Race seats and harnesses yay or nay?

[chicagobimmerboy]

For my E92 I would like some Sparco Modena carbon fiber bucket seats upholstered in the same leather as the rest of the interior. In addition I am adding some 4-point harnesses as well. Think this is a good idea for a car that will spend about 2/3 of its life on the highway and 1/3 at the track?

or

[monsta]

if you want to do it go for it, but for me it would have to be the other way around 2/3 track and 1/3 for me to do it...otherwise they are great for posing but not to drive every every day, you'll be giving up some comfort for _______ (you fill it the blank with your main purpose for this mod)

[chicagobimmerboy]

Originally Posted by monsta

if you want to do it go for it, but for me it would have to be the other way around 2/3 track and 1/3 for me to do it...otherwise they are great for posing but not to drive every every day, you'll be giving up some comfort for _______ (you fill it the blank with your main purpose for this mod)

Well I have a similar set up in my GT and for the most part its fine for the daily commute. But on my trip from Chicago to St. Louis on the other hand... chronic pain in my lower back, and the harnesses dug into my shoulders. I dunno maybe your right. but again that is why I'm collecing opinions.

[consolidated]

Originally Posted by chicagobimmerboy

For my E92 I would like some Sparco Modena carbon fiber bucket seats upholstered in the same leather as the rest of the interior. In addition I am adding some 4-point harnesses as well. Think this is a good idea for a car that will spend about 2/3 of its life on the highway and 1/3 at the track?

or

Safety mods are smart and relatively cheap. Since your getting seats with cut-outs you might look into at least 5 point or better, 4 point harnesses are getting to be pretty rare, some clubs only allow 6 point harnesses if you run one.

My 6 point Schroth harnesses & HANS device are pretty comfortable and easy to get into. I have Profi II belts but would get one of their hybrid harnesses next time.

I'm curious about how to get a harness bar or alternate mounting location for a full harness in this car...
I love the control a harness provides, your torso is fixed so your not using your muscles to counteract forces or hold yourself in place. Now that I'm used to race buckets and harnesses, to drive on the track w/ 3 points and unbolstered stock seats feels unconfortable at 9/10th.

[consolidated]

Originally Posted by chicagobimmerboy

Well I have a similar set up in my GT and for the most part its fine for the daily commute. But on my trip from Chicago to St. Louis on the other hand... chronic pain in my lower back, and the harnesses dug into my shoulders. I dunno maybe your right. but again that is why I'm collecing opinions.

In my Cayman I left the stock belts in place and use those daily, the harness just tucks under the seat when not in use.

[montreal red]

Originally Posted by consolidated

In my Cayman I left the stock belts in place and use those daily, the harness just tucks under the seat when not in use.

thats a great idea... i've seen many people who run harnesses while leaving their stock seatbelts in place for daily use... even if you change your seat, you can still use the stock seatbelts.

[skierman64]

Question; if you're putting race seats in the car, why not put in alcantra seats or some type of material that is more comfortable and also has more grip than leather.

[lucid]

If you will track this car frequently, it might be worth it, but I guess it does come down to personal choice and how comfortable you are with driving around the streets with those seats. One nice thing with the M3 though compared to your Ford is that you can tune the suspension way down on the streets to make up for some of the lost comfort. Plus you could be shaving off around 150lbs.

[ersin]

A full 1/3 spent on the track is a lot. I'd say go for it. Leave the original belts in. I'm not exactly sure that using a race harness is legal in all states. The new seats will definitely save weight and are probably worth it just for that. Hope they are comfy when you're on the road.

If you decide to do this then you must post pictures of the installation or you will be banned from this forum.

[sayemthree]

I guess that means you track every weekend? I would look at what performance gain you are really getting. do you end up saving a lot of wieght? or not? also agree with the comment on Alcantara. also dont you loose the memory seats and disable the airbag functions if you do this?

also many people discourage four point harnesses without a roll bar. then you are back to stock wieght or more. I would say no unless its a dedicated track car, like 90% track. the m3 inflatable bolsters do a very good job for me.

