ARM RESTRAINTS--BEST WAY TO DO IT?

[dusterdave173]

I have a Sparco -15 one piece suit--I like it--it has d rings on the arms and was supplied with a nylon teather in the d rings and just a loop on the end--I have Impact belts with one pull up on rh side and fixed on left 
My question is--how is best way to use those restraints? It has been sort of a hassle so I had not been using them and I know..that is sorta dumb--it is just when you are in there getting all buckled in --with a full face helmet on you can't "look down" at what the heck you are doing and it seems like working those loops over all the other stuff at the latch is a PIA
Help me out guys--what do I do?

[BK]

Thats one of the reasons I use cam lock belts. My tethers have D rings on them and just feed the belt end through the ring and plug it in. I don't need to see it.

[AWAG]

My straps are just like these ones.
http://www.jegs.com/i/G-FORCE/471/4087ADUBK/10002/-1
I hook the loops in with the lap belts them put my helmet on. Them pull the straps tight and hook the arm strap to the loop on the jacket.

[rooman]

I have D rings on the sleeves of my suit with the arm restraints on them all of the time. I usually have a crew guy hook everything up because once the HANS tethers are attached I can't see down to do the belts. I also wear the arm restraints fairly short with just enough slack that I can get to the belt latch (and the fuel shut off, brake handle etc). I put the helmet on before I get in the car so that the built in head sock can be tucked under the suit before I zip the jacket up.
  If you can't hook the arm restraints to the lap portion of the belt why not put them on the shoulder strap tangs? We did that in the fuel car because the leg straps of the 7 point harness were on the lap belt tangs.

Roo

[masracingtd1167]

Dave another way you could try is to get in the car with your helmet off . Once you are in the car you should be able to see your belt latch and arm restraints . I hook everything up loose and then my head sock and helmet . The only thing I can not do my self is attach my tethers . The last thing I do is pull all of my belts as tight as I can .   

[dreracecar]

You should never buckle oneself in the car as you can only get the belts 70% as tight as someone out side the car and making sure everything is in place. At Bonniville, the last guy you see before your run will get in there and asked you " Can you breath?" If you answer YES then he grabs a handful of belt and really gives them a yank.  It's really reckless on your part not having another person load you in

[rooman]

I totally agree with Bruce here. From when I first get strapped in (with the initial pull on the belts) up to the point where we are about to start the car I have the crew guy pull the belts tighter several times. Each time it pulls me deeper into the car and it will increase the clearance over my helmet by about an inch in that time as it compresses me. The S/C, Top Dragster etc bozos who have the cars built extra wide and leave the shoulder belts loose so that they can look around on the top end are idiots and one of them suffered the consequences at Brainerd.
  This is the photo sequence by Mark Rebilas and the NHRA video of the crash:
                                     
http://markjrebilas.com/blog/top-dragsters-take-twin-tumbles-at-nhra-brainerd/

You can see how much he moved around in the cockpit and the result was some pretty severe injuries. If you check the photos of the car right at the finish line cones you can also see that the crash was the result of him getting hard on the brakes and locking the rear wheels up and that it had nothing to do with what happened in the other lane--double bozo points for this guy.

Roo
                                             

[ricardo1967]

I totally agree with Bruce here. From when I first get strapped in (with the initial pull on the belts) up to the point where we are about to start the car I have the crew guy pull the belts tighter several times. Each time it pulls me deeper into the car and it will increase the clearance over my helmet by about an inch in that time as it compresses me. The S/C, Top Dragster etc bozos who have the cars built extra wide and leave the shoulder belts loose so that they can look around on the top end are idiots and one of them suffered the consequences at Brainerd.
  This is the photo sequence by Mark Rebilas and the NHRA video of the crash:
                                     
http://markjrebilas.com/blog/top-dragsters-take-twin-tumbles-at-nhra-brainerd/

You can see how much he moved around in the cockpit and the result was some pretty severe injuries. If you check the photos of the car right at the finish line cones you can also see that the crash was the result of him getting hard on the brakes and locking the rear wheels up and that it had nothing to do with what happened in the other lane--double bozo points for this guy.

Roo
                                             

Wow, that's a bad deal there... Not to sidetrack the discussion, but wouldn't you think that a wide front axle (like a classic FED) could provide better control in such situation?

PS.: Kudos to photographer extraordinaire Mark Rebilas!

[GlennLever]