Flipzide
04-30-2012, 12:35 PM
No, this isn't a thread with a question about harness bars.
I got into a debate with a friend of mine the other week. What it came down to was him using Sparco branded harness bars in his EVO X without a roll bar or cage at track events. He asked me to find him proof about the dangers of using a Sparco harness bar and I could not provide any aside from the infamous thread(s) about that Honda with a collapsed harness bar and various threads with someone just stating it wasn't safe here on Zilvia.
Well, I decided to e-mail Sparco directly instead of searching around Google when I had better things to do and I would like to share it here for people who are searching for information.
I hope this helps anyone who needs this information.
Note: I edited out last names and my own e-mail address for privacy. Everything else is a direct quote from the e-mail I received.
-----Original Message-----
From: Brian [mailto:flipzide***@gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, April 16, 2012 7:02 PM
To: Sparco
Subject: Sparco Harness Bar
To whom it may concern:
Hello, I'm looking for some information regarding the Sparco harness bar that you manufacture. As I'm sure you are aware, the subject of harness bars has been of hot debate regarding its use and safety in the past few years. While not technically savvy myself or up to date on knowledge on safety regulations, I'm looking for a solid answer.
First, the website advertises the your harness as, " Sparco harness bars are manufactured with the highest quality .120-wall steel and designed specifically for our competition 3" harnesses. They are MIG welded by our highly skilled technicians, and engineered to strict safety standards. "
Exactly what safety standards does this bar meet?
Is it for actual race use or is it for show only?
Is it approved by the FIA? Is it legal within SCCA or NASA racing sanctions?
Are there any crash test results that show the effectiveness of the harness bar during a collision?
If the answer to any of the questions are no, is this harness bar meant to be used in conjunction with a bolt in rollbar/cage?
Sincerely,
Brian
From: Gabe **** <[email protected]>
CC: Andrew ****** <[email protected]>
8:55 AM (2 hours ago)
Hi Brian,
To answer your question below, the harness bars are not safety homologated. There is no homologation for harness bars with any sanctioning body. When racing in NASA, SCCA or similar clubs, in classes where the vehicle needs to exceed a certain regulatory state, the rules will most likely require the vehicle to have an actual cage or full roll bar installed that meet FIA homologation standards to secure your harnesses to. Using a standard harness bar will not suffice in this situation. Harness bars are indeed used to secure your harnesses to a rear mount point behind your shoulders, and this objective only. A lot of people are under the impression that harness bars are used for rigidity in a vehicle, and while they are strong and can sometimes act as such, they are not intended for that purpose. Again, that is what the roll bars and roll cages are for.
If you are racing in NASA or SCCA club events, they will have a rule book to help guide you in choosing the appropriate safety equipment for your harness mounting. We do carry a line of FIA homologated roll cages. While they are not typically sold in the US, in some cases customers will have them flown in from Italy for their Rally cars and such.
Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns..
Thank you.
Gabe
Sparco USA
1852 Kaiser Ave.
Irvine CA 92614
Tel. (949) 797-1750 x 208
Fax. (949) 797-1755
Sparco USA (http://www.sparcousa.com)
I got into a debate with a friend of mine the other week. What it came down to was him using Sparco branded harness bars in his EVO X without a roll bar or cage at track events. He asked me to find him proof about the dangers of using a Sparco harness bar and I could not provide any aside from the infamous thread(s) about that Honda with a collapsed harness bar and various threads with someone just stating it wasn't safe here on Zilvia.
Well, I decided to e-mail Sparco directly instead of searching around Google when I had better things to do and I would like to share it here for people who are searching for information.
I hope this helps anyone who needs this information.
Note: I edited out last names and my own e-mail address for privacy. Everything else is a direct quote from the e-mail I received.
-----Original Message-----
From: Brian [mailto:flipzide***@gmail.com]
Sent: Monday, April 16, 2012 7:02 PM
To: Sparco
Subject: Sparco Harness Bar
To whom it may concern:
Hello, I'm looking for some information regarding the Sparco harness bar that you manufacture. As I'm sure you are aware, the subject of harness bars has been of hot debate regarding its use and safety in the past few years. While not technically savvy myself or up to date on knowledge on safety regulations, I'm looking for a solid answer.
First, the website advertises the your harness as, " Sparco harness bars are manufactured with the highest quality .120-wall steel and designed specifically for our competition 3" harnesses. They are MIG welded by our highly skilled technicians, and engineered to strict safety standards. "
Exactly what safety standards does this bar meet?
Is it for actual race use or is it for show only?
Is it approved by the FIA? Is it legal within SCCA or NASA racing sanctions?
Are there any crash test results that show the effectiveness of the harness bar during a collision?
If the answer to any of the questions are no, is this harness bar meant to be used in conjunction with a bolt in rollbar/cage?
Sincerely,
Brian
From: Gabe **** <[email protected]>
CC: Andrew ****** <[email protected]>
8:55 AM (2 hours ago)
Hi Brian,
To answer your question below, the harness bars are not safety homologated. There is no homologation for harness bars with any sanctioning body. When racing in NASA, SCCA or similar clubs, in classes where the vehicle needs to exceed a certain regulatory state, the rules will most likely require the vehicle to have an actual cage or full roll bar installed that meet FIA homologation standards to secure your harnesses to. Using a standard harness bar will not suffice in this situation. Harness bars are indeed used to secure your harnesses to a rear mount point behind your shoulders, and this objective only. A lot of people are under the impression that harness bars are used for rigidity in a vehicle, and while they are strong and can sometimes act as such, they are not intended for that purpose. Again, that is what the roll bars and roll cages are for.
If you are racing in NASA or SCCA club events, they will have a rule book to help guide you in choosing the appropriate safety equipment for your harness mounting. We do carry a line of FIA homologated roll cages. While they are not typically sold in the US, in some cases customers will have them flown in from Italy for their Rally cars and such.
Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns..
Thank you.
Gabe
Sparco USA
1852 Kaiser Ave.
Irvine CA 92614
Tel. (949) 797-1750 x 208
Fax. (949) 797-1755
Sparco USA (http://www.sparcousa.com)