Results 1 to 7 of 7

Thread: FHR/HANS question

  1. #1
    SEC Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    Salt Lake City, UT
    Posts
    494
    Rep Power
    17

    FHR/HANS question

    Has anyone experience using an FHR/HANS device in the Stratos?
    I'm finally getting out of the house and signing up for a (social distanced!) track day later this month only to find the club has recently mandated FHR devices for any car with a full harness. Plenty of choices out there but because of the Covid situation there are no shops open for me to try before buying, only mail order.
    I'm concerned about getting the angle right - HANS come in 20, 30, etc deg versions. I've Sparco EvoII seats which are tilted back to the max allowable by the standard Sparce mount giving the seatback a 35 deg angle from vertical (measured using a large protractor). It measures about the same when I'm belted in with the protractor on my chest. Does this seem about right, implying a 30deg device should work ok? There are adjustable ones available but quite a bit more expensive which'd be nice to avoid.
    Second question relates to ingress/egress and general maneuverability - anyone with experience in this regard?
    Thanks in advance!
    Paul
    Last edited by Paul; 07-06-2020 at 17:48.

  2. #2
    SEC Member Strat Fan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    East Notts
    Posts
    1,109
    Rep Power
    25

    Re: FHR/HANS question

    I think the Simpson hybrid alternative to the HANS device may be preferable in a Strat as it doesn't have the additional height of the shoulder and head "restraint"
    structure that comes with the HANS variant.
    I think the Simpson device is what Steve Perez used in his car for full competitive events.
    I think not having the rigid frame of the HANS will make entry and exiting of the car easier, especially if you can unclip the helmet straps to do so.
    Last edited by Strat Fan; 08-06-2020 at 09:40.
    "You can lead a horse to water, but a pencil must be lead"
    Stan Laurel

  3. #3
    SEC Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    Salt Lake City, UT
    Posts
    494
    Rep Power
    17

    Re: FHR/HANS question

    Thanks Craig - yes, that looks interesting (and will work for any seat angle it looks like)

  4. #4
    SEC Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Location
    Greenhead
    Posts
    2,353
    Rep Power
    31

    Re: FHR/HANS question

    So does that mean the Simpson wins, HANS down?

    ...sorry, couldn't resist....

  5. #5
    SEC Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2016
    Location
    Upper Backway
    Posts
    19
    Rep Power
    0

    Re: FHR/HANS question

    Paul

    I think that I may be able to help you with this.
    I use a Simpson hybrid Hans for rallying, and a 20deg. Normal Hans for racing (and some rallying) in saloon type cars. I haven’t used them competitively in my Hawk replica but I agree with Craig’s views and having tried sitting in my car I offer the following advice.

    Getting any helmet / Hans on in a car is very awkward, and in a Stratos it’s almost impossible. You can only do it if you lean right over the passenger seat. So, you need to put both on outside the car and then get in, no problem in an Escort or Holden saloon, but not easy in a Stratos, although the Hybrid system is easier than the fixed version, and this is with an open face helmet and I have real concerns that a full face may not allow you to bend your head enough to get in!

    In short your best option is a hybrid version with an open face helmet, although if you end up using these on a road event, you will have to use a hybrid because there is simply no room to store a fixed device and a helmet in the car. I know that this is why Steve Perez has to use them.

    it is also worth remembering that in competition you must have Hans specific harnesses with 2” shoulder straps, and although this may not apply to track days, 3” shoulder belts slip off the locating lugs on Hans devises and are not a good idea.

    Basically the Hans devise is literally a pain in the neck and you will curse them every time you use them, although you will get slightly used to them with practice, and it might just save your life.

    Hope this helps.

  6. #6
    SEC Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    Salt Lake City, UT
    Posts
    494
    Rep Power
    17

    Re: FHR/HANS question

    Thanks Jerry
    I've the Simpson device on order and should have it to try out by the weekend. My current helmet is closed faced so I'll try with that first and see where I end up. I need to change the helmet anyway as it's out of date so I can evaluate open face options at the same time. I'm not seeing how open vs closed face makes a difference for maneuverability