Recaro speed

[Kman]

my recaro speed has the recliner knob on both sides, however only the one on the right side works. is the one of the left for something else? i never noticed until someone recently pointed it out to me.

[CincinnatiKid]

my recaro speed has the recliner knob on both sides, however only the one on the right side works. is the one of the left for something else? i never noticed until someone recently pointed it out to me.

I have no answer to your question, but how are these seats? I've been thinking about picking up one.

[Kman]

i love the seat, it really holds my in, if you have a local shop around that sells them i recommend going in and testing seats before you buy to make sure you fit in them. i am not running harnesses yet.

[CincinnatiKid]

i love the seat, it really holds my in, if you have a local shop around that sells them i recommend going in and testing seats before you buy to make sure you fit in them. i am not running harnesses yet.

Here you go with a little research i found this

"For those of you with 2-door cars, you'll be relieved to know that this seat has a release on both sides for convenience. You can tilt the seat forward from either side. It features a recline adjuster knob on both sides."

[Psyops]

Just another added question, what do you think about the Speed as a seat choice with respect to the safety of using it with harnesses and a roll bar?

[1990m3]

Just another added question, what do you think about the Speed as a seat choice with respect to the safety of using it with harnesses and a roll bar?

if you have a rollbar you should have a seat with a fixed back. Safety 1st!!

[IsItElectric?]

if you have a rollbar you should have a seat with a fixed back. Safety 1st!!

Please explain why this is safer? I'm not being a PITA, I am seriously wondering what the rationale is.

I have read that if you have a fixed-back seat, you cannot wear 3 point harnesses. Therefore you would have to run 5-6 point harnesses on the street. That would be fine and all, EXCEPT that if you get into an accident, you potentially wouldn't be wearing a helmet if you're driving on the street (to the track let's say....). And I'm pretty confident that 5-point harnesses + cage or rollbar + no helmet + accident = bad.

Now I AM firm believer that you should never ever NOT be wearing a helmet and have a FULL cage.

In any case, I am not the expert, but have read quite a lot. I'm interested to hear some facts that support some of these issues standpoints.

I am also going about building a car that I want to be safe for track days, yet still safe on the street. I also HATE 3-point harnesses at autox's or track days. So, I've been looking into:

1) Autopower 4-point rollbar (NOTE: not cage...nothing in front of the b-pillar)
2) non-fixed back seats so I can still use 3-point harnesses, but have a provision for 5-point harnesses to be worn ONLY with a helmet on a racetrack or autox course
3) 5-point harnesses. Again, only to be worn during events.

Thoughts?

[Hallen]

If you decide to not go for the roll bar, then the Schroth Rallye harness system could be a good option for you. It is a 4-point system with anti-submarine technology and is DOT certified. It is also OK to use if you are trying to meet PCA track rules that the introduced in Portland last year. (as long as your specific car model is identified on the tag of the harness)

If you get a roll bar, you could still use your stock seat belt for driving on the street. However, I don't know what the safety implications are there, but as long as you can strap yourself in firmly and you have clearance from the bars, then I would think it would be fine.

There are a lot of myths out there about what is and is not safe with respect to seats, harnesses and roll bars/cages. It is hard to know for sure what the best path is sometimes. Check with the real experts for good answers, people like Schroth, Recaro, etc. I suspect a non-fixed back seat is considered dangerous with a roll bar is that you could recline the seat placing your head too close to the main bar. But that is just a guess.

[IsItElectric?]

If you decide to not go for the roll bar, then the Schroth Rallye harness system could be a good option for you. It is a 4-point system with anti-submarine technology and is DOT certified. It is also OK to use if you are trying to meet PCA track rules that the introduced in Portland last year. (as long as your specific car model is identified on the tag of the harness)

If you get a roll bar, you could still use your stock seat belt for driving on the street. However, I don't know what the safety implications are there, but as long as you can strap yourself in firmly and you have clearance from the bars, then I would think it would be fine.

There are a lot of myths out there about what is and is not safe with respect to seats, harnesses and roll bars/cages. It is hard to know for sure what the best path is sometimes. Check with the real experts for good answers, people like Schroth, Recaro, etc. I suspect a non-fixed back seat is considered dangerous with a roll bar is that you could recline the seat placing your head too close to the main bar. But that is just a guess.

I agree, the Schroth 4-pt ASM's are nice. I have a set on my car right now, and I have used them for autocrossing. However, I want to get more involved with track days, instructing (hopefully), and time trials. So I want something more substantial above my head and I think a roll bar will fit the bill. I've seen first hand what can happen even at track days, and it is fairly severe. I want to make sure I get home to my family after each weekend...

You're right about consulting the experts. I'll probably call HMS Motorsport, OG Racing, CDOC or similar.

[rwh11385]

I suspect a non-fixed back seat is considered dangerous with a roll bar is that you could recline the seat placing your head too close to the main bar.

Common belief is that you should have fixed seats with a roll bar... unless you have a backseat brace for a reclinable. It prevents what your non-fixed wants to do (break and have you fall back) in the event of a crash which would be bad news if you had the bar.

[Brew]

You can use the factory 3-points with fixed back seats. I have mine hooked up to quick release 2" latches and looped through the harness holes. Porsche does this on their cars with fixed seats.

[Hallen]

Common belief is that you should have fixed seats with a roll bar... unless you have a backseat brace for a reclinable. It prevents what your non-fixed wants to do (break and have you fall back) in the event of a crash which would be bad news if you had the bar.

Yes, I know. But that is, in my opinion, one of the myths. Fixed Seat + Roll Bar = Better protection. There is no doubt. But fixed seat with no roll protection is not inherently more dangerous than non-fixed back seats with no roll protection.

Didn't we have this discussion a few months back? :D

[rwh11385]

I don't know. It all blends together when you get to a certain point.

[IsItElectric?]

You can use the factory 3-points with fixed back seats. I have mine hooked up to quick release 2" latches and looped through the harness holes. Porsche does this on their cars with fixed seats.

Good point there...Porsche does use fixed back seats on 'street' cars. Interesting. Well check this out:

http://www.hmsmotorsport.com/docs/How_To_Choose_A_Seat.pdf

Page 3 definitely mentions no fixed back seat with 3-pointers or w/o roll bar.

Interesting.