I just installed my racing harness in the Conquest. I bought it used, cheap, and I was wondering if SCCA SOLO II and/or NYIRP checks the dates on the harnesses. My harness was made on the 41th week in 2001. How long are they good for? The harness is a Scroth.
Thanks.
Justin
Preety sure they are only good for 3 years (drag racing)
im not at all farmiliar with the SCCA rules, but just from knowing what i do about the desing and effectiveness of seatbelts and other restraints, id say if it was involved in an accident u might want to think twice about using it. if you think its ok, id say finish out the year with it if you have to then buy a new one over winter.
^^“Id replace it” would be a fine, and short answer
just for the record
what exactly IS it about harnesses that expires? they made out of paper mache or seaweed, or what?
i mean i get the concept, but is there some known rapidly degrading material that they’re made or something?
^^ design(tho it may not seem like it changes much material/fabric/weave can change for optimal safety) and i assume that they must be updated for safety sake just to be sure, just as policmen updat protective vests normally every 2 years or at most 3. just to make sure you shiznat is tip-top.
For Solo it doesn’t matter how old the harness is because it is not really being used for safety, more to hold you in place so you can drive better.
FIA specs are good for 5 years.
SFI specs are good until Dec 31st of the 2nd year.
I would assume the the Factory of Safety on lifespan would be around 2. Although I would be sceptical using a 10 year old FIA belt.
Personally I use old belts for shotgun during low risk events like auto-X and open lapping. Just inspect the belts for freying, thinning, fading from the sun, and excessive stretching. Like Bret said it is fine for auto-X, but you should make you own judgement based on trap speed whether you trust the old belts.
how is it that a seatbelt is good until the end of time, but a harness isnt? different materials?
shit, a twinky has a longer shelf life.
dude a twinkys half life is 1000000 years 
Not if I’ve got anything to do with it
?
It’s just a “inspection” time. The 2 or 5 year rule is from the date of Manufacture, you can send the belts back to the MFG, they will inspect them, and if they are still safe, they will re-issue and sew on a new label with the new experiation date on them; I think Simpson charges $50 per set to re-inspect them once you add in shipping.
No, it is a rated lifespan. The belts get replaced during re-webbing and the hardware such as mounting points and locks get re-used.
According to the SFI Foundation, in order to retain the proper SFI rating, ONLY THE ORIGINAL MANUFACTURER is permitted to reweb and recertify them. Prior to January 2002, Simpson provided rewebbing services for their harness belts. However, they no longer will reweb or recertify their belts. We recommend that you replace harnesses that have been used for several years or have been subjected to a specific severe use situation.
^
but why does this need to be done?
i understand saftey, but i have seen my seatbelt straps, and the harnesses in mikes rally car… they are like 4x thicker. if the materials are similar i dont see why you would need to.
are they made of something else that breaks down, or stretches or something?
it just seems odd to me that if these need to be inspected, then why arent normal seatbelts?
its not like there arent cement barriers or trees to crash into on the street like there are the track or a rally coarse.
They stretch.
http://www.motorage.com/motorage/data/articlestandard/motorage/162005/155698/article.pdf
Today’s belts are made from a
military grade (mil spec) nylon or polyester web.
Just as steel is stronger than iron because it can
bend, these materials are stronger because they
can stretch.
In a crash, a driver’s body can exert thousands
of pounds of force on the belts. The trick to
reducing injury is to balance belt stretch with the
need to hold the driver in place. Even a small
amount of stretch helps to reduce what’s called
“the third collision.” The first collision involves
the vehicle, the second is the driver against the
restraining device and the third causes injury to
the driver’s internal organs.
http://www.sfifoundation.com/seatbelt.html
It’s a pity, because my harness is like brand new. I don’t think it’s ever been installed until now. However, the other half of my question still stands.
Does a dragstrip inspect harness dates?
Thanks for the AutoX tip!
Justin