used for in the first place.

Razors Edge

I all have put a harness in my rx. And the best way to comply is to 1.use the rear baby anchor point as it exceeds the strength to load requiorments. If you want a 2 point rear mount system simply use the rear retractable seat belt mount point, by swaping the bolt for an eye.

This way you can click the harness out if you want to use the rear seat.

nazgul350r

Highway safety/ DOT/someone in the govt should have the regulations on how strong the latch system has to be.

clyde

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/...FinalRule.html

There is a table of contents with working links. One of the last items is regrading the strength of the lower anchors. The actual specifications and testing proceudres are further below that (not linked from the TOC).

leo69

Sounds good!
But can you use the rear seats leaving in place the eyes?
Could you post some pics? :D

AlexCisneros

From NHTSA

AlexCisneros

From NHTSA
...good find Clyde

expo1

Thanks, Damm this stuff is hard to read. I guess the next step is "5,300 N " a safe number in a crash?


S6.3 Strength requirements for tether anchorages.

S6.3.1 Subject to S6.3.2, when tested in accordance with S8--

(a) Any point on the tether anchorage must not be displaced more than 125 mm; and

(b) There shall be no complete separation of any anchorage component.

S6.3.2 In vehicles manufactured before September 1, 2004, each user-ready tether anchorage in a row of designated seating positions in a passenger car may, at the manufacturer's option (with said option selected prior to, or at the time of, certification of the vehicle), instead of complying with S6.3.1, withstand the application of a force of 5,300 N, when tested in accordance with S8.2, such that the anchorage does not release the belt strap specified in S8.2 or allow any point on the tether anchorage to be displaced more than 125 mm.

S6.3.3 In the case of a row of designated seating positions that has more than one tether anchorage, the force referred to in S6.3.1 and S6.3.2 may, at the agency's option, be applied simultaneously to each tether anchorage. However, a particular tether anchorage need not meet further requirements after the lower anchorages of the child restraint anchorage system of the designated seating position at which the tether anchorage is installed have met S9.4.

AlexCisneros

Damn, this stuff is hard to read...

So is it 15,000N or 5300N? Either way if you do simple math (not that this is the correct way...) using this info...
@ 30MPH a 195lb person would load the anchor 20,681N ([3500/33]*195) Now a 4 point harness has two additional load points, and the belts are designed to flex. So in an AutoX where (if the SSS is doing his job) the speeds do not normally exceed 60MPH and 45mph in a turn this system may be sufficient. That however would be up to the BOD.

On a track though... I'll repeat myself. It is NOT crashworthy.

expo1

Thanks, that is the answer I was looking for and was beginning to expect. At a certain age/size a child can use the 3-point factory lap belts. There isn’t a reason to expect the car manufactures to make the LATCH system withstand the force of an adult. My application of the harness would be at the track. I have hit speeds of around 120 (@Pocono) safety is a concern. Looks like I have to wait and see what the roll bar looks like that the company below is working on.

http://www.shaneracing.com/RX8_Perfo...ior_Parts.html

Dark8

Roll bar: http://www.japanparts.com/shop/shop....ll+Cage%2fBars

RotaryZZ

>If you want a 2 point rear mount system simply use the rear retractable >seat belt mount point, by swaping the bolt for an eye.

That brings us back to the subject of requiring the harness guide bar in the beginning so that the belts will be at the correct angle.


>http://www.shaneracing.com/RX8_Perf...rior_Parts.html

Do they said when will it be available?