5-way, 5-point, H-style harness.

The H style is the most common, most flexible system. However, you do need a seat with dual slots cut in the seat back. You also need two attachment points behind the seat, one for each individual belt (this can be a challenge in cramped cockpits). Properly mounted, the H style virtually eliminates any chance of the shoulder belts rubbing on the neck. The shoulder belts are individually adjustable for length, and come in wrap-around, bolt-in, or snap-in attachment styles (more on these later.)

5-way, 4-point, V style.

Common in the cramped, weight-conscious cockpits of drag cars, the V-style eliminates one of the shoulder belt mounting points required. You do still need a seat with dual slots though as forcing both straps through a single slot would most probably leave the shoulder straps improperly located on the shoulders (remember the hard points!) and almost certainly produce awful neck rub. Tthis style of shoulder harness must be fed through from the back of the seat. V-style are only available in bolt-in or snap-in mounts - obviously wrap-around would not work. Note also that there is no length adjustment available between the shoulder harness anchor plate and the tilt-lock adjusters. Given the limited adjustment of the tilt-lock adjusters (and the fact that they should ride on the body in a specific location) this means that you need to match the shoulder belt length to the particular seat, driver, and chassis mounting point and get it right the first time! If the shoulder harness mounting point is too close or too far away, you need to move it or buy a new shoulder belt - there is no adjustment available.

4-way, 4-point, Y-style harness.

The Y-style harness is something of a compromise between the H and the V. Like the H, the shoulder belt attachment is available in wrap-around, bolt-in, or snap-in; and there is provision for length adjustment of the shoulder harness. Like the V style there is only one shoulder strap attachment point required. The Y also has some unique properties. You can use it with a seat with a single slot or dual sots in the seat back (although if used with a dual-slot seat, you may have difficulty in positioning the shoulder harness tilt-lock adjusters properly on the body). Y-style shoulder harnesses are also not SFI rated and can not be so rated. More on SFI ratings later, but keep that in mind if SFI ratings are important to you.

A wrap-around attachment does just that. It is designed to wrap around a tube. The belt is then adjusted for length and secured with a 3-bar slide. The advantage to this is that there are no additional tabs, nuts or bolts required and it provides a good strong attachment. That said, wrap-around belts work best when the bar is horizontal, and even then some sort of "stops' are required to prevent the belt from sliding sideways on the bar (more on this later in the "mounting' section in Part 2). Wrap-around attachments are common on shoulder straps but are seldom seen in lap or anti-sub belts.

Notice that there are no stops either side of this belt. There are also two other errors - by the end of Part 2 I hope you will be able to quickly spot them.

Bolt-in attachments use a bracket or tab known as an "anchor plate" through which the belt is fed. The anchor plate is then bolted to a mounting bracket or tab in the vehicle.

There are two sub-types of bolt-in attachments. The first uses a three-bar slide in much the same way as a wrap-around belt. In fact they work the same way as a wrap-around belt except that the belt "warps around" the anchor plate instead of a bar and the anchor plate is then bolted into the vehicle. Bolt-in with 3-bar slide is my favourite style of attachment as it can quickly and easily be converted between wrap-around and bolt-in - particularly useful if you are still finalizing the chassis design.

The three-bar slide also provides length adjustment of the strap, just like in a wrap-around attachment.

The other sub-type of bolt-in attachment is the bolt-in with sewn-in anchor plates.

In some belts it is either not possible or not desirable to have length adjustment and a 3-bar slide in the belt. When such belts use bolt-in attachments, the anchor plates are sewn into the belt, as shown in this picture of a "duck-bill" lap belt. (More on duck-bill belts later.)

This picture of a V-style shoulder harness also shows a sewn-in anchor plate.

Although there is no length adjustment available with sewn-in bolt-in anchor plates, they do provide for the cleanest installation and remove any chance of the user / installer making an error when feeding the belt through the 3-bar slide.

This attachment style is sometimes known as "floor-mount" as the eyebolt and accompanying large fender washer are used to mount the belt to the floor of a vehicle when rules or sanctioning bodies demand it (it's a car thing!)

