Northwest FD3S

ANyone have any pics or info on there 3 point or four point installation on there FD? Did you connect to teh rear strut tower brace?

inis

i connected to the rear strut tower. the side buckles are mounted to the stock seatbelt locations on each side of the seat. i will post pics if i find my camera. its really easy.

Northwest FD3S

You mounted to the stock rear strut tower bar? Is that thing stronger enough to hold you inplace if you do get into an accident?

apexkw

i went to the rear strut tower bar as well. but i have a harness bar and not the stock bar. i bought mine from chuck at rotaryextreme.com

inis

i think the stock would be strong enough. those bolts are pretty solid. If you are really nervous, then i would buy a different bar, or drill your own hole in the back somewhere.

Northwest FD3S

The bolts are only 14mm that isn't very big. I would think that 17mm would be at the bare minimum safe. I will try and design my own.

areXseven

iTrader: (1)

I ordered a set of Sparco 4-Points last week. I was thinking of drilling a few holes into the stock rear strut bar to bolt the back Sparco straps into it. Should be safe be enough.

Northwest FD3S

The stock rear strut bar isn't very big to be drilling into it. If anything you should try and weld up a piece of angle iron and then attached the harness to the angle iron. This wood make it a little beefier.

Mahjik

iTrader: (1)

http://www.m2performance.com/safety.htm

inis

although the 14's are small, the are extremely solid and huge threaded. normally i wouldnt do it, but i think they are pretty safe. they are not much bigger than your stock seatbelt bolts.

areXseven

iTrader: (1)

Thanks guys. Looks like I'll have to either buy an aftermarket bar or better yet,.... bolt the back straps to the floor behind the seats.

Didn't really like the idea that the back straps could be seen through the rear window bolted to the R/S/B.

Sprockett

Use rotary extreme harness bar - M2 is ****

areXseven

iTrader: (1)

Actually, that looks pretty awesome. What don't you like about the M2 R/S/B.??

apexkw

some guys have had fitment issues with m2's bar. rotaryextremes bar is really a solid piece.. def worth the money

DamonB

THE STOCK REAR STRUT BAR IS NOT FOR MOUNTING HARNESSES TO

A harness must be mounted to something solid. A 3 point harness may be mounted to the chassis at the left shock tower itself (NOT AROUND THE STRUT BAR), but a 4 point needs some sort of harness bar (such as the M2) or cage to fasten the shoulder belts to.

The stock rear strut bar has very flimsy attachement to the chassis and the bar itself is only a small tube of steel. Most of the "bulk" you see is plastic padding. There is no way in hell that a shoulder harness wrapped around the stock bar is going to save you; the entire stock bar assembly will simply bend and let you slide forward.

If you want belts so you can be "cool" do whatever you want. If you want belts to save your butt whenever everything goes wrong, you do it the right way.

DamonB

NO IT WILL NOT!

DamonB

The best solution is a harness bar or roll cage with a bar to mount the belts to. The reason this is better than using the trunk floor is the angle of the shoulder belts. A harness bar (or cage) leaves the shoulder straps nearly horizontal after they pass over your shoulders. Anchoring the belts to the trunk floor leaves the shoulder belts angling downward behind you. This means that in a collision when the shoulder belts are under strain that the belts are trying to compress your spine. Not a good idea.

I know everyone can find hundreds of pics of belts installed other ways. That does not make it right or safe. This is common knowledge from the harness manufacturers themselves.

Sprockett

Yeah, the stock strut bar is just a rod surrounded by rubbery foam - not anything you want to trust your life to.

Northwest FD3S

Aren't you guys glad i posted this up. Mounting to the stock strut bar is suicide if you do get into an accident. Buck up the money and do it right.

inis

ya, i definetly wouldnt "wrap the harness around the bar ever. Its just a flimsy idea.

rfreeman27

iTrader: (5)

The m2 bar fit just fine for me.

guys damion is right, The stock bar is a flimsey POS. Look at the part that mounts the bar to the bracket. IMO if you got in a hard crash these would rip right off.

areXseven

iTrader: (1)

Cusco makes a nice heavy duty R/S/B for the FD. It is threaded for the bolts that are going to secure the rear harness straps and even comes with the hangers installed for your trunk cover. Think I'm going to have to get that one!!

DamonB

That is still not what you want to mount a harness to. The bar itself may seem sturdy to you, but it's endplates where it connects to the chassis are still not up to the task of resisting crash forces.

How much is your life worth? Buy a harness bar.

apexkw

the rotaryextreme harness bar also retains the hangers for your trunk cover

areXseven

iTrader: (1)

I thought the Cusco bar I mentioned WAS a "harness bar"??