Bahnzii

Any recommendations on which one to get?

The BK is 75% more than the sharkbar is it worth it?

I can see the BK has more bracing and individual strap supports but that's it, as far as I can tell.

In terms of priority for me, functionality is #1 , ease of install/removal is #2, looks #3 and price.

Thanks

Tom03Z06

Hardbar

http://hardbarusa.com/hardbar/produc...products_id=39

Bahnzii

Thanks...

I did look at the hardbar but I like the strap retainers that are built into the other 2 units - - I am sure the quality is equally as good as the others, I'm just not into the locking collar thing

Wicked Weasel

I have had the hardbar for 2 years without the belts slipping or moving. Based on that I am not sure if retainers are needed or not. I also have kirkey seats and use HANS so those might contribute to keeping the belts aligned.

I did switch from the BK to the hardbar. IMHO The BK took up too much of the storage space in the coupe and I could never really figure out what the BK legs do besides provide additional complication to the install.

I believe the hardbar is also lighter than the BK which is always nice.

I can't comment on the shark since I never used one.

z060ntrack

I went with the sharkbar on my C6, soley on the basis of, I believe the cross bar is the correct attacment height for belt mounting. The Hardbar is to high (in the C6), the BK is the easiest to install.

FasterIsBetter

I have the BK in my C5 Z06, and it fits well, is very sturdy, and does what it's supposed to do. The Hardbar looks like a good piece, but I didn't know about it when I bought the BK a few years back. Not familiar with the Sharkbar. But price is not the issue. It's safety, and when I bought the BK, I was confident it would do the job. Same for the Hardbar.

burners

Sharkbar because Dan (he builds them) is a great guy and a forum member. I have one in my C3 and it is a great piece.

thehammer69

Well, if you plan on doing any autocrossing in the Stock Classes. Apparently "gusseted" style harness bars are not legal. So in this situation, I would definitely recommend the bar from Hardbar USA.

Zenak

bk system is easy to install and give you quick 6pt capability.

Solofast

No, the Hardbar is not mounted too high....

You want the harness bar to be mounted ABOVE your shoulders by a good amount. Mounting the harness at or below your shoulders can put high compression loads into your spine should you hit something (which is why you really have a harness in there in the first place). I've seen a lot of harness bars that are dangerous in they are mounted too low relative to the drivers shoulders. The higher bar will also accommodate a HANS system better for the same reason.

While the Shark Bar is a nice piece, I would have a concern as to the mounting relative to the shoulders. It is mounted at least a couple of inches below the stock mounting height, and that is not a good thing. It depends on your torso height and how it fits you, the Shark Bar may or may not be a good decision, but in no case are the Hardbar or the BK bars too high...

Also note that if you mount the bar higher, there is less of a need for a lateral restraint on the bar for the belts, since the seat doesn’t try to spread the belts (assuming you are using a stock seat) and less of chance that you could pop out of the harness.

JMHO…

Drug Delivery

Hans recommends the harness to be mounted 1" to 2" below horizontal. In this case the Hardbar is way too high, unless someone is extremely short and has the seat mounted very high. I'm about 5'11" and it is impossible to have the Hardbar at horizontal. I'm not sure I can effectively wear a Hans devise with the harness mounted above my shoulders.

longdaddy

hans and simpson recommend slight downward angle for the shoulder belts. I saw a quote from BMW club mentioning spine compression issue and requiring slight upward angle to pass their tech
i have not seen anyone mention "above your shoulders by a good amount" before - what is your source for this?

i would go with recommendations of companies involved in professional racing over amature clubs putting on an occasional HPDA or a random opininion on an internet forum.

Solofast

I stand corrected on mounting if you are using a HANS device. You should use the recommendations of the manufacturer of whatever you are using.

As to mounting above the shoulders for folks not using a HANS system, that came from research that was done as far back as the early 70's. I had some SAE papers on harness mounting from cadaver research when we did a vehicle design competition and the recommended mounting from that research was well above the shoulder. They cited the potential to create high compression loads in the spine if the mounting is below the shoulder. It actually recommended the type of harness from the old Shelby GT500, that was an inverted Y harness where the attachment for both shoulder straps was behind the drivers head, so that you restrained the shoulders closer to the neck, not on the edges of the shoulders.

.

z060ntrack

Compression has little or nothing to do with the belts and a lot to do with the seat.

rudyarias

I survived a accident where the Semi Tractor ran over my Z16 on I-65 in Nashville. If it was not for the hardbar preventing the rear pillar from collapsing. The tractor's tires would have breached the cockpit and ultimately crushed me. That in itself showed how the hardbar added to the structural strength of my C5's chassis. The body shop did not show any frame variance in its measurements of that area when determining the damage.

Tom03Z06

Hardbar in action