They have their place, but I am not a fan of the snap-in mounts for the following reasons:

• The tiny cotter pin securing the gate in the closed position is critical - but way too easy to lose or bend - and way to hard to fiddle with when inserting - especially for a lap belt crammed between the seat and the side of the buggy. This all but negates any "quick" release functionality!
• I'm not a fan of eye-bolts. Not only are they far too easy to buy in sub-standard grade, but the grade is often not clearly indicated. They also do not mount well or easily to a tube-frame structure.
• Even a quality eye-bolt isn't likely to resist bending as well as a good 2-3" wide 1/4" thick double-shear bracket used with a bolt-in anchor plate.

5-way, 5-point, H-style, 3"

If the lap and shoulder belts use the same size webbing, the harness will normally just be called a 2” or 3” harness, as opposed to 2x2 or 3x3.

The "standard" lap belt style is known as "pull down", so named for the direction one pulls on the belts to tighten them.

Shown here is a 2" pull-down lap belt.

Notice that the tilt-lock adjuster is connected to the main buckle by a short length of webbing (normally 3.5"), and the adjustable portion of the belt (the part you pull on to tighten it) is connected to the vehicle.

If you are seated in a cramped cockpit, this can reduce the distance you have to pull on the belt before you elbows or hands run out of room.

The situation can be made worse if you are using a seat with high side bolsters, as you are forced to pull up, or at best sideways, on a belt that is designed to be pulled down to be tightened.

Here poor Larry is demonstrating the issue with both hands on the belts and ...

... with one hand on the belt.

One advantage to pull-down style though, is that excess lap belt webbing points towards the seat slot and can be neatly tucked away out of the driver's lap.

An alternative to the pull-down style of lap belt is the pull-up style. With a pull-up style belt the tilt-lock adjuster is attached to the vehicle with a length of webbing, and the adjustable portion of the belt (the part you pull on to tighten it) is connected to the main buckle.

Shown is a bolt-in 2" pull-up belt.

Note that with this particular belt, the anchor plate is attached with a 3-bar slide (as opposed to being sewn-in) which provides a measure of adjustability as to where the tilt-lock adjuster is positioned relative to the chassis anchor point and the seat. This is a very useful feature that we shall examine again.

3" pull-up lap belt.

Note that the anchor plate is sewn onto the belt so that there is no adjustability as to where the tilt-lock adjuster is positioned relative to the chassis anchor point and the seat.

Here Larry is demonstrating the pull-up method of tightening.

Note the ton of elbow room and the fact that the seat's high side bolsters are not hindering his efforts.

Also, most people can generate more force pulling up than they can down, allowing them to get the belts tighter, or to get them tight enough with less effort.

Depending on the location of the lap belt anchor point and therefore how far away from the seat the tilt-lock adjuster is positioned, it can also mean that a fairly long lap belt is required so that there is enough webbing to be fed through the seat slot and leave enough for the driver to grasp and pull on to tighten.

Here we can see that this particular installation leaves just enough belt to poke through the seat slot.

Of course, this will also depend on the size of the driver and how much of the belt is required to go around him or her.

The pull-up style belt is less of an issue on the inside side of the seat as there is normally more room there to reach the tilt-lock adjuster.

In this example the portion of the belt the driver grabs and pulls to tighten has been routed over the edge of the seat, instead of being fed through the slot. This makes the belt easier to grasp but, depending on the seat and the location of the anchor point, can result in an awkward angle at which to pull.

This issue of tilt-lock position with a pull-up belt can be alleviated by installing the lap belt so that the tilt-lock adjusters are positioned inside the seat, as shown here.

In order to do so, the webbing must be long enough between the anchor plate and the tilt-lock adjuster. This is easy to arrange if the anchor plate is attached with a 3-bar slide, as in the 2" pull-up belt shown above. It can be more of a challenge if the anchor plate is sewn into the belt, as in the the 3" pull-up belt shown above.

I have seen folks build long mounting brackets to position the tilt-lock adjuster inside the seat with a pull-up belt. If this is planned, great caution must be taken so that the mount is strong enough to resist any bending forces in a crash, and that the arrangement does not violate any of the installation rules we will discuss in Part 2.

...or with two.

There are just three issues with this approach:

• Depending on the size of the driver and the roominess of the seat, it can be very uncomfortable to have the tilt-lock adjusters inside the seat. I know Larry, with his manly build and tight-fitting seat, wasn't very happy.
• Having the buckle inside the seat is not strictly correct and probably violates the rules of many sanctioning bodies and/or specifications. The problem is - the buckle itself could cause injury in a crash wedged between the driver's body and the seat. Also, there is the potential in a crash for the body or seat to inadvertently loosen the adjuster.
• As you can see in this pic, this approach results in a lot of slack belt inside the seat and pointing away from the seat slot, leaving it sitting in the drivers lap. Some find this uncomfortable or annoying and it could hamper access to the main buckle in the event of an emergency egress (getting out in a hurry). This situation is exacerbated if the belt needs to be long enough to accommodate a wide range of driver body sizes or even seasonal clothing changes.

The third style of lap-belt is the "duck-bill" pull-down belt.

In this style, the tilt-lock adjuster is built right into the main buckle.

This design provides more room for the user to pull down on the belts to tighten them.

Recall that the standard pull-down and the pull-up lap belt each have two portions to the lap belt - one between the tilt-lock adjuster and the vehicle, and one between the tilt-lock adjuster and the main buckle. In a standard pull-down belt, the portion between the main buckle and the adjuster is fixed and the user pulls on the other portion to tighten. In a pull-up belt the situation is reversed - the portion between the vehicle and the adjuster is fixed, and the user pulls on the portion between the adjuster and the main buckle to tighten.

With a duck-bill belt, because the adjuster is built into the main buckle, there is only one portion to the belt. One end is attached to the vehicle and the user pulls down on the other end to tighten the belt.

This arrangement gives the user much more room for tightening the belt.

As with the standard pull-down style, with a duck-bill belt, excess lap belt webbing points towards the seat slot and can be neatly tucked away out of the driver's lap.

There are, however, a couple of drawbacks with the duck-bill design.

First, with a 3" belt, because the adjuster must be 3" wide, the main buckle of a duck-bill belt is much larger and bulkier than a 3" pull-up or 3" standard pull-down belt.

Compare here the main buckles on a 3" pull-up belt (top) and a 3" duck-bill belt.

Note how the webbing on the pull-up belt is folded over where it connects to the main buckle (in much the same way as it is at the anchor plates), allowing the use of a smaller, 2" wide buckle.

Second, because there is only one portion of the belt in a duck-bill lap belt, and that portion must be free to be tightened and loosened, the latch guard (the red tab connected to the main buckle's hammer that you pull up to release the main buckle) cannot be secured to the lap belt with Velco, as it is with standard pull-down and pull-up belts.

Duck-bill style belts are also only available in 3", there are no 2" lap belts with duck-bill latches.

2" pull-up style on top, 2" standard pull-down below.

As you will see later in the article, I ultimately chose 2" pull-up style belts for the rear bench seat of the rig - not only is there plenty of room inside the bench for the tilt-lock adjusters without fear of discomfort or injury, but I also often find myself turned around and strapping the kids in from above - a situation in which the pull-up style belts really shine (and the pull-down, either kind, quite a PITA).

SFI label on left side of 2" lap belt.

Note that both 2" and 3" belts can meet SFI 16.1

Date-only label on 2" Y-style recreational harness.

Note that Y-style shoulder harnesses do not meet SFI 16.1 and can not be certified / labelled as SFI rated.

The Kam Lock buckle is a rotary buckle that has internal pins and springs that comprise a moving mechanism that locks and releases the buckles on the ends of the lap, shoulder and anti-sub belts.

It goes by various other names including: rotary buckle, quick-release, camlock, etc. There are also different methods of releasing the mechanism, ranging from rotating a knob or lever to pressing a button.

It is quick, convenient, easy to operate, looks cool, and has no place in an offroad rig!

The problem is, the small internal mechanism does not react well to water, dirt, dust, sand, mud and all the other crap offroad rigs are continually exposed to.

There are a couple of specialized restraints that use an automotive-style buckle, as shown at left.

These are specialized recreational products that are not well suited to rigorous hardcore or racing use but may be appropriate in a slow-speed recreational rig such as a small sand car or side-by-side.

We'll have a look at one such harness a little later.

