Reynard 84F Restoration
As the feedback has been so helpful, I thought I'd try my next question.
What have others done to modify/adapt their cars to install the wider mounting harness shoulder straps for the HANS device? The ultimate mod, I suppose, would be to weld in two more bushings, but are there other solutions?
Thanks all,
Max
A photo of the current arrangement might help generate appropriate ideas
Ian Macpherson
Savannah, GA
Race prep, support, and engineering.
Good idea!
There are two horizontal bushing through the chassis to mount the shoulder straps, the upper two in the photo. I believe they are 5/16" ID.
I'm not sure of the recommended mounting width for the HANS shoulder straps, but I know it's wider.
Any suggestions will be welcome. Please excuse the cruddy appearance of the car, the photo was taken the day I received the car and hadn't even cleaned it at this point. It was gross!!
Thank you,
Max
I'd remove that horizontal 'U' shaped sheet metal (6 screws), you may find a square tube running laterally across the car that you could easily weld two more sleeves into (with vertical axes), that would take bolt-in harness ends.
Ian Macpherson
Savannah, GA
Race prep, support, and engineering.
Reynard 84F Restoration
I was able to take some petter photos when I got home.
The existing bushings are .375" I/D x .50" O/D x 1.12" long on 4.0" centers in a 3/4" square tube. I think the easiest solution is to make some more bushings and have them welded in. I just need to figure out the spacing required for the HANS.
Hans belt mounting
Maybe this will help
Steve
Based on the info in Steve's very useful post for Hans belt installation, it sounds like the existing 4" centres are quite good as-is. Because of this I'd be inclined to refit the seat (if you have one!) and try a dummy set-up of belts to see how they route now.
If they're allowed under US regs, the bushes you have would allow the use of eye bolts for fixing the shoulder straps.
I think the stock bushings are way too low for proper belt mounting. The belts are not supposed go downward behind the shoulders (see HANS instructions above). Usually in older Reynards we have to weld in a new structure to properly position the belt mounts.
I might be able to find pictures later today. Keith Averill has also done the mod to Steve Myers car in the past with photos posted here about 14 years ago.
Reynard 84F Restoration
Originally Posted by tlracer
Unfortunately, I do not have a seat but I think I can mock-up some plywood for a seat back and test fit the belts and HANS. I'm quite wide in the shoulders, but I guess its really the width of the HANS that really matters.
Max
Reynard 84F Restoration
I had a feeling that the mounts are on the low side. I'd really appreciate any photos you might be able to find. I'm fairly short, 5'10", so will sit quite low, but I think it will be tough to achieve the 10-20 degrees that HANS recommend.
Thank you
Max
84 Reynard Restoration
Here's a photo of how I built an attachment point for properly locating the shoulder harness for HANS on my 84 Reynard. I've noticed there seems to be many variations in the "84" frames but this worked for me.
echoing what Purple frog said as well as Strang. When I started using a HANS the mounts were very low and EXTREMELY painful when using the HANS. I had two vertical bars welded in and two sets of bushings installed in a similar way to what was existing. That way you have some options once you actually fit yourself in.
The other thing is that those low mounts allow the belts to crush you into the seat, which actually provides decent lateral support. Once you have HANS mounts that lateral support goes away and you have to get it through the seat.
84 Restoration
As stated earlier, we made a modification to shoulder mounts on the 88 Reynard of Steve Myers because of the low shoulder belt mounts hurting his back (come to think of it, that was an issue I had in my Ralt RT-1).
This was pre-HANS device.
We included two different height points for the shoulder belts, not knowing what size driver may eventually drive it. When we went to using a HANS device, he had no complaints. Others did.
It then became apparent that the HANS made the issue more evident.
We changed a number of cars after that.
6 inches between mounting points is the maximum that should be used, for any vehicle.
Shoulder Strap Mounting Position
Keith,
My Seat Belts are better suited to a vertical bolt mounting for the shoulder straps. The horizontal bushing/bolt puts the end fitting in bending and is not ideal.
Do you recall the height you found best for you bushings? I'm thinking I could do a horizontal cross tube 3/4 x 3/4 with the bushing protruding 1/8" top and bottom. This would give two positions about 1 1/8" difference in height.
If anyone has a Reynard seat they might sell, it would help with checking the driving position and belt alignment.
Thanks all!
Max
Shoulder location
The belt mounting tabs that Willans uses, are so tough, that it broke a Whitney punch one time when someone in my shop was trying to enlarge the hole in one. It's very strong.
If the belts are mounted slightly below your shoulder/HANS (as they should be), then the belts will be traveling upwards anyway..
I had a customer crash test the mount and belt fastening method one year, on the opening lap of the SCCA Run-offs (at Road America that year).The gearbox, broke in half. The engine had the intake manifold broken off, etc, etc. When the car was done, we basically threw it away, but the shoulder mounting system and belts held (it even bent the twin-tube Reynard roll hoop slightly to one side). . This was a BIG hit.
So, I wouldn't worry about the upward angle of the belt mounting tabs.
Shoulder location
Probably a lot to do with the squishy thing that's being restrained!
My difficulty is that I have no seat to mock-up the belt alignment, and I want to get the chassis to powder coat ASAP I'm going to sketch-up some ideas this evening.
Thank you,
Max
'88
What I did on my '88 Reynard - similar to your chassis
John H.
Reynard 88SF
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