For those who have updated their seats recently, which seat did you go with and why? The original seats in the F430C by Sabelt are offered in a similar config and can be ordered in various sizes. GT200 model and the GT300 halo style of the 458C. The OMP seats (CCR discount) have various models but not sizing within a given model. HTE-R, HTE-R 400, HTE-R XL and the various helmet safety style seats. The halo helmet protection seats may prove difficult for entry/exit in the F430C due to the extra A pillar roll cage bar. There are fiberglass, hybrid, and all carbon seats. Does it make any difference besides the weight savings? Anyone have opinions or advice regarding seat selection on these cars?
I went with comfort. I found the Sparco Evo III to be the most comfortable. I am 6'4" 200 lbs. and with all the pads out of the seat. I can fit into the car. The Fiberglass vs Carbon The safety ratings are based on the racing seat being bolted to the floor of the vehicle. The racing seats are not designed to be attached to a rail. The fiberglass seats have come a long way.
I totally agree you should be comfortable, and shop for seats based on that. I also agree that the fiberglass seats have come a long way. I might be misunderstanding about the racing seats not being designed to be on a rail though. Many if not most are designed to be bolted to a bracket. The bracket is then bolted to the floor or sliders. Some of the sliders are designed for racing.
The racing seats are not designed to be mounted to the rails and the FIA crash testing is done without the rails. From Racetech website: Our goal is to produce advanced motorsport seats for serious competitors. In a high speed side or oblique impact, the loads on the seat mounting brackets/rails are very high. Many sliding rails available are not designed to handle these loads and may deform or break, increasing your chances of injury during an accident.
Very true. That's why I always used sliders/rails that came in the Porsche Cup cars. (I have no idea how a Challenge car come btw. Are the seats mounted straight to the floor?) I have forgotten the brand sliders they use, but they lock on both rails instead of one. The rails were quite a bit thicker than some others. I did a bit of endurance racing and every sedan I raced had seats on rails. Unfortunately I "tested" one of them by shortening the front of the car almost to the A pillar. Fortunately the rail/slider/seat combo performed fine. If I recall correctly all were OMP, but I might have that wrong. The way I am reading the quote from Racetech, it's important to have the right side rails, not eliminate them. They are absolutely correct that loads transmitted through that structure can be quite high.
I think you're referring to FIA 8855-1999 spec. If you are buying a modern/current "FIA spec" seat, this is likely the spec. The FIA test does include the "manufacturer's intended mountings" - which does include sliders and rails as long as they are the ones designed and homologated for the seat and installed according to the test. Some series have different regulations - eg. NASCAR Sprint Cup vs. IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup, etc. Generally, I'd believe that sliders are yet another piece that can "go wrong" in an impact, though if they are the correct ones and properly installed, I believe they are good to go. In the 458C, the seats are homologated and meet FIA spec; same with the Cup cars (and would suspect same on the Lambo Trofeos). I've seen some seats in some home-modified cars used in DE's really come off the rails (so to speak), though can't recall seeing that in a Challenge or Cup car (and I've seen some whacks) Image below of the seat label A different/related question is whether to get a HALO seat or not. I opted in...much safer Image Unavailable, Please Login
Did you go with a halo type in a F430C? When people speak of rails, I am assuming they are talking about slider rails. Fixed brackets that mount to the sides of the seat seem to be the way all of these seats are built. Sliding rails are nice for for various different drivers or if you are a shorter driver to allow entry/exit. I am 6'1" so the seat is on fixed brackets and mounted all the way back and tilted back as far as the brackets will allow. In this scenario, is there enough room with a halo style and the A-pillar roll bar to allow safe entry/exit? Or if a halo was mounted on slider rails in a F430C, would this allow safe entry/exit? I can imagine that in an emergency, you may not have time or be unable to slide the seat back so that could be a problem for shorter drivers. What do others think?
I just went through this, and to some extent still going through this. I insist on a halo seat. It does make getting out much tougher but I would argue that I am much more likely to need the side protection from an impact that I would need to exit quickly in case of a fire. Impacts simply happen much more often than fires. That said, I obviously still want to meet the 10 second requirement to exit in case of a fire! I put in a fiberglass HTE 400 seat in my 430C. The problem is that I am only 5'9" so the seat is mounted pretty far forward and therefore creates a very small opening to get out. The sliders I had on hand did not work so I am bolted in a fixed position. I can still do it in 10 seconds, but it takes a creative folding of my body and is rather uncomfortable to execute. Not sure if its any better for taller people positioned further back. I have learned that there are modifications that can be done to get sliders to work, so I need to get around to implementing that change so that I can have the best of both worlds. I agree that sliders do add an additional failure point, but there are racing approved versions that can be utilized safely.
Also just went through the same exercise. I selected the OMP HTE-R fiberglass and used the HC/832E Steel bracket mount. I like the added safety of the halo and the halo on the HTE-R is modest. I believe the HTE 400 has an even smaller Halo which is probably helpful if your seat is closer to the steering wheel. I am 6'4" so my seat is down and all the way back so that the opening is large enough that the entry /exit is not an issue. Had sliders with the OEM seat before changing. Feel more secure with seat bolted directly to floor. Did not think the 4.6lbs weight difference was worth the extra money for carbon fiber. Cutting back on carbs is cheaper and better for me. I have seen several others use the OMP WRC-R which is very similar to the Sabelt original seat
I put in the OMP HTE-R, it has a small halo that is not too big to get in and out of the car. due to my height it is fixed mounted to get it as low as possible so my helmet does not hit the roll bar in the 430 which it does when on the rails. I think fixed point mounting is safer, I had my rails break last year in an incident that led to a concussion that I would not have had with my current setup.
