2 Door + Harnesses + Usable Back Seat = Possible?

[JeepFreak21]

I'm looking for a way to have harnesses in the front of my Jeep while still making it possible use my back seat, specifically it would be my toddler sitting back there.

Have any of you seen anything outside of the box that may work? Even in a different make/model rig? Is there such thing as a suspension seat with the harness mount integrated? What about a harness bar that swings out of the way? Do you think it could be built secure enough to be safe? Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated!

Thanks!
Billy

 

[Boostwerks.com]

I would think a harness bar that hugs tight to the seats and ties in to both B pillars would be possible. No one makes seats (nor should) with integrated harness mounts due to a lack of strength during an impact, as well as the possibility of spinal compression.

 

[JeepFreak21]

I would think a harness bar that hugs tight to the seats and ties in to both B pillars would be possible. No one makes seats (nor should) with integrated harness mounts due to a lack of strength during an impact, as well as the possibility of spinal compression.

It's not just sitting in the back seat, but getting to the back seat that is challenged by the harness bar.

If there is no seat with a harness built in, that's fine, but I still don't see why it wouldnt be possible. Obviously major engineering design changes would be necessary, but think of it this way, in a perfect scenario, the seat, the harness, and the chassis all act as a single unit, if the seat itself was reinforced enough that we could eliminate the chassis and the seat and the harness could still function as a single unit, where does the problem come in? Obviously, the seat would still have to be secured to the chassis but the harness to seat connection could be independent of that.

Thanks for the input!
Billy

 

[GSequoia]

It's not just sitting in the back seat, but getting to the back seat that is challenged by the harness bar.

If there is no seat with a harness built in, that's fine, but I still don't see why it wouldnt be possible. Obviously major engineering design changes would be necessary, but think of it this way, in a perfect scenario, the seat, the harness, and the chassis all act as a single unit, if the seat itself was reinforced enough that we could eliminate the chassis and the seat and the harness could still function as a single unit, where does the problem come in? Obviously, the seat would still have to be secured to the chassis but the harness to seat connection could be independent of that.

Thanks for the input!
Billy

But the seat isn't braced to both sides of chassis like a harness bar generally is.

Perhaps put a sunroof in over the back seat and lower the kiddo in. :rof:

 

[JeepFreak21]

But the seat isn't braced to both sides of chassis like a harness bar generally is.

Perhaps put a sunroof in over the back seat and lower the kiddo in. :rof:

So, does a harness bar have to span all the way across? I know the stakes are high and all but the amount of force is pretty low, even in a violent roll over.
Thanks,
Billy

 

[POSJ]

I was trying to think of harness bars but accessible to the back seat...only think that seemed to work in my mind was either dual vertical bars to attach to or a y style with single drop down. Seems like it would be hard to make work.

 

[JeepFreak21]

What do you guys think of using something like this?

I would probably do a diagonal at the B pillar from the top of the driver's side to the bottom of the passenger's side and then have hinged/removable horizontal bars off of that.

Thanks for any input,
Billy

 

[JeepFreak21]

Here's a link instead of that lousy image: https://www.cachassisworks.com/c-165-side-bar-clevis-sets.aspx

(I can't edit my post from this tablet.)
Billy

 

[POSJ]

How do you think it would work being able to remove the bar but your harnesses are still going to be attached to them? Or am I missunderstanding?

 

[JeepFreak21]

How do you think it would work being able to remove the bar but your harnesses are still going to be attached to them? Or am I missunderstanding?

Whooops! Missed this post....

Anyway, I'm just thinking of pivoting the shoulder bar out of the way, not removing it all together. I would be moving one side a foot or two up or down.

And to answer your question... I'm not really sure how it would work out! :-/

Thanks,
Billy

 

[David_Bricker]

I also have a two door, would like to put in a harness (at least to eliminate the retracting stock belt), but still want to keep access to the back seat. It is a difficult problem, and I don't yet see any easy way out.

David Bricker / SYR

 

[GSequoia]

There is an easy way out David. Drop it off at G&G!

 

[David_Bricker]

There is an easy way out David. Drop it off at G&G!

But I'm not sure what I'd get back. It might be something with the roof cut off, so I could get into the back seat. Not quite what I had in mind.

David Bricker / SYR

 

[GSequoia]

Yeah but it would be easy (for you).

 

[SPECFab]

only issue i see is in case of an accident it would be a pian to get to your kid
any movement of the body and the cross bar would have to be cut out

 

[Action Fab]

Here is the problem; no matter what you do, the harnesses are going to be there. So even flipping the seat forward will keep you from "dropping-out" the shoulder harness bar.

I have designed something similar for my GC8 Subaru coupe in the past. But I never actually built it. The idea is to build a "seat cage" basically you would build a seat mount that came up the back of the seat and then latched in at the roof. At the front of the seat you would have a hinge. Then your belts would mount off that cage. To get into the back, you would pull two pins and flip the seat and cage forward as a unit. It would obviously have a solid latch like what is posted above. I was planning to use square tube with two tabs on either side and a clasped pin in each mount.



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

 

[CobraMarty]

Just a drivers harness? and let the kid get into the back via the passenger side. Attach the harness to the rear seat belt bolts under the seat and then when you are not using the harness, they can be stored under the back seat and have access again to the back seat from the drivers side.

 

[Action Fab]

You can't mount shoulder harnesses to the floor. they will compress your spine in a wreck.

 

[Phil]

Billy, did you ever figure out what you wanted to do?

I know at least some of the quad cab Dodge trucks with the suicide doors had the seat belts mounted to the seats, and they obviously met the DOT requirements of the time, so obviously there is a way to mount the harnesses without a bar spanning across.

I don't know about tilting the seat forward for access like Action Fab's sketch, because of the roof or the windshield. That would be something to check out.

You may be able to make some heavy duty sliders, and slide the seat and harness forward for access. That would probably work with the lap belt mounted to the cage or the seat slider assembly. The assembly would probably be better. The sub belt would have to mount to the slider assembly.

 

[GSequoia]

WTF you're way over complicating this.

You have a cage, right?

Just cut a hole in the roof and load the kids through it, they'll think it's fun.