[z06blackz06]

Can anyone suggest a good harness bar?

Has anyone installed the bar from Arizona Speed & Marine?

Thanks...

 

[DJWorm]

I have and I have installed a Brey Krause Bar in my Z06 and my bosses coupe. Both our cars have Simpson Belts (3" 6 points)also. I have also installed the Brey Krause Fire Extinguisher mount in front of the drivers seat with a General Halon 2.5 # unit and I have installed a three head 20# fire suppression system to the Brey Krause Bar behind the Passenger seat with Pro-Werks billet bottle/bar mounts. See these 2 sites:

http://www.bkauto.com and

http://www.chassisshop.com

Look under "New Products". I especially like their billet Al. anodized fill caps.

 

[Guest]

I also just installed the Brey/Krause Bar. I chose it because it was the only one that used the stock seat belt bolts to attach the lap belt (others use the seat track) and the cross bar is built like a truss, much stronger than a simple cross bar. The seats can also be fully reclined without hitting the bar. Its more expensive than the others but worth it if you care about strength, IMO. It is a quality piece. Hope this helps.

 

[KMeloney]

Jerry & DJ -- I got to see the Brey-Krause bar last night (and even strapped on the belts and got a ride in the car, too). But the bar was installed on a '97 with sport seats, which leads me to my questions:



- How do the harnesses interact with the Z06 seats? That is, are the harnesses comfortable despite having to wrap aroud the seats (as opposed to coming through the sport seats' openings)? And do the harnesses rub on the leather of the seats (and could they wear through the seats later)? Is the fact that we don't have sport seats a problem with the harnesses?



Oh, and the guy who owened the car had to cut away a bit of the plastic near the sill near the base of the stock seat belts in order to install the LAP BELT mounts. Does this need to be done on the Z06?



Thanks, guys!



-Kirk

 

[84c4]

The Cross-bar's original proto type bar was designed using a Z06. Check out their web sight for Z06 pictures of bar installed. http://www.r-dracing.com

There are no modifications made to the car to install it and there are no signs of it ever being installed when removed.

Dave

 

[z06blackz06]

Thanks for the info.

I like the looks of the Brey-Krause bar, but I have a concern. I want to run the car in the Super Stock class in AutoX. A harness bar is legal, from what I understand, as long as it is not designed to add structural rigidity. Does anyone run one of the bars in the Super Stock class, and have you had any issues (with the bar).

Thanks again, this is extremely helpful info.

 

[Gordy M]

The Brey Krause harness bar is legal for autocrossing.

However, you will have to modify (cut about 3-4 mm) from the plastic molding at the base of the seatbelt attachment for the harness attachement mount.

When I autocross, I clib in the seatbelts and when my partner autocrosses (who does not like the harness) I unclip them 2 second operation.

 

[z06blackz06]

Gordy,

What kind of harness are you using?

Brand, 5 or 6 point, end attachments

 

[Guest]

On 2001-05-15 23:19, KMeloney spewed forth this drivel:

- How do the harnesses interact with the Z06 seats? That is, are the harnesses comfortable despite having to wrap aroud the seats (as opposed to coming through the sport seats' openings)? And do the harnesses rub on the leather of the seats (and could they wear through the seats later)? Is the fact that we don't have sport seats a problem with the harnesses?

Oh, and the guy who owened the car had to cut away a bit of the plastic near the sill near the base of the stock seat belts in order to install the LAP BELT mounts. Does this need to be done on the Z06? -Kirk

Kirk,

I ordered my Z sight unseen in May of last year. I was very dissapointed when I found it it came with the wrong seats, (without harness openings). The harness/seat interface is not ideal as the belts have to wrap around the seat and this causes them to sit out further on ones shoulder than is ideal. As I have broad shoulders (180lb) it still seems to be OK. Smaller people may have a problem with this. I guess Chevy expects us all to swap in competition seats too.

Yes, they do rub on the leather seats as they wrap around the seat. Only time will tell if this causes wear.

Yes, the plastic has to be trimmed at the stock lap belt points to alllow room for the clip-in lap brackets. The other option is to use a type that attaches to the seat track which is not designed for this load and since the floor is balsa I did not think this would provide sufficient strength. The stock seat belt bolts are much stronger and have been designed for this purpose.

I use "Simpson" harnesses.

My only complaint with the Brey/Krause bar so far is that the small hoops are in the wrong location for a Z06 seat. I had to wrap my harness around the bar to the outside of these hoops to improve the angle of the belts. In order to do this I also had the fold the webbing in half as it wrapped around the bar in the same way the webbing is folded with the clip-in ends. Hope this helps.

Jerry

 

[KMeloney]

Jerry, thanks so much for answering my questions! Unfortunately, you answered them all with the answers I suspected, and they all point back to the Z seats not being ideal for this bar & harnesses (despite this bar being the best one out there, by far).



Any idea how easy/difficult of a process it is to take the seats out? Maybe if it weren't terribly difficult, one could have the bar & harnesses in the car at all times, and swap in a racing seat when it comes time to race. Hmmm...



Well, thanks again for the answers!



-Kirk

 

[corvette dave]

For you thin guys like me, you can buy a piece that attaches to the shoulder belts about chest level and snaps together. This helps keep the shoulder belts from separating.
Most belt manufacturers will have them.

 

[Nelson]

On 2001-05-16 23:07, KMeloney spewed forth this drivel:
Any idea how easy/difficult of a process it is to take the seats out? Maybe if it weren't terribly difficult, one could have the bar & harnesses in the car at all times, and swap in a racing seat when it comes time to race. Hmmm...

I have the Brey bar as well, and would not trade it for anything... I have run 30 minute events (Road america) as well as larger autoX events with the bar and belts.. the belts come around the seat, and hold me in (6'1" 180 lbs)I do not use a stap in front, and I do not have any problems falling out of the belts, and would feel good about the belts holding me in and me not slipping through them.

I also have a Camaro with a 12 point cage, and belts/seats in it, so I know what it "should" feel like, and it is fine for me in the ZO6.

I did not use the brey belt mounts, instead I went for bolts that hold the seat to the rail for the rear door side, the stock belt mount for tunnel side (both in the rear) and there are some "holes" in the rail for the front... used some bolts / washers to hold the bolt in belts at those points... I have pictures if you would like to see.

as far as taking the seat in and out, it is VERY easy, 4 bolts, and you are done. I took my seat's out (driver and pass) to install the belts in this manner.

 

[ELF Z06]

In view of all this talk about the seats not being great for the sholder harness, I've wondered for sometime now if the sport seat would be a bolt in. I have not seen the sport seat yet, just a thought.
Tony

 

[KMeloney]

Nelson, I'd sure like to see the pics of the bolts you're using at the seat rails. Could you post them here?

Sounds like by using the bolts at the rails that you've discussed, you didn't have to trim any of the interior's plastic (by the stock seatbelt)... Is this true?

-Kirk

 

[Lambinator]

The sport seats are a direct bolt in. The cushion (butt) frame of the standard and sport seats are identical. I just confirmed this with the seating engineer and requested a set of special "Z06" sport red/black seats (not available to order - I'm owed a few favors at work /phpBB/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif ).