I have a 2005 F250 crew. As we all know, the rear back seat doesnt have shoulder straps. Has anyone had a 3 or 4 point racing harness installed for the middle back seat for added protection. If so where can I go and will it be effective. I totaled my 03 250 last year in a very bad accident. Thanks for some help. Mike

 

Darn...I've been searching for you for awhile now and cannot find it. Years ago I found (and bookmarked) a website that had a shoulder belt that would work with and lap belt provided the user could secure it behind the seat.

I also found another one...basically for kids...that was a 3 point belt that secured to the back and though a loop type connection around the existing lap belt.

Both links have been lost and I cannot remember the namee of the company.

Best bet would be to continue to search in the child safety seat system websites out there. (I'm up against the clock to continue looking) Something should turn up. There are many companies that help retrofit older cars with only lap belts to a the safer shoulder belt system.

 

I would think that one could fab up a hoop that goes behind the rear seat. From the floor on one side, across the back and down to the floor on the other side. Reinforce it through the base of the cab with a plate above and below the floorboards. You could weld tabs on it (before you bolt it in) and attach a four point hook up.

Will it be effective? Properly reinforced at the floor, it has got to be better than nothing and I would think just as effective as a standard pillar mount. Poorly reinforced, it would be about the same as nothing.

 

My qualifications: SCCA competition licensed, COMSCC competition licensed, Skip Barber competition licensed...

Be VERY careful about harness setup. See SCCA rules and other sanctioned leagues to get an idea about strap angle and roll bar mounting. Basically, you want the roll bar to have AT LEAST four SOLID mounting points to your chassis and the shoulder belt angle sound be flat or a SMALL touch higher/lower than your shoulder height.

The mistakes many people make are is using only two points to secure the bar or the angle of the shoulder straps is very much up from the rear floor, over your shoulder, then back down on your body to the lap belts/cam. This means that during a crash the belt would COMPRESS your spine, perhaps leading to crushed spine and being paralyzed... or death.

Find your nearest race car prep shop and seek their advice/help. Safety is nothing to play around with, and when in doubt DON'T!

If you do decide to go with a 4-point setup (versis a 6-point), i highly recommend Schroth ASM Profi-IIasm. The ASM stands for Anti-Submarine. This design helps keep you from going under the belts (submarining) during an impact. Also, the Profi-IIasm are DOT legal due to the standard color-coded PUSH button to release the belts. If you are in an accident the last thing you want is for some officer, EMT, etc trying to figure out how to unbuckle you when you need help RIGHT NOW.