93 replies to this topic

[Pete]

Here are some images of Ultrashield Full Containment Halo Seat and right side net.

http://carphotos.car...54_original.jpg
http://carphotos.car...53_original.jpg
http://carphotos.car...52_original.jpg

Respectfully,
Henry V

Henry,

Thanks for posting the pics. How is your seat mounted on the floor? Are you using a back brace (couldn't tell from the pics)? Judging from how far back the seat is you must be a pretty tall guy.

Pete

[autobahn sm]

Henry,

Thanks for posting the pics. How is your seat mounted on the floor? Are you using a back brace (couldn't tell from the pics)? Judging from how far back the seat is you must be a pretty tall guy.

Pete

Hey Pete,

I believe the seat is fastened to the floor via carriage bolts with very large washers. It does have a solid back brace to the roll cage and it is as far back as it can go. The seat is a long bottom with a 10 degree lay back. Belts are Schroth Profi II-6. I'm 6'2" and VERY comfortable in the car.

Cheers,
Henry V

[Danny Steyn]

Just returned after walking th PRI show in Orlando today. Spent time at all the seat manufacturers looking at their products. Aluminum seats by Kirkey, Butler, Ultrashield, etc. .... and Composite seats by RaceTech, OMP, Sparco etc.

And on the same day, a good friend went to Butlers top class factory today for a custom seat fitting for his Miata, and according to him the word is that its imperative to have shoulder containment to stop the rib and sternum fractures we are seeing in side impacts.

And what was MOST fascinating was that EVERY SINGLE ALUMINUM SEAT at the show featured FULL SHOULDER CONTAINMENT as well as FULL HALO, and yet I have seen so few of these at the track. Only a few of the composite seats featured shoulder containment, most featured full halo.

It seems like the natural evolution of safety, as we stop one thing from happening, we then become aware of something else we overlooked, and hopefully we are one day fully contained in nomex bubble wrap!!!!

[Bench Racer]

And on the same day, a good friend went to Butlers top class factory today for a custom seat fitting for his Miata, and according to him the word is that its imperative to have shoulder containment to stop the rib and sternum fractures we are seeing in side impacts.

The parts of our body used to contain us sideways are, our hips, ribs & shoulders with the weakest body member being the ribs. My very first seat was a Kirkey oval track with rib containment, only because I didn't know any better at the time. Ultra-Shield Pro road race (hip & shoulder) today with Defnder.

[Tom Hampton]

Ultrashield Road Race VS Halo, here. Hope I never find out how good it is.

[Keith Novak]

The parts of our body used to contain us sideways are, our hips, ribs & shoulders with the weakest body member being the ribs.

Worth noting...with a 6 point harness, your ass is the most secure place on your body. Everything else is a big lever arm wanting to pivot around your waist. Put the energy stopping your momentum into your shoulders and that's about twice the distance from your ass cheeks as your ribs are so half the force is required to contain that energy and that half the force goes into much stronger bones.

[Tom Hampton]

I try to keep my ass the most secure part... harness or not!

[trey]

Did anyone @ PRI have an add on head containment solution ?

I've got an Ultrashield Pro Road Race that I would love to upgrade without replacing the entire seat.

[RacerX]

Did anyone @ PRI have an add on head containment solution ?

I've got an Ultrashield Pro Road Race that I would love to upgrade without replacing the entire seat.

I have been thinking about the same thing and was recently looking. I found the following and a Kirkey version, but have only seen online. Would be interested if anyone can chime in if they have seen them in person and/or has installed, and what they think of them.

http://pitstopusa.co...-left-side.html

Rich

[Glenn]

Just returned after walking th PRI show in Orlando today. Spent time at all the seat manufacturers looking at their products. Aluminum seats by Kirkey, Butler, Ultrashield, etc. .... and Composite seats by RaceTech, OMP, Sparco etc.

And on the same day, a good friend went to Butlers top class factory today for a custom seat fitting for his Miata, and according to him the word is that its imperative to have shoulder containment to stop the rib and sternum fractures we are seeing in side impacts.

And what was MOST fascinating was that EVERY SINGLE ALUMINUM SEAT at the show featured FULL SHOULDER CONTAINMENT as well as FULL HALO, and yet I have seen so few of these at the track. Only a few of the composite seats featured shoulder containment, most featured full halo.

It seems like the natural evolution of safety, as we stop one thing from happening, we then become aware of something else we overlooked, and hopefully we are one day fully contained in nomex bubble wrap!!!!

