The 24 Hours of Lemons Forums → Lemons Tech → Racing seats
Currently seat shopping. Looking at Corbeau brand. Biggest guy in the team is a 40" waist smallest guy is a 34" waist. Looking at Forza or fx1 both in wide. Any suggestions from the masses? Would like to be $500 or less.
$500 or less will be the big problem.
Ultrashield makes aluminum containment seats in inch increments from 14-18 that are built way sturdier than the comparable Kirkey.
https://www.ultrashieldrace.com/catalog … ing-seats/
You can get the non containment ones for under $500, but seriously consider a containment unit. Unless they burn or get crushed seats are a forever team purchase so Cry now or Cry later.
We run the Rally Sport Halo, but it has the Road Race leg bolsters (must have changed design) I would recommend the Road Race just because the pads on the sides of the legs would have been nice on ours but not a deal killer. (We skew more towards 46" waists)
I have used the Corbeau Forza for many years (probably 5) in the Bumble Bee car. Corbeau also makes quality seat mount brackets with double locking sliders that are built specific to a chassis and I use one to mount the seat to the car. Fabric has held up well and seat foam is still good. It mounts low in the car, even with the slider, and I had complaints from a driver that the front bolster pressed against the bottom of his thighs and was uncomfortable. It never bothered me but it was pretty easy to resolve by taking the cover and padding off the front of seat, cutting the bolster spring off the front and then putting the padding and cover back on. The belt holes have smooth hard plastic covering the openings and have never created chaffing or wear on the belts.
I am not using the wide version of the seat and there have been overly wide people that have sat in the car and said the seat side wings push into them. I am 5'10" and 195 lbs and I am very comfortable in it. A seat should keep you from moving side to side. The Kirky seats don't do that for me.
Ill run out to Summit this week and put my but in several options.
I'm the driver that hates moparfan's Forza. Before the modification, my lower legs and feet would go numb after about 20 minutes. I'm 5'9" and 220lbs. After the modification my legs don't go numb, but I still find the seat uncomfortable. I much prefer the Kirkey Intermediate Road Race seat. I guess I have a Kirkey shaped butt.
Your plan to sit in some seats is a good one. Our first two years of racing Lemons, I asked to sit in a bunch of cars so I could find which seats work for me. Most teams have no problem letting you try their seat.
A big 2nd on get a containment seat. We paddocked next to a team that was on the receiving side of a car-totaling T-bone at a previous race. They had a containment seat then and the driver in the crash said he had no neck pain at all the next day. He was a huge fan of containment seats. We got a containment seat in the car last year and at least for me, on track I don't notice the halo or shoulder containment one bit.
OMP TRS-E XL, about $400
I've never sat in a more comfortable racing seat.
I'm a big guy.
Corbeau also makes quality seat mount brackets with double locking sliders that are built specific to a chassis and I use one to mount the seat to the car.
I have no problem with Corbeau seats or mounts, but IME their sliders suck. In regards to comfort, you need to sit a bunch of different seats to make a good decision, and even then one seat isn't likely to feel the same to 4 different people. Also we find that adding the lumbar support (a pad velcro-ed in place) helps a TON with comfort in our car.
The FX1 'Wide' is a REALLY wide seat.
I'm 6'4" @ 245 lbs with a 40" waist and sizeable thighs. The FX1 is too wide for me. I fit much better in the standard width seat.
We've got the Kirkey Intermediate Road Race seat. It's a decently rigid aluminum seat with separate shoulder-belt holes, not a flimsy circle-track seat like the cheaper Kirkeys. It is not a containment seat; it's up to you whether you think full containment is necessary. I'm not that worried about it with a properly-fitting HNR, but I wouldn't argue against additional risk mitigation.
I think ours is 18" width, which I also believe is their widest option. I'm a little loose in it at 6'4"-205, but not bad. I think Bob (6'3"ish) fit in it comfortably even when he was 240+. Another team member who's probably pushing 300 lbs. is a tight fit.
In my opinion, it doesn't come with enough butt padding. My stints got a lot more comfortable when we added an extra seat pad.
A quality comfortable seat that holds you firmly in place not only improves your safety, it also makes you faster. Spend the money on a good seat. We have a 2nd hand seat that was $2500 new. It is soooo much better than our old Kirkey seats. Not even close.
In fact... always spend the most you can afford on a good seat, good belts that are easily adjustable, a well built cage and an effectively working fire suppression system.
+1 on belts. Good belts with properly placed and smoothly operating adjusters make driver changes so much easier and faster. We like the Safecraft 5010, but have also heard good things about the Schroth Enduro.
+1 on containment seat.
+1 on Fiberglass over Kirkey
+1 Spend as much as you can on a comfy seat
+1 on good belts. I hate my Gforce belts.
Schroth enduro belts are the BOMB!!! We just got them.
