Competition Seat What is the best?

[professor]

There is so much choice for a good seat But what to Buy??

A seat that doesn't take up to much room
supportive
can handle 4-5 points for harnes
well built with good mounting options
and comfy

what your opinion? and pics if you have them?

Chad

[redzook]

imo i wouldnt use anything other then a suspension seat

[80lsy gq]

imo i wouldnt use anything other then a suspension seat

x2

PRP or a Beard suspension seat

[chunderlicious]

not in a fourby, but the best seat ive ever used is a bride brix2 seat. designed for track racing so it holds VERY well its also very comfortable over a few hours.

was fun getting in and out in an RX7 but should be fine in something with a decent roof height and door opening. they are quite narrow compared to most other seats and lighter too, they are reclinable and work well with a harness or a seatbelt.....

they cost $1200 each

[v840]

What do the PRP's go for?

[atari4x4]

MOMO T-Frame, it's about 10 years old now, FIA approved, 4 point harness.

They are a bitch to get in & out of but once in they are comfy & I could sleep in them or drive for days......

[suzukiboy]

I brought a OPM big for my Vitara, but the wings stick out side the window...
Sits in the bedroom on display now........

[zookimal]

imo i wouldnt use anything other then a suspension seat

x2

PRP or a Beard suspension seat

x3

Have used plenty of different race seats, all good quality, and while they're bearable in stiffly sprung cars on tarmac, I don't think I'd want to use any of the ones I've used launching over rocks etc.

None of them have been marketed or built as 'offroad' seats though, but I think a suspension seat would be the way to go in a comp vehicle if the option was there.

[Gwagensteve]

The key factor here is what sort of competition.

If it's a race or rockcrawling buggy, i'd tend to agree that a suspension seat is the go. they are pretty bulky though and needed to be mounted with plenty of free space under them to allow the webbing to stretch and prevent spine compression injury.

If it's more of a winchy/outbacky type of thing, then a rally type seat would be a good idea due to the lateral support, light weight, and shoulder support.

I run a Recaro SP-G in my road car, and Sparco Sprints in my sierra. I do occaisionally get bruised around my ribs from the side bolsters with the Sparcos, but that's mostly due to no being in a harness and moving about too much in the seat.

My next build will have Kirkey's in it though, mostly because I think they look cool.

[professor]

I have looked at the suspension seats and they look bulky and most of the rally seats look good but offer no spinal insurance.

The rig will be an allrounder crawl to high speed with little room in the cab. door bars low seat position and back as far as possable. with no head restriction(big wings shit me in a 4by) Like usual I want the best I can get in there with no limitations.

Is there any suppliers in Shitney that has all these seats on display to sit and try?

Chad

[HIGH ROLLER]

I have looked at the suspension seats and they look bulky and most of the rally seats look good but offer no spinal insurance.

The rig will be an allrounder crawl to high speed with little room in the cab. door bars low seat position and back as far as possable. with no head restriction(big wings shit me in a 4by) Like usual I want the best I can get in there with no limitations.

Is there any suppliers in Shitney that has all these seats on display to sit and try?

Chad

Hunterivamaster sells them he is near hornsby i think dont know if he has them on display though, look it up on google not sure if ive spelt it correctly though.
I wouldnt go past a Beard or prp seat, i ran a firberglass moulded type in my crawler to start with had a sore back every time i got out of it unless i sat in it in the garage. Now i have a beard and it is awesome
Dont limit the space make sure a good seat fits and work around it imo

[v840]

Pretty sure OPW sells PRP seats, he may have one you could test sit.

[Gwagensteve]

I'll still come back to seats are designed to di different jobs and you need to know what you want the seat to do.

Suspension seats aren't designed to be effective with high lateral loads and fine steering control- they're all about landing jumps, so it's all about spinal compression and lots of padding.

Bear in mind too that there's a bit of parochialism involved too - American racers seem to prefer American styles, and they have come out of the Baja/Sand culture so they're more reclined and provide less shoulder support, whereas the european focus has been more on rally/road racing and therefore it's more about fine driver control so the seats are less deeply padded and more focussed on support.

I don't really know what "spinal insurance" means. There isn't a form of motorsport that can't see a big vertical hit. Bear in mind that the yanks seem to compensate for lots of seat compression with 3" 5 point harnesses. I'd be worried about spine damage in a suspension seat due to the recline and sponginess causing my back to move in unnatural ways, as opposed to a shell seat causing compression.

Paris-Dakar and WRC use shell, shoulder support seats - they're doing some pretty big hits- on 3/4" of foam like my SP-G.

Just my 2C. I like baja style suspension seats but don't have a car big enough to run them.

As an aside, Sparco "sprint" fit in small cars and have a webbing suspension base and steel back and sides. Maybe the best of both worlds.

Steve.

[brooksy]

I would look at CORBEAU seats as they are of the same quality as PRP & Beard but at a much better price. They have a lot of options including all accessories & more.
Much better IMO. http://www.corbeau.com/

I am a bit far away for you to test mine but just google a supplier in your area or do as I did & got direct. I basically got 2 seats for the price of 1 Beard seat here in OZ.


brooksy

[bazooked]

dont skimp on a seat you get what you pay for , especially when it comes to your back, ovekill have a couple of my beard seats there if ya wanna have a sit in them.

