I did some experimenting with mounting 4-point restraints and this is what I learned:
The type I chose uses a push-button latch. This is a matter of personal preference. I've used racing latches in the past and I was always the last guy in a group to leave due to fumbling with the links/latch.
Mounting the harnesses was straightforward but there are some options to consider. I chose to use bolt-ends on the lapbelt ends and mounted them in the stock location. The shoulder harness ends can be attached several different ways. I experimented with 2 options, trying 2 different part number harnesses.
To mount the lapbelt you first need to access the head of the mounting bolt hidden behind the plastic at the rear of the black rocker panel cover. Remove at least the 3 push-rivets (using the pliers in the "official toolkit"!) where the black plastic attaches to the red (and thru to one metal bracket behind). Also pry out the 1 barbed pin on the front edge at the top. You should now be able to pull the plastic open enough to see and get a ratchet in there to remove the nut. The head of the bolt is round and seems to be welded or staked to the retractor so don't worry about trying to hold on to it. Remove the 2 other belt & latch attachments. You will reuse the 2 bolts and locknuts, along with some of your own flat washers to attach the new lapbelt.
Things get interesting when mounting the ends of the shoulder harness. I’ll 1st discuss the options that I didn’t prefer, and end with what I liked best. Your Mileage May Vary. [
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One type belt comes with 2 ends that can either attach via bolts (to someplace on the chassis) or can wrap around the rollbar. I mounted that belt first on the driver’s side. I thought the ends would slide around on the bar but in use they stay put. You could always put a piece of carpet tape under the wrap to keep it in place. Next I tried the type harness where the shoulder belts are sewn together in a “Y” that goes behind the seat and attaches by bolt or wrap at 1 point. The stitching makes it impractical to attach the strap right to the rollbar behind the seat. One option would be to take this “tail” and pass it under the rollbar (behind the seat) and up to the upper rollbar & wrap it. This would give you the needed adjustability. I opted to use the supplied bolt-in bracket so the end would be hidden behind the seat. There is a slot in the plastic centered behind the seat that looks to be intended for this type of harness strap. I didn’t care to work in the narrow spaces near the engine, adjustments would be very difficult, and didn’t want the belt near the heat so I instead bolted it to the front side. Get a longer bolt & use 3 or 4 washers to space the attachment away from the recessed crossmember.
Pass the free end of the single strap thru the sliding adjustment buckle and slide it all the way to the stitching. Loop the free end around the bar & back thru the buckle and pull it tight. This places the adjustment buckles on the shoulder harness high on my chest. For a skinny person or a child the adjusters would hang lower but still leave enough adjustment. On a very large rider the adjusters would sit nearer the shoulders so the attachment strap could be let out some to keep these adjusters from pinching.
I simply knotted the excess rather than cut it off.
Here’s a picture with each type harness installed. I had my wife come out and try each on and give me her unbiased opinion of whether one is better in any way than the other. She very slightly preferred the Y harness because she felt the chest straps were a little closer together and a little more comfortable. I preferred that one, too. The rollbar wraps are a little easier to mount but I don’t want to see the buckles, deal with paint wear, or deal with any sliding. Again, YMMV.
Here’s a shot of the bag with the part number for the Y harness. It’s
made (not marketed or imported) by RJS Racing Equipment and sold thru many distributors. I used Wesco Performance. Cost was $44 each. Search their site for "50521". The suffixes tell them what ends to use (bolt-on) and adjusters (pull-down). There are LOTS of other belt options to look at there.
Off Road Seat Belts
If I were to do it again I would try the Crow harnesses. I have them in my Ridge Runner and I like the all-steel aircraft-type latch way better than the pushbutton type and the Crow harness use webbing that's a little bit softer than the RJS. The stiffer webbing seems to "take a set" in the adjusters and it's a little hard to get em moving. The Crow harnesses are also in the $50 range for 2" 4-point versions and they are just fine for trail riding.
Top one on this page - Part No. 11554 (black):
http://www.parts123.com/parts123/yb....g~cadeikca~001
If you want to bolt the shoulder harness end down (rather than wrap it around the rollbar), you'll need to call them to get an extra bolt lug end.
The tail on the Y harness might be too long to wrap onthe rollbar right behind the seat. If that's the case either bolt it down or pass the webbing under the lower bar & up to the upper bar & attach it there.
Couple more notes:
These harnesses can be bought with sewn-on shoulder pads. After a long day on rough trails I decided the pads are a good idea so I bought some ordinary slip-on pads from Walmart. These have worked great for me.
I haven't had any problems with the lap belt riding up or the shoulder harnesses spreading so don't see the need for crotch straps or sternum straps. Again, YMMV
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