KIRKEY full containment going int the new car this month!

[KentCarter]

As I'm building a couple of replacements for the venerable #91 (RIP), I'm in the seat market. Has anyone installed any of these in a Miata? Insights?

Leading options are:
Kirkey 45


LaJoie Diamond (non-custom)

The Racetech RT4119

Or the Racetech RT9100

[Danny Steyn]

I have the Racetech 4119 in my new car - love it, love it, love it. Getting it in was a mission, but well worth it. This seat is a snug fit. And with the rear mount is incredibly firm in the car. Zero upper torso movement possible with this seat.

Pictures of it here in my build thread - http://www.dannystey...iata-period.htm

[Bench Racer]

Kent, we tried a Kirkey of some model (similar to your picture) in Kenny's F production NA Miata that had a completed cage. Didn't fit. I'll ask him this weekend at the Sprints if he remembers the model number. A lot of the fit depends how close the seat must be to the main hoop. Also in a open prod car there are diagonals traveling from the main hoop to the forward hoop which makes room tight.

Options:

Another option could be to use a UltraShield Pro road race seat & fab you own Halo. Or copie someone's. We know a 16 inch fits a NA Spec Miata with a bit of body shop air hammer to the tunnel.

UltraShield also sells full containment road race seats & full containment oval track seats. I like to stay away from my ribs being a main supprot of my body to the seat.

[Tom Hampton]

I don't race, yet. But, I have the Ultrashield VS Road Race Halo seat. It fits quite easily. One nice thing about the U/S folks is they are here in Texas (Tyler). I bought both of my seats straight out of the showroom.

I didn't have to do much to fit it, just the usual tunnel notch. Certainly nothing unusual for anyone who has built a car before. Getting the shoulder wings away from the doorbars, and the halo away from the cage side is the trickiest part.

Though if I were doing it again, I'd buy the Drago tunnel notch deal, rather than the custom work I did.

[Bench Racer]

Though if I were doing it again, I'd buy the Drago tunnel notch deal, rather than the custom work I did.

I have the 16" UltraShield Pro road race seat (no Halo, use a Defnder which reduces lateral load by IIRC 85%) & used a body shop air hammer with mushroom head & it formed the tunnel very well.

[Tom Hampton]

I have the 16" UltraShield Pro road race seat (no Halo, use a Defnder which reduces lateral load by IIRC 85%) & used a body shop air hammer with mushroom head & it formed the tunnel very well.

I have a 16", too. I started with just a hammer, and the seat fit fine until I started to fit the cage. Once I put in the cage, I couldn't get the halo far enough from the cage side to allow my head to contact the left-halo before the cage. So, I went back and notched the tunnel.

[Bench Racer]

Jon Brakke has a modified Halo aluminum seat in his E production car. Would you like a picture of his modification? He'll be at the sprints this weekend. I'll ask before I shoot a picture.

[Michael Colangelo]

All of you guys advocating halo/full containment seats in cars with cramped cockpits like a Miata, ask yourself this:
"If I were to roll over my car such that the roof is now the floor (i.e., turn turtle) and the car was on fire, could I get out in time?"

Bear in mind that in our nose heavy cars, the car's points of contact with the ground will most likely be the front edge of the hood and the A-pillar and, as a result, kicking out the windshield is probably a non-option (especially if the front end of the car gets crushed down).

Be honest with yourself.

[Tom Hampton]

Without turning the car turtle, that's a tough question to answer. But, I've removed the driver's vent window (and driver's mirror) so that I can get out through the window with the door stuck. I've also removed all the little tabs and things that could hang on the race suit.

I can get out in this configuration rubber-side down in less than 10 seconds. I don't know how that would translate to wrecked, bruised, upside down, on fire, and hopped on adrenaline and fear.

On the other hand, how many wreck configurations involve on-fire, upside down...versus....various side and quartering impacts?

[dstevens]

All of you guys advocating halo/full containment seats in cars with cramped cockpits like a Miata, ask yourself this:
"If I were to roll over my car such that the roof is now the floor (i.e., turn turtle) and the car was on fire, could I get out in time?"

If you don't have a halo and your head contacts the pavement on the way over you aren't going to get out either or trigger your fire system. You may not even make it in time for the chopper to arrive. Given that anecdotally that more people have been injured in ways that could have been prevented by a containment halo as opposed to being severely burned, I'd opt for the piece of mind of the containment.