[chinchillables]

Huh? I never knew a harness type could be illegal. I don't get it... people should be able to do whatever they want to their car. The harnesses and seat belts are for the driver, so if he wants to take more or less risk, that should be 100% their perogative.

[08M3]

i'm going to do it. Thats why I ordered cloth interior , also good for making the car lighter. I also track often.

If you do it please post step by step installation and pic's. My M should me here in 2 weeks - aboard the FAUST. After break in period I will be looking at suspension, seats and brake pads.

[VictorH]

If you pull out the stock seats aren't you going to lose the side air bag? Not the side curtain, the side air bag.

[consolidated]

Originally Posted by VictorH

If you pull out the stock seats aren't you going to lose the side air bag? Not the side curtain, the side air bag.

one of the drawbacks to be sure. You could opt for the BMW performance seats which include thorax bags, but at a rumored $5K set they'll be a costly choice compared to Recaro, OMP, Cobra...I'm not sure they're even carbon buckets.

You'd also need to get a helpful dealer turn off the thorax bag, and seat weight sensors or you'll get an airbag light. On my Cayman they also had to turn off the seatbelt sensor since it's not fastened when using a harness, some people just clip in a dummy but that's sorta shady.

I bet race buckets would save around 30# a side, or about 60# total, low hanging fruit.

I can drive around 300 miles straight in my GT3 Recaros, after that the bolsters start pinching my legs, the rest of the seat is surprisingly comfortable, race seats feel great, like a hug.

[skierman64]

I think you will lose all your airbags, side and front, because there would be no weight in sensor to determine how quickly the bag should deployed based on occupants weight.

For me the car would have to be an exclusive track car with the only street driving being to and from the track in order to change out the seats.

[msing]

Originally Posted by chinchillables

Huh? I never knew a harness type could be illegal. I don't get it... people should be able to do whatever they want to their car. The harnesses and seat belts are for the driver, so if he wants to take more or less risk, that should be 100% their perogative.

Excuse me? "People should be able to do whatever they want to their car"......"if he wants to take more or less risk"??

i hope you don't live near me.

[sayemthree]

Originally Posted by skierman64

I think you will lose all your airbags, side and front, because there would be no weight in sensor to determine how quickly the bag should deployed based on occupants weight.

For me the car would have to be an exclusive track car with the only street driving being to and from the track in order to change out the seats.

x2 ^


as far as illegal or not? its a matter of if the four point harnesses are DOT approved or not. but since one would only likely wear them at the track its not big deal - not like the harness police will get you. BUT the problem with the 4 PT. harness on is that if you dont have a roll bar and you roll over, then the likely result could be a broken neck and spinal injury. the three point belt allows you to lay down, the 4 pt does not.

[unique]

i wanted to get some recaro pole positions but i have no idea how i am going to hunt down all the mounting hardware

[R68]

are there any harnesses available for the e90/92 yet?

[bmwprince4life]

in my opinion no

[Battle]

Does anyone have any idea how much the stock seats weigh with all the bells and whistles removed? I'm thinking each seat with all the mechanics should weigh in about 100lbs? I could be wrong. If they are indeed 100lbs and Recaro pole positions weigh in about 15 lbs, that is indeed a nice weight savings, I will definitely do that mode. If by changing the seats only saves about 20 lbs than in my opinion its just not worth it....

[sayemthree]

Originally Posted by Arsenal

Does anyone have any idea how much the stock seats weigh with all the bells and whistles removed? I'm thinking each seat with all the mechanics should weigh in about 100lbs? I could be wrong. If they are indeed 100lbs and Recaro pole positions weigh in about 15 lbs, that is indeed a nice weight savings, I will definitely do that mode. If by changing the seats only saves about 20 lbs than in my opinion its just not worth it....

the stock seat is probably closer to 65 pounds. thats what I recall the e46 seat weighed.