Can anyone tell me what the basic spec is for a SVA compatable harness? I see quite a few but don't really know what to look for Nothing too fancy - just a basic harness
I am looking at a TRS Budget harness from Rally Design and need to know if it is ok.

AFAIK the TRS Power harnesses are SVA proof. (About £35 each)

Think they must be able to be released with one hand (none of the twist release harnesses) and they must not be the clip on type. IE they must have solid mounting points, not the eye bolt type. Oh and they have to have all the approval markings, which all of them should have anyway.

Cheers,
David

[Edited on 3/2/05 by flak monkey]

I was lead to beleive that the clip on type was acceptable ?

a little clarification from someone with an up to date copy of the manual would be appreciated methinks

I can not find clip ons mentioned in the manual and therefore suggest they are NOT allowed.

rally design are a good source of parts with decent prices, but on this one go too TRS direct, they sell to the public mail order, oh and ask them to reverse the lap staps for you too, makes adjusting easier in a tight cockpit.

The TRS harnesses have 'snap hook mounting brackets' but they wouldn't be able to sell a non SVA approved harness would they?

My Britax harnesses are the clip on variety. As long as the webbing is 'E' marked tyey will pass SVA.

Marcus

The manual is very far from specific when it comes to harnesses!

Certainly clip on ones should be fine, there is nothing to say they are unacceptable and I know of a large number of westfields in this area that have passed the test with clip on harnesses.

The E marking is less than explanatory as well! I think individual testers may vary, but the manual says:

"check that all, seat belts........., EITHER"

a) bear one of the following approval markings confirming compliance" (including the E-mark)

"OR, b) have equivalent characteristics to that of a belt approved for the same category of vehicle"

so an E-Mark is not necessary either!

This put my mind at rest as I will be using a pair of Luke 4 point harnesses, which are as new, but don't have E-marks as far as I can see and are clip on ones.

They are also rotary release, and I see no problem with this, why is this an issue, they release with a "single movement in one direction by either hand" in just the same way as a push button one does. The direction is circular, that's all! The button normally pivots anyway, so this is not strictly a single direction either, actually on a radius as well!

Again, numerous cars have passed SVA with aircraft rotary release harnesses.

I know the manual is unclear in this respect. I seem to remember it mentioned before that rotary release may not pass the test and also the clip on type may not pass. I think it may come down to the tester. I would say to be safe get belts that are not clip on, push button release and are e marked. Then there is very little reason an inspector can find fault with the belts.

David

General opinion (i.e. "I can't find the reference" ) is that a race harness buckle is OK as long as it can be easily undone with one hand.
Having an 'E'-mark just makes it easy for the builder and the tester... there's just nothing to debate. I'd guess that a FIA marking along with a one-handed buckle would be acceptable!

David

[Edited on 5/2/05 by David Jenkins]

Loads of viewpoints there - all appreciated

I think I will play safe and choose an E marked, button operated harness to avoid angering the SVA gods

Hi,
I got a pair of harnesses from Mac#1 motorsports for £80 inc vat. They are Sabelt 4 point with a push button release and bolted fixings and are e-marked and proven for SVA (not by me yet sadly).

I think they are the dogs b0ll0ks myself!!

Take a look at my website at this page and you will see a few pictures of them.

The fixings need to be 7/16 UNF which is pretty standard and they come with bolts and pivoting spacers etc.

Let me know if you need any more info.
Cheers,
Craig.

Craig - In your website (nicely done btw)you mention harness slot height 'deflection' which is important for SVA. My slots are a lot higher (by 200mm) than the rear mounting points causing quite a deviation from their optimal path so is this going to be a problem?

Another thought - is a 4 point actually better than a 3 point fixing? The reason I ask is that in my setup a 3 point will actually have a more direct path due to an offset problem with the seat mountings (too far to one side for 4 point)

[Edited on 5-2-05 by RazMan]

[Edited on 5-2-05 by RazMan]

Hi,
My understanding of the SVA requirements is that, if the seat harness slots "deflect" the belts by any significant amount then the seat mountings and structure will come in for some serious scrutiny. Basically the seat mountings will need to be beefed up to handle the strains of impact.

The best bet is to ensure that your harness mounting points are at a high enough level to avoid this potential complication. I think that harness mounting points being too low is a common cause of SVA failure.

I hope this helps and thanks for the compliment on my website. I'm still in the process of improving it.
Cheers,
Craig.