Depending on where you are located on this Planet, you are either in Track/Show season or preparing for winter to thaw out to start your season. Either way, if that cash is burning a hole in your pocket or you got the modification bug, you might want to look into a Harness Bar. First we need to identify what is a Harness Bar. Harness Bars typically connect the B-Pillars of your car behind the front seats and have corresponding braces and brackets to either the floor or a solid mounting position. Usually these have some sort of design which is engineered to have strength against forces the car may go through if in a accident. If you only connected the B-Pillars then the bar would have no support holding it up and could twist under impact. Most Harness Bars are made from either Chromoly or Steel with a basic hoop and supports, however some companies like Brey Krause build highly engineered systems.
The basic premise of a Harness Bar is to attach Racing Harnesses too. Racing Harnesses can be had in 4point, 5point, or 6point like what Status Racing offers. The harnesses keep you more secure in your seat then a conventional seat belt so you are not fighting the cars G Forces but rather relaxed and able to focus on steering wheel and pedal control. The shoulder belts are what attach to the harness bar. Depending on the harness bar type, these are typically looped around the bar and some are clipped in place. You never want to run the harnesses straight down to the floor behind the seat. With a Harness Bar, you want to have the belts wrap around the bar no less then -20 degrees coming straight off your shoulders. If you are using a Harness Bar with harness pass through brackets, you can put them in a X position and tie down to the rear seat lap belt position with proper hardware.
A couple things to consider when installing a Harness Bar is your seat forward and backward movement. Taller drivers will want to put their seat in the proper position to make sure the seat does not hit the Harness Bar when moved all the way back. Once the Harness Bar is installed, you now have also stiffened the chassis of your vehicle. Much like upper Strut Braces, the Harness Bar now connects the B-Pillars of your vehicle reducing the amount of chassis flex. Unlike a Roll Cage which requires drilling and usually is inconvenient for a street car, Harness Bars can quickly be removed to retain access to the back of your car and add some simple styling. Remember that a Harness Bar is not a Roll Bar and you should consult any of your driving or racing organization rules.
Vivid Racing offers Harness Bars from – Agency Power, Sparco, Brey Krause. We also offer full Roll Bars and Cages from Autopower, Cusco, DAS Sport, Pfadt Racing. For any question on what is the best Racing Harness or Harness Bar solution for you, contact a Vivid Racing Performance Specialist at 1.480.966.3040.
