Harness bracing

[paolo]

Can someone who's fitted harnesses tell me what thickness and size steel is suitable for making the bracing for the top mounts please?

Thanks!

[Almac]

Paul,

I guess it depends how you're going to design them. I used 6mm x 50mm flat bar but ended up creating a whole bracing structure to give me a solution I was happy with. The potential loads on the single top mounting point could be very high so I wasn't happy with the basic Pilgrim solution.

Pilgrim use a single folded section of flat bar mounted onto the chassis, following the rear bulkhead and up to the harness mount. I've attached a picture of theirs. I was concerned that this would simply unbend and pull through the fibre glass in a hard shunt. I started mine in the same way, then filleted all the corners where the folds are. Then I welded a cross bar between the 2 mounts to sit tight against the inner legs of the roll bars (to restrict forward movement). I used a piece of angle for this so that it presented a flat side to the roll bars. Finally (and this was probably ott), I welded 2 sections of box onto the cross bar, facing forward and bolted into the underside of the original Pilgrim top seat belt mounts (to stop the cross bar bending from the middle). It was one of those jobs that just kept going once I had the welding kit out!!

I've got some pictures but haven't uploaded them from the camera yet. Let me know if they'd help and I'll post them.

Cheers

Alan

[paolo]

Muchos gracias for the info. I thought Pilgrim have had their mounts TUV tested? I think they also glass them into the tub which may help strength a bit.

Ok, will have a think about this. I've seen in a previos post someone else has welded box section in to stop them unfolding. May have to find a local welder as I don't have access to the kit.

[Almac]

Paul,

Any approval that does exist would be for the standard seat belt arrangement. Fitting harness would have little relevance since the mounts are located differently. As you probably know, there is a length of box section glassed into the top of the body behind the seats. This is fine for the standard centre mounted inertia reels. Harness mounting would be towards the ends of this section and it would have limited strength at these points. This is particularly so if you've fitted twin roll hoops since the centre legs cut right through the box section.

Alan

[paolo]

Pilgrim have actually now put a dog leg in the cross bar to avoid the need to drill it for twin hoops. I take the point about standard reels vs harnesses though.

[TheUnixKid]

we opted not to go for harnesses for those reasons!