Fixed Back with no cage

[Scott Wilson]

Opinions on running a fixed back seat with no cage? Like an FX1 FRP type seat. I want to keep weight down bit not die in a rollover.

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[Wolverine]

If using a fixed back seat, your best bet is to pair it with a REAL rollbar. Not a harness bar. That is the only safe solution, and anything less is a compromise. Potentially a life-threatening one...

I’ve heard that the Schoth QuickFit Pro harness on the stock reclining seats are a decent and affordable alternative if you’re >50% street <50% track driving. Invert the usage of the car, however, and I’d go for the harness and seats.

Personally I’m 90% street and 10% autocross, and I’m still looking at racing seats, mounts, rollbars, harnesses, etc. because racecar

 

[Grintch]

So the current plan is to hit the recline button if you roll over?

Not that a roll bar is not a good idea for track use, but nothing dramatically changes with 1 piece verses 2 piece seats.

 

[Wolverine]

...nothing dramatically changes with 1 piece verses 2 piece seats.

Limited reading has revealed that OEM seat behavior in an impact event or rollover is engineered to take advantage of the fact that the back is separate from the base. Either by way of intentionally breaking the locking mechanism and allowing the seat to recline, or to allow a certain degree of “flex” forward and backward which you wouldn’t have with a 1-piece rigid seat. Seriously, many aftermarket seats are tough as nails and have nearly zero deflection in accident-level-high G force events.

Another way to look at it is this: in a rollover, the stock setup allows your body to slide/lean to the middle of the car, protecting your head from getting crushed like a watermelon. Although this has more to do with the belts or harness than the seat itself (unless it’s a hooded/winged race seat).

Personally, I haven’t done my usual exhaustive research yet so I can’t give much opinion on how true that may be. Likely the larger “loss” comes from losing the airbag rather than losing the reclining function on the stock seat.

[EDIT]: you may have been responding to OP instead of me, didn’t realize until after I posted.

 

[Grintch]

Right. Airbag verses non air bag seats is a significant difference.

Aftermarket (non airbag) reclining verses fixed seats is not a big difference. With the fixed seats arguably being safer (and thus usually the required seat for racing).

I have heard the 3 point vs 4 point harness argument before. Yes in certain situations the 3 point may be better if you don't have a roll bar. But overall, I would take the supperior control of the 4 point.

 

[Hack]

If weight is your only reason not to add a roll bar - definitely add a roll bar. It's worth the weight IMO.

I swap in my roll bar and Schroth harness before I go to the track and then swap back afterwards. It's not safe driving around on the street with a roll bar and no helmet, either.

 

[Grintch]

Roll bar padding.

 

[Hack]

Roll bar padding.

Maybe you wouldn't mind having your head hit roll bar padding, but I don't want mine to. It's worth it to me to pull the cage out just for the extra leg room, anyway.

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