Schroth enduro belts are the BOMB!!! We just got them.
We got the Schroth Enduro belts last year, and they are VERY nice. Having the adjusters right beside the buckle makes it a LOT easier when you tighten them. Also the adjusters themselves work so much more smoothly than the G-Force ones.
They ain't cheap, but they are worth it IMO.
+1 on belts. Good belts with properly placed and smoothly operating adjusters make driver changes so much easier and faster. We like the Safecraft 5010, but have also heard good things about the Schroth Enduro.
The Crow's are pretty great, and have a cheap re-cert cost now that we all have to do it every 2 years.
My teammates car has Schroth belts and they are like butta. So yeah, Schroth belts are super nice but having to pitch a set of $600 belts every couple of years because they can't be re-webbed sort of makes them less desirable to me. Same with Sabelt. I've been using Crow mostly because they are local and walking in the door with cash often results in better deals particularly if you can lure John out of his office.
The Safecraft 5010 is the $475 American version of the Schroth Enduro; lap adjusters at the buckle and buttery smooth adjusters with big sturdy loops so you can hook a gloved thumb through them and tighten them easily. It's still a hell of a lot more $ than our old G-force belts, but really worth it when you do a driver change.
Schroth belts are super nice but having to pitch a set of $600 belts every couple of years because they can't be re-webbed sort of makes them less desirable to me.
Since the Schroth have the FIA expiration date stamp, ours are good for 5 years. Besides, re-webbing seems to take a LONG time (at least 6 months) and isn't a lot cheaper than a new set.
FWIW, Crow will gladly make you a knock-off Schroth Enduro setup for a couple hundred bucks less than the original. Since they are SFI (not FIA), they can be re-webbed without issue.
cheseroo wrote:Schroth belts are super nice but having to pitch a set of $600 belts every couple of years because they can't be re-webbed sort of makes them less desirable to me.
Since the Schroth have the FIA expiration date stamp, ours are good for 5 years. Besides, re-webbing seems to take a LONG time (at least 6 months) and isn't a lot cheaper than a new set.
Who takes 6 months to re-web? When I go to Crow, at worst they have it done in a couple days and at best just hand me another set. Seems like the re-web costs 50 bucks
The Safecraft 5010's have a 2" lap belt. While legal, ("3.F.2.a...All lap belts must be standard 2-inch or 3-inch width.") is that desirable?
https://www.safecraftracing.com/safecra … ness-5010/
The Safecraft 5010 is the $475 American version of the Schroth Enduro; lap adjusters at the buckle and buttery smooth adjusters with big sturdy loops so you can hook a gloved thumb through them and tighten them easily. It's still a hell of a lot more $ than our old G-force belts, but really worth it when you do a driver change.
The Safecraft 5010's have a 2" lap belt. While legal, ("3.F.2.a...All lap belts must be standard 2-inch or 3-inch width.") is that desirable?
https://www.safecraftracing.com/safecra … ness-5010/
rmcdaniels wrote:The Safecraft 5010 is the $475 American version of the Schroth Enduro; lap adjusters at the buckle and buttery smooth adjusters with big sturdy loops so you can hook a gloved thumb through them and tighten them easily. It's still a hell of a lot more $ than our old G-force belts, but really worth it when you do a driver change.
From what I recall reading once on the subject, yes. Something about the 2" fitting your hip/pelvic area better.
I have the Safecraft's and love them. I especially like the locking adjusters, they loosen very little if any during a stint.
*edit* here it is https://www.schrothracing.com/technology
gump wrote:The Safecraft 5010's have a 2" lap belt. While legal, ("3.F.2.a...All lap belts must be standard 2-inch or 3-inch width.") is that desirable?
https://www.safecraftracing.com/safecra … ness-5010/
rmcdaniels wrote:The Safecraft 5010 is the $475 American version of the Schroth Enduro; lap adjusters at the buckle and buttery smooth adjusters with big sturdy loops so you can hook a gloved thumb through them and tighten them easily. It's still a hell of a lot more $ than our old G-force belts, but really worth it when you do a driver change.
From what I recall reading once on the subject, yes. Something about the 2" fitting your hip/pelvic area better.
I have the Safecraft's and love them. I especially like the locking adjusters, they loosen very little if any during a stint.
*edit* here it is https://www.schrothracing.com/technology
Yea My research came to the same conclusion. I think 3 inch belts come from older materials or something. Or just matching the shoulder harness before HANS existed.
We run full 2" Crows with the nice shoulder strap adjusters. You can always get them exactly where you want them, especially when you're fat like me. 3" laps always end up half over my gut which isn't ideal compared to up against the pelvis. And 3" Crotch straps just suck overall.
Just ordered a set of belts from Crow. Sent them a picture of the Schroth Enduro's to copy. $220-nearly 1/3 the cost of the Schroth's and made in Kalifornia. Will report with more after they arrive.
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