Question Regarding The Use Of Seat Sliders In A Race Car - Have They Ever Failed?

mikecolangelo

mikecolangelo

Well-known member
There's a somewhat contentious thread on another forum regarding the new SCCA rule requiring the use of a seat back brace for any seat (even the FIA ones) that's mounted on sliders. A lot of people are questioning if this makes any sense if the seat is mounted on "racing-grade" sliders such as the beefy, dual locking Sparco unit. We're not talking about the flimsy OEM passenger car sliders.

My question to this forum, and especially to the safety folks, is this:
Have you ever seen or heard of a racing grade seat slider failing in a crash or allowing enough movement such that a driver was injured?

On the other forum, there's a lot of conjecture but little in the way of hard facts. I'm interested in any real-world data that you folks may have.

Thanks!
 
So... What's 'racing grade'? Trilunium, or something?

Certainly there must be some justification for writing rules like that. I doubt it came to them in a dream, but you do have to wonder.

There are a lot of things that I've not seen or heard, and the failing, specifically, of seat sliders doesn't ring a bell. I'll watch out for it though. ;-)
 
A seat back brace required on an FIA seat with Sparco sliders???!!

That deserves a
b0a1623a3b0453a6217123a.jpg



The sparco slider is beefy as is the recaro (I've used both) and between those, the mounting points of the lower belts and the upper belts holding the driver I just don't see it being an issue.

What forum is this on? I like to see the arguments suggesting the "need" for this.
 
I have not heard of any reports of slider failer in racing there just not used that often. Infact The Workers Reveng Chumpcar is running sliders. So Russ Newhouse who is around 6ft2in and myself who is 4ft6in can drive. We attached a set of street sliders to our racing seat. With a adjustable support mount for the back. We feal confident in it.

Adam
 
Last edited:
I just read that whole thread and, well, that's mental. Sure, some pro-level cars use seat inserts, but I would say there are many more production-based cars in various pro endurance series around the world that are using the same seat sliders we use. The example in that thread of the Rolex GT Porsches at Daytona being just one example.
 
Let me see...... I'm strapped in with a 6 point harness and am sitting in a race approved seat. There is impact and the roles a few times and another impact occurs....the track somehow dislodges out from a sliding track system. I'm still strapped in with a 6 point harness...where does the seat go? Does it stay within the strapped unit? Does it become airborne and fly out of the car. Is it a magic seat? Did it come from the same race shop that sells magic carpets?

I have used seat tracks from oem, race prepared and home made in several different types of race cars and not one of those failed.

my .02
 
Steve Adams said:
I just read that whole thread and, well, that's mental. Sure, some pro-level cars use seat inserts, but I would say there are many more production-based cars in various pro endurance series around the world that are using the same seat sliders we use. The example in that thread of the Rolex GT Porsches at Daytona being just one example.
Click to expand...

+1 Steve
 
Mike, I recall a fatality at a Porsche Club event at Lime Rock where a seat track failed in a rear impact with no rear brace. I think it was the incident that precipitated rear braces in that sanctioning body
 
JimEli said:
Mike, I recall a fatality at a Porsche Club event at Lime Rock where a seat track failed in a rear impact with no rear brace. I think it was the incident that precipitated rear braces in that sanctioning body
Click to expand...

Thanks Jim. That's a good data point. I wasn't aware of that.
 
And if I member correctly, the driver only had a 4 point harness so that allowed 'wiggle'room for the seat. As GTM said, 5 point or more on the harness, what 'wiggle' room is left?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top