seatbelt tension

[oner355]

hello everyone
i am going to be co-driving in a 1600 car in V2R, and during prerunning my back started hurting a little, and i tried loosening the lap belts a little bit. and it made most of the rough sections way more comfortable, and my back stopped hurting.

my question: is it relatively safe for me to loosen my lap belts a small amount???

thanks for any info :)

[bcampbell04]

just don't loosen them too much...helps my back when i try to sit as straight up as possible. good luck at V to R....looks like we'll be competing....i'm co-riding in #2069

[MasterCraft]

Keep your lap belt as tight as possible, it is your anchor and should be worn low across your hip bone. It is your lap belt that keeps you in the car during those unfortunate events. Your shoulder harness should be kept snug, but not tight enough to compress your spine.

Our research finds that many racers tend to over tighten their shoulder harnesses. If you need to pull on something pull on your lap belts.

Sitting more upright does help, seat may also need a tune-up. Race seats should be tuned and inspected at least once a year.


Good luck at V to R.

[OldStroppeTeam]

I co-dog a Class 3 Blazer. I am small of stature, so I fit real well in the seat. I sit as far back in the seat as I can,then I pull the lap belts down as tight as they will go. Then I pull the shoulder harnesses down until the foam in the shoulder pads compresses just a tad. I have yet to be sore after a race, and the drivers are begging me for advil the next day.

[la2baja]

I would definetly mind my posture. Lap belt should be tight. You may have had the upper belts to tight, see Old Stoppe post above. I find that after a while in the car I will relax and tend to slouch (sp?) in the seat. Make sure your arse is stuffed well back into the seat and sit up straight. This will keep your spine nice and straight. Should reduce the chance for pain and injury if you make a boo-boo.


Best of luck to you.

[Uncle_Bob]

I have in the past tightened my shoulder straps to tight instead of the lap and was sore after a race. Now I do the opposite, keep the lap as tight as possible and loosen the shoulders a little and feel wonderful after a race.

Question, what seats are you useing and how old are they? Like Mastercraft said, maybe you need a tuneup.

[Kevin-"bedrock"-Graves]

mastercraft makes the best seats in my opinion.never have back problems.robbie do you make a seat thats lighter for short coarse-trying to drop a few more pounds or maybe its full of dried up dirt

[#1PatDeanFan]

When I race Lap belt is a tight as possible.....I wear shoulder belts loose and try to lean forward in the rough. It's a trick Pat told me and it works great!

[harleys dad]

sounds to me you are way to tence in the car. You have to relax and go with the car your belts are there to keep you in the car not bolted down . Try relaxing and you will feel a big diference in your back and everywhere else. Have a great ride on the freeway of off road racing which is Best in the desert. Next try riding at barstow LOL

[AZ45]

The lap belts should hold you down; the shoulder harness should hold you back.

I sometimes see improperly adjusted sub straps that allow the lap belt to rise up when the shoulder harness is tightened. If you think you can never tighten your lap belt enough, check your sub belt adjustment.

Also, if your shoulder belt puts a bunch of pleasure downward on the top of your shoulder, try raising the rear harness mounts to get rid of the downward pull.

[NIKAL]

What I have found works good for me is, first have your lap belt as tight as you can because during the race you will feel like your sinking in the seat a little and the lap will loosen over time so make it tight. Then on my shoulders I pull them down snug, but not tight like my lap belt. I then use Mastercrafts Wooly shoulder harness pads and thy make a big differance for me. I dont feel as the belts are rubbing my shoulders over several hours of being bounced around in the car.

http://mastercraftseats.com/access-harnesspads.php

[MasterCraft]

mastercraft makes the best seats in my opinion.never have back problems.robbie do you make a seat thats lighter for short coarse-trying to drop a few more pounds or maybe its full of dried up dirt

Hey Kevin, I think it's been at least a couple years since you brought your seats in, they probably are full of dirt. I tried dieting to cut down weight, but decided it was easier just to buy horse power.

[hammer down racing]

Also, if your shoulder belt puts a bunch of pleasure downward on the top of your shoulder, try raising the rear harness mounts to get rid of the downward pull.

I never get any pleasure from my shoulder belts. Maybe I have the wrong type.:D

I usually loosen my shoulder belts all the way out and lean over the steering wheel. It helps me see through the dust better.:D

[oner355]

Thanks everybody for coming through, and helping me out! I greatly appreciate it. So does my back:D

good luck to everyone

[jord4nt]

I know this thread is dead but now I have a similar question. We have the beard seats pictured below, and these seats make it very hard to tighten the lap belts. In the picture you can see the lap belts come through little slits in sides and it is very difficult to get your arm between the belts and the sides of the chair to tighten the belt. Does anyone with the same style of seats have a solution to this problem?

[AZ45]

Use pull up adjustment style lap belts.

[la2baja]

Use pull up adjustment style lap belts.

What he said! You can chnage the direction you pull your belts with the D ring (some brands) If you get the belts dialed befroe you finish prep, as in when the body isn't on yet you will save yourself a lot of trouble. If you are trading the seat with another rider mid race... Hope the second rider is smaller than you so won't have to stuff your hands into the seat to loosen the belts.