The best choice of latching mechanisms for offroad use is known as the "latch and link" buckle.

As we have discussed, there are some differences between a pull-up/down buckle and a duck-bill buckle but they both work the same way. Shown is a 2" pull-up latch & link.

Recall that the portion on the left lap belt (on the right in this pic) is the link, and the portion on the right (left in the pic) is the latch.

To secure a latch & link buckle: lift the hammer, place the belts over the link sandwiching the anti-sub belt between the shoulder belts, insert the link into the latch, firmly press down the hammer until it locks in place with a click, then secure the velcro on the latch guard (the red tab).

Tension springs are an option that can be added to any tilt-lock adjuster - be they on the shoulder belt or lap belt.

As the name implies, they are a simple wire spring that keeps tension on the centre sliding bar of the tilt-lock adjuster to prevent any chance of the belt loosening.

You can see how they work by examining the picture to the left and the one below. The picture below has the belt removed for clarity.

This they do very, very well.

I have also found that they make the job of loosening the belt in question more challenging too.

Whether or not you wish to use tension springs will depend on your vehicle and its use. If, for example, you are a racer and sole driver of a rig and you tend to strap in tight and stay that way then you would almost certainly want to use them for the added peace of mind.

On the other hand, if you and others are constantly in and out of the rig necessitating frequent belt adjustments, you may find they add unwelcome complication.

Sewn-in harness pads are an available option for all shoulder straps.

Here they are shown installed on a 2" belt.

They come in black, blue, grey, or red.

I absolutely love them! They make the harness so much softer and more comfortable to wear I can't see being without them ever again.

In a sense, they also add a safety dimension - because if the harness is more comfortable, you and your passengers are more likely to wear it.

The kids also like them , which keeps them happy, which keeps Dad happy!

Although I have heard some people say they don't like them because of the extra bulk I wonder if that isn't partially an issue with how the harness is mounted, adjusted or worn?

In my opinion, no matter which harness you get, always, always get the sewn-in harness pads!

And here they are on a 3" V-style harness.

Of course, as they are sewn on, you have to make the decision on the pads at the time of purchasing.

There are add-on pads also available that use Velcro to attach to the harness. These I must admit I do not find comfortable and I did find them bulky and obtrusive. The hard edges of the Velcro attachment are also uncomfortable against any bare skin.

Bottom line - get the sewn-in pads. Trust me - you will thank me!

Another available option is the sternum latch.

Available in two styles, either Velcro (as shown) or with a small latch & link buckle, the sternum latch is used to connect the two shoulder belts together at the sternum (breast bone).

When connected, the sternum latch adds a significant extra margin of security as it prevents the shoulder straps from separating.

In practice, use of the sternum strap provides an enormous increase in how secure the driver feels in the harness. With properly adjusted and tightened straps and the sternum strap done up you feel extremely secure in the seat.

Again, whether or not you wish to use a sternum strap will depend on your vehicle and its use. For the racing and extreme crowd they provide a welcome increase in security. However, if you are riding without the sternum latch connected, especially if your shoulder straps are a little loose, the loose strap can be a little obtrusive.

5-way, 5-point, H-style, 3", duck-bill latch & link, bolt-in driver restraint in black with tension springs, sewn in harness pads (red) and Velcro sternum latch, SFI 16.1 rated.

Quite a mouthful!

The complete assembly laid out.

Note the vehicle ends of the shoulder straps use a 3-bar slide, meaning they are adjustable for length and can quickly and easily be converted back and forth between wrap-around and bolt-in.

Note the 2" anti-sub strap.

The lap belt.

Note the sewn-in anchor plates and the "single portion" belt between anchor plate and main buckle.

Note how the latch guard cannot be secured to the lap belt with Velcro.

There's quite a bit to consider in proper harness mounting, so much that a separate article is required.

There are also quite a few common mistakes and pitfalls that I will be addressing in Part 2.

Installed restraint system.

This is the system I ultimately settled on for the front seats. I like the combination of the individual shoulder straps and 2-slot seat which provides ideal belt placement on the shoulders with no chance of neck rubbing.

