Catastrophic failure of my harness!

MarkCup · Feb 27, 2010

Not f***ing happy!!!

I'm at Rockingham in a week, so in advance the Cup got some long overdue TLC today, Tesco carwash followed by a pathetic attempt to rid the wheels of baked on brake dust, tyre pressure check etc.

So I'm out giving it its first proper drive since before Christmas tonight, about 40 miles from home and I pull over to tighten my lap belt. I'm pulling the adjusting strap when BANG - my hands fly up and I get hit in the face by the retaining buckle, leaving the harness no longer attached on one side.

I drove the 40 miles home like a pu*sy.

Thank f*** it happened tonight, and not as I connect with the wall sometime next Saturday.

As it should be...

What's left of the other side...

Has anyone had this happen before?

I fitted it in April 2008 (bought from Tweeks), so I guess it's out of standard manufacturers warranty, but surely I should be able to get a complete replacement harness from them?

.Ben. · Feb 27, 2010

< Not good...

clvs2222 · Feb 27, 2010

scary stuff

Henry · Feb 27, 2010

jeez:dead:

what make is it?
can't see whoever it is quibbling over replacement; you'd hope not anyway

DannoTheGreat · Feb 27, 2010

f**k, you was lucky!

mini-valver · Feb 27, 2010

Hate to say it but it looks to be fitted wrong.

Blue book states it should be 25 to 65 degrees from 90. So if you drew a line vertically from the centre of your seat harness hole, the mounting point should be at no more than 65 degrees!

Mike_182 · Feb 27, 2010

What the argumentative one said ^^

If it's not fitted right then it's got no hope.

mini-valver · Feb 27, 2010

Flol, says the instigator....

x

MarkCup · Feb 27, 2010

mini-valver said:
Hate to say it but it looks to be fitted wrong.

Really?

I don't recall when I had it fitted that it was threaded up any way other than as it was when it was delivered?

I'll get clearer pics tomorrow.

Henry · Feb 27, 2010

the buckles shouldn't snap though?
i reckon you'd be able to huff about that and be seen right

Jonny1*2 · Feb 27, 2010

how the hell can people tell if they are fitted wrong from those pics:S do you have them connected to the seat via the seatbelt rail (B pillar) and the buckle bolt on the other side? should be ok if thats the case really.

MarkCup · Feb 27, 2010

Jonny1*2 said:
how the hell can people tell if they are fitted wrong from those pics:S do you have them connected to the seat via the seatbelt rail (B pillar) and the buckle bolt on the other side? should be ok if thats the case really.

It's not where it's bolted to the car that's given up though, it's the adjustment retaining buckle thing, that stops it slipping back once you've got it adjusted right. The metal loop itself is still attached to the car, but once this buckle fractured the belt itself could just be pulled free from it.

Mike_182 · Feb 28, 2010

It's all about the directions the parts are designed to tolerate stress - much like the whole Katie Price sitting on an F1 car and breaking it, yet it survives hundred-mile-an-hour impacts.

mini-valver · Feb 28, 2010

Its not the way its threaded through any buckles, its the angle at which the belt is iun relation to the seat.

This is a shitty drawing I've just done of it. Go to the MSA online version of the blue book under Competitor safety for a proper version!

car.crash · Feb 28, 2010

What make are they. I have never seen them with plastic adjusters before. Manufacturers usually cover the metal adjuster with plastic. More pics.

Henry · Feb 28, 2010

that's^ what i'd been thinking, having had a look at mine
i don't think the belt angle is relevant - seems (from Mark's top pic) that the belt has been looped back against the plastic trim? the belts only run against the steel on mine

seems odd that it's unravelled itself, though?

i'd defo be kicking up a fuss about it, esp. given that's how they were delivered and that they've not been altered subsequently

Bluebeard · Feb 28, 2010

In that second pic, it looks like the metal has snapped??

The top piece is the plastic cover, the bottom being the metal bracket!!

Either way, i'd be ringing them first thing monday morning!!

car.crash · Feb 28, 2010

To me it look like the plastic cover has come off. In the scale of things it's no big deal if it has.

Jonny1*2 · Feb 28, 2010

Mike_182 said:
It's all about the directions the parts are designed to tolerate stress - much like the whole Katie Price sitting on an F1 car and breaking it, yet it survives hundred-mile-an-hour impacts.

Come again? did she try riding it or something :S

car.crash said:
What make are they. I have never seen them with plastic adjusters before. Manufacturers usually cover the metal adjuster with plastic. More pics.

I've got cobra harnesses (think TRS make them) and the adjustment bits in question are metal with plastic around them. How the hell the snap though is beyond me. You'd have to be giving some serious force put it that way.

Bluebeard · Feb 28, 2010

car.crash said:
To me it look like the plastic cover has come off. In the scale of things it's no big deal if it has.

May I suggest you look again and this time, you open your eyes?

Henry · Feb 28, 2010

i see what car.crash is suggesting - does look as though the trim has come away from the steel; unless the steel has also broken? presumably the belts were threaded in such a way that the plastic acted as a friction brake. can't really tell without more info

either way, they're designed to restrain 70+kg, decellerating from speed in an instant - there's no way you should be able to compromise them just by tugging on the belt

Jonny1*2 · Feb 28, 2010

Henry said:
i see what car.crash is suggesting - does look as though the trim has come away from the steel; unless the steel has also broken? presumably the belts were threaded in such a way that the plastic acted as a friction brake. can't really tell without more info

either way, they're designed to restrain 70+kg, decellerating from speed in an instant - there's no way you should be able to compromise them just by tugging on the belt

Thats what I was thinking. Saying that the steel should still be sufficient to hold the straps in place. On mine the plastic bit is just for show from what I can tell

Ribena · Feb 28, 2010

what the hell, how did that even happen?!