[bulldogy]

Brooksy where did you get yours from i am looking for the corbeau baga rs reclining suspension seat. Can't find anyone selling them in WA

Dave

[locktup4x4]

Have a look at MasterCraft. Its a very nice seat http://www.mastercraftseats.com/home.php

Jason

[brooksy]

Brooksy where did you get yours from i am looking for the corbeau baga rs reclining suspension seat. Can't find anyone selling them in WA

Dave

I got mine directly from the States.

When I got mine I had them sent back with a friends shipment about 1 1/2 yrs ago.
Maybe get them sent over from somewhere on the east coast. They weigh nothing so shouldn't be much.
I was lucky as the $OZ was pretty good & I got delivered to my door 2 BAJA suspension seats & a 42" rear bench for under $900.
I personally would try direct from US, send them an e-mail & at least then you can compare price.



brooksy

[Zook_Fan]

As an aside, Sparco "sprint" fit in small cars and have a webbing suspension base and steel back and sides. Maybe the best of both worlds.

Steve.

Any other seats that are small but reclinable?

[cooki_monsta]

i find a milk crate works best for me offers a nice weave of support and gives lots of options for side movment and has excellent lumbar support, reclines aswell theres nothing better.

For the swifty wheeler, these seats can be picked up for the big $$$ price of 0 from any local supermarket after dusk

[Gwagensteve]

Any other seats that are small but reclinable?

Bride might be the smallest recliners. Most get bulky.

I don't like reclining seats. The mechanisms are expensive, so a $500 recliner will be a much lower quality seat than a $500 fixed seat. Lots of cheaper seats have terrible mechanisms that creep, rattle, or flex.

Have a look at Sparco, but expect to pay $800+each.

Steve.

[Zook_Fan]

But fixed seats are not as good for a daily are they? Like a fixed bucket will hold you better but getting in and out and using them on a daily basis would eventually get anoying wouldnt it? Are fixed buckets more comfortable? I suppose it doesnt matter too much considering you cant lay the seats back anyway with the cage there...

[Gwagensteve]

I've put 150,000kms on my SP-G - It's been in two cars.

Yes, a fixed seat is harder to get into and out of, but I find them more comfortable once you are in them. I generally spent three hours a day in my daily.

We'll put another SP-G in the passenger side of the STi this year.

In relation to recline - 1.3 Sierra's have far too much recline to achieve a correct driving position with standard seats. Nearly all fixed back seats are quite upright.

Steve.

[Zook_Fan]

and is the upright position suitable for a 1.3 sierra?

oh and sorry bout the hijack

[atari4x4]

As an aside, Sparco "sprint" fit in small cars and have a webbing suspension base and steel back and sides. Maybe the best of both worlds.

Steve.

My MOMO's are the same set up as these & they are quite comfortable & I paid $1k for the pair 10+ years ago....

When looking at seats I when to Autosport & Revolution Racegear in Adelaide & sat in every seat they had until I found one that fit me the best, I now have a fair bit more padding on me they now fit like a glove

[Gwagensteve]

*hijack on* although this is a bit relevant to seat choice.

IMHO yes - I have very short arms and legs so I also use a steering wheel with more dish to bring the wheel closer to me.

Here's my driving position:





My back's a few inches off the seat in that photo, but you get the idea.

I can't drive a 1.3 sierra properly even once the seat base is in the right spot - I can't keep my shoulders on the seat with my arms at the top of the wheel.

As an example, if I used a PRP/Mastercraft seat in a sierra with a stock column, there's no way I could ever get close enough to the wheel to drive the car effectively.

There is some preference involved in this though, but not much. Fully depress the clutch with your leg still slightly bent, your shoulders pressed against the seat, and out your arms straight out towards the top of the wheel. The top of the steering wheel should fall between the crease between your wrist and hand and no more than 1/2 way up your palm.

That allows about 2.5" of backrest recline adjustment (or steering column reach adjustment) to be in the "correct" driving position. Generally, you'll have the backrest surprisingly upright to achieve this position, something not possible in a sierra, which must have been designed for orangutans to drive.

In any case that's part of why I don't really reckon recline is much of a feature - but I'm crazy about column reach adjustment.

The key relationship is between the pedals and the steering wheel. That will set the recline, assuming your arms and legs are in proportion.

Cars designed for the very reclined seats ( corvettes spring to mind, along with lots of 70's supercars, drag cars and open wheelers) will place the pedals deep into the car and high, and the wheel much closer to the driver relative to the pedals than is the case with "regular" cars.

As you can see, I take driving position quite seriously. Get it right and you're a better, more alert and quicker driver. Most people sit far too far back and too reclined, apparently that's associated with confidence and masculinity as for some reason it's associated with racing and speed. Of course, it's not. Race drivers generally adhere to the same rules above, and if not, they sit much much closer to the wheel than even the recommendations above, but they are full harnesses and helmets so they are less likely to strike the wheel/car in a crash.

Steve.

Hijack off, Sorry Professor.

[atari4x4]

X 2 what steve said about position, mine's on a slide & when driving I'm sitting close to the wheel, 2 "clicks" from max forward & to get out I need to slide it ALL the way back.