I started with tension springs on all tilt-lock adjusters, but found it made the shoulder strap tilt-locks too difficult to loosen and tighten for the number of times I adjust them to suit conditions. If I were racing, where one tends to strap in tightly and stay put during the race, I would have left them in place. I retained the springs in the lap-belt tilt-locks.

The Velcro sternum strap is occasionally in the way when it is not secured and I have the shoulder belts a little loose. However, there's no denying the security when I strap in tight and connect it so I'm glad I have it.

The sewn-in padding is wonderful!

The duck-bill lap belt was the best compromise for my rig / seat / body. I can quickly and easily tighten and loosen it as required. The size of the buckle doesn't bother me, although my wife finds it a little cumbersome.

The lap belt.

Pull-up tightening mechanism.

Note the sewn-in anchor plate, 2-portion construction, short coupling between anchor plate and tilt-lock adjuster, and SFI tag.

The 3" wide V-style shoulder harness with sternum latch and sewn-in pads.

Note lack of adjustment between single anchor plate and tilt-lock adjusters.

Sewn-in padding and SFI tag on 3" V-style shoulder harness.

The pull-up style lap belt has definite advantages - especially the ease of tightening and the smaller profile main buckle. It is a great choice if your seat / rig allow installation so that you can reach the tilt-lock outside the seat. Unfortunately my seat and rig don't have the necessary room and so I switched to the duck-bill style lap belt.

The V harness is great for cramped locations and installation where you only have / want one mounting bracket behind the seat. The lack of adjustment between the anchor plate and tilt-locks is a disadvantage - meaning you have to get seat placement, anchor placement, and driver size all right the first time for this harness.

Using the V style with a dual-slot seat is something of a pain as you have to feed the shoulder straps through from the back of the seat - meaning you have to get the bulky harness pads and tilt-lock adjusters through the seat.

Using the V style with a single-slot seat, if the mounting point is not immediately behind the seat slot you may experience neck rub.

The complete assembly laid out.

Note the vehicle ends of the shoulder straps use a 3-bar slide, meaning they are adjustable for length and can quickly and easily be converted back and forth between wrap-around and bolt-in.

Note also that, in contrast to the 3" pull-up style belt shown above, this model's lap belt also uses a 3-bar slide, meaning they are adjustable for length between the mounting bracket and the lap belt tilt-lock adjuster.

2" Pull-up tightening mechanism.

Note that red latch guard can be secured with Velcro to short, fixed coupling between tilt-lock adjuster and main buckle.

2" latch & link main buckle in secured configuration.

Note the orientation of the shoulder strap buckles and the sandwiching of the anti-sub strap between them on the link.

On the far left of the latch, just before the latch guard, note the spring-loaded ball bearings that lock the hammer in place in the closed position. This area merits particular attention and regular cleaning.

I really, really like the pull-up style lap belts in the rear bench for the kids.

Most of the time I am turned around from the front seat and positioned over the kids when I'm strapping them in. The pull-up are perfect for this and much more convenient than having to hop out and pull down from outside when securing the offspring.

Marketed as a "sand car" recreational restraint, it's a 4-way, 3-point, Y-style, 2" harness with automotive style buckle and bolt-in anchor plates. There is no anti-sub belt or sternum latch but you can get tension springs and sewn-in harness pads as options. It's not SFI rated.

Probably not suited for racing or the most hardcore use, it nevertheless has some attractive features that may make it the right choice for the right vehicle / driver combination.

Both the lap belt and shoulder harness use 3-bar slides and so are adjustable for length in installation.

The main buckle is the "insert-to-lock-lift-to-release" style buckle common in older automotive belts and airline passenger seats.

It's extremely easy to operate.

The buckle has only one side that tightens, the other side is fixed in length (once the 3-bar slide has been adjusted on installation), just like an airline belt.

I went with wrap-around mounting of the shoulder harnesses...

(Yes, I know there's an error shown in the picture, we'll discuss mounting in Part 2!)

Light, comfortable, easy to use, and secure enough for mild use I eventually removed this set in favour of 5-way, 5-point 2" pull-up system for the kids.

The reason why is that the buckle was almost too easy to operate. My kids are still young and a couple of times I found that my 5 y.o. daughter had inadvertently released her buckle, probably from fiddling with it. This will likely not be an issue with older riders.