Seat recommendation for dual purpose car

[2morrow]

@Biggsy , this guy is in your region. Can you recommend a race shop that he can go to for test fitting race seats?

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[Biggsy]

@Biggsy , this guy is in your region. Can you recommend a race shop that he can go to for test fitting race seats?

lol we were texting about it yesterday.

@Bluemustang Ryan, if you plan to do more HPDE events than Trackcross then I say stick with the Quick Fit. I haven't seen NASA, SCCA, Hooked on Driving or any other organization turn down cars with them. Save yourself the funds on seat and associated parts and put it towards trans cooler and event registration. You'll be fine with Quick fit in DE

 

[shogun32]

Any suggestions?

the 2 brand new red-black two-tone racing seats with articulating backs in my Manassas warehouse that I can't fit in because I'm plus-sized.

Braum Elite-R with reclining back. I also have the Planted seat bracket and I think the 'slider'. And a new 5-point. And the Braum harness bar if I remember correctly.

 

[shogun32]

I have at least 1 if not 2 sets of <18 Schoth quick-fit harnesses at the shop. They might be 'expired' though. But you're welcome to try them out and run them at orgs that don't consider 5yr old bets to be as useless as twine.

 

[GTP]

OEM recaros are pretty good. I run a set with the Schroth harness as well. I also was able to trade seats with somebody for +600 cash or so. Took a while to find trade in my area but eventually one popped up.

I just ran the OEM sofa seats plus the schroth harness before that and it was really good too.

Fwiw the recaros are still about as heavy as the stock seats but the bolstering and passthough holes for the harness are nice.

I always worried about clearance with the back of the helmet. Is there an issue with this?

 

[NightmareMoon]

I always worried about clearance with the back of the helmet. Is there an issue with this?

I sit very upright and close to the wheel and I don't notice it with the Recaros, but I've been driving this setup for some years now. OTOH, the stock sofa seats headrest would bug me so I'd flip it around or remove it.

Either way, its one thing to notice while you're relaxing in paddock (if you're the sensitive type), its entirely another thing to notice while you're attacking a course.

 

[GTP]

I sit very upright and close to the wheel and I don't notice it with the Recaros, but I've been driving this setup for some years now. OTOH, the stock sofa seats headrest would bug me so I'd flip it around or remove it.

Either way, its one thing to notice while you're relaxing in paddock (if you're the sensitive type), its entirely another thing to notice while you're attacking a course.

I sawed in half the thickness of a second pair of OEM headrests to use on track days. No need to flip those around.

I am tallish, so I need some leanback in order to see, but that means I have more bend in my knees and less in my elbows than is ideal.

 

[NightmareMoon]

Did your race org sanction the Schroth with your Recaro without a harness bar?

I'm looking at Sparco QRT seats right now, a Krause harness bar, Sparco 6pt harness and the other bits to mount the seat. It'll run me about $3k per side and obviously it'll be a lot harsher driving around on the street.

Local HPDE groups have not flagged it as a problem, and my local racing org is SCCA Solo, and its fine for them too.

The Recaros are better than the Sofa seats because the Recaro passthrough holes are higher and more correctly placed for my shoulder height. The sofa seat backs are lower and when I would really crank the 4-point harness down it would compress me in the seat, which probably wouldn't be good in a high energy event.

If I was wheel to wheel racing or doing HPDE events a lot more often, I'd run a cage and a proper 5-6 point with a fixed seat, airbag delete, HANS, and I'd pay more attention to the angle of the harness straps and the security of those mounts to the body. At a minimum I'd try to reinforce the area where the Schroth 4-point mounts in the back seat area.

 

[shogun32]

I sawed in half the thickness of a second pair of OEM headrests to use on track days. No need to flip those around.

I sit upright as well with the headrest 1/2" from my head. so with helmet I think I'll move the seatback 1 notch, maybe 2 at most and then have a shallow wedge pillow to restore the upper shoulder contact. I hear the best place for wedge pillows is 'adult entertainment' shops.

 

[tosha]

You guys know that the sofa set headrests are adjustable and can be folded back a bit, right? I flip it to the farthest position and fit just fine with helmet on. Asking just in case.

 

[Biggsy]

You guys know that the sofa set headrests are adjustable and can be folded back a bit, right? I flip it to the farthest position and fit just fine with helmet on. Asking just in case.

lol I was wondering the same but I guess some people just have big helmets to protect their big noggin

 

[tosha]

lol I was wondering the same but I guess some people just have big helmets to protect their big noggin

I do not consider myself a small dude at 230 lbs and XL+ helmets, that fit snug on my bald head, but I guess everything is relative. Just wanted to make sure all the cutting and flipping is happening after factory adjustability has failed.

 

[shogun32]

my non-helmeted head sits the thickness of my hand between noggin' and head rest fully retracted. There is at least 3 fingers (sideways) between top of head and roof liner.

A helmet adds at least an inch which means the headrest would be pushing my head forward. So I would have to recline the seat a click or two to get the freedom of movement back.

 

[GTP]

You guys know that the sofa set headrests are adjustable and can be folded back a bit, right? I flip it to the farthest position and fit just fine with helmet on. Asking just in case.

Of course we do. Still caused my head to nod forward with helmet on.

I do not consider myself a small dude at 230 lbs and XL+ helmets, that fit snug on my bald head, but I guess everything is relative. Just wanted to make sure all the cutting and flipping is happening after factory adjustability has failed.

Correct. I've dialed in all the seat-wheel-mirror adjustments to the 9's.
I'm tall but slim. Maybe I don't have enough girth to push my head/neck forward to provide sufficient helmet clearance.

my non-helmeted head sits the thickness of my hand between noggin' and head rest fully retracted. There is at least 3 fingers (sideways) between top of head and roof liner.

A helmet adds at least an inch which means the headrest would be pushing my head forward. So I would have to recline the seat a click or two to get the freedom of movement back.

Exactly my case. Bought a pair of headrests from an out-of-state junkyard, pulled off their covers, sawed the thickness in half with a bread knife, and then put on the covers that came with my aftermarket seat covers.

 

[NeverSatisfied]

How do you mount the sub belt?

Scroth sells a 2 strap sub belt. I used angle brackets and eye bolts at each of the rear seat mount bolts. I slip the sub belt straps between the base and back of the seat and the clip onto the eye bolts. So I am sitting on the sub belt.

Not ideal setup and feel free to tell me I’m gonna die with no roll bar, but I’ve found this is a good compromise setup that allows me to get very locked into the stock seats.

I can install or remove the full six point setup in less than a minute.

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