Bluebeard · Feb 28, 2010

I've just looked at my old (really old, really really old...) sparco harnesses in the airing cupboard, and they have a metal bracket as a sort of brake, covered in a plastic coating. Looks prett much identical to a lap belt in the middle of a rear bench seat.

If Marks are the same, the metal has deffinately snapped judging by his pics!

Jonny1*2 · Feb 28, 2010

Ribena said:
what the hell, how did that even happen?!

salt corrosion

jayxx83 · Feb 28, 2010

inertia reel ftw!

car.crash · Feb 28, 2010

Daniel said:
May I suggest you look again and this time, you open your eyes?

I can only see snapped plastic and no metal. As the buckles are made from metal I assume they are still intact. Who would make plastic seatbelts. I agree it should not have broken off.

car.crash · Feb 28, 2010

Daniel said:
May I suggest you look again and this time, you open your eyes?

The first picture is how it should be. The second picture is the broken plastic, but no broken metal is present. May I suggest you look again and this time open your eyes!
As I said it certainly should not have happend but it will be enough to get you home. The strenght is in the belt and the metal buckles and not the plastic as it would snap on impact. Tweeks should replace immediatly.

MarkCup · Feb 28, 2010

Right, spent a bit of time piecing it all together, and the news is.........it was fitted wrong!!!

Here's the other side which is fitted correctly;

In the second picture you can just make out the centre cross bar (black) which takes the load.

What I'm left with from the failed side;

Note, no cross bar left here

Excuse the ASP

The simple error of having the belt threaded through the wrong way had the load on this cross bar reversed, and instead of a piece of 3mm steel holing me in place, I've done countless trackdays with nothing more than a thin bendy piece of tin meant only to retain the centre cross bar in place for security, which finally gave up when when I pulled over and gave it a bit of a yank.

The actual harness is an OMP basic affair...but I'd imagine other makes have similar buckles; I urge anyone with a harness to go and check yours are fitted the right way around now.

tricky nicky · Feb 28, 2010

to my untrained eye i can't see any picture there which has the strap in the correct place.

the bit which has snapped should not be taking any load merely acting as a brake to stop the straps moving after adjusting length, the strap should pass through the big brass square and then the locking bar.

Henry · Feb 28, 2010

i've checked my Willans and think the buckles are a different construction, thankfully

that's bad if they came out of the box like that - in a way it's lucky it's gone as it has

good luck with Tweeks, be interesting to hear how you get on

Jonny1*2 · Feb 28, 2010

wierd has to be said. Get some cobra ones mate. great build quality and CS discount direct

Naith · Feb 28, 2010

not good that dude.

bless at little un sneeking in pics though!

haha cute as

Steviant · Mar 1, 2010

They look from the pics to be 2" clubman belts?

I think there is a lesson to be learned form that and from you mentioning OMP.

Low quality, cheap belts. You got two years out of them use out of them. I would say that is about their lifespan.

You need 3" belts imo. Sabelt, TRS or Schroth if you want the non airplane buckle.

Seeing the pics of the broken one, looks like something off a pram, not a track car.

Sir_Dave · Mar 1, 2010

Ouch, not good to see that!! I've just bought these in black, 3" shoulder strap, 2" belt, red button release:

http://www.ybracing.co.uk/page1.php?sitepage=4&part=566

I think this failure really does back up my posts about doing things correctly. Saftey equipment is only worthwhile if you do it (& install it) properly .... !!

Weeman · Mar 1, 2010

3 inch proper harnesses FTW

break the metal things on those and you can have a twix lol Its the one thing I don't scrimp on, I think mine were 130 each

Steviant · Mar 1, 2010

Mark, these are how mine compare is size.

Jonny1*2 · Mar 1, 2010

Sir_Dave said:
Ouch, not good to see that!! I've just bought these in black, 3" shoulder strap, 2" belt, red button release:

http://www.ybracing.co.uk/page1.php?sitepage=4&part=566

I think this failure really does back up my posts about doing things correctly. Saftey equipment is only worthwhile if you do it (& install it) properly .... !!

Quiet cheap those for 3" mate. Not sure on the quality of OMP ones. Harnesses should last as long as seat belts would to be honest.

Sir_Dave · Mar 1, 2010

Jonny1*2 said:
Quiet cheap those for 3" mate. Not sure on the quality of OMP ones. Harnesses should last as long as seat belts would to be honest.

I've got them in the car now, very good quality, just as good as my TRS 6 pointer tbh!! Wanted red button for MOT/ease of use - the aircraft buckle on my old ones really did my head in ...

Jonny1*2 · Mar 1, 2010

Sir_Dave said:
I've got them in the car now, very good quality, just as good as my TRS 6 pointer tbh!! Wanted red button for MOT/ease of use - the aircraft buckle on my old ones really did my head in ...

I know what you mean, but they look cool :approve:

Catastrophic failure of my harness!

clvs2222

mini-valver

mini-valver

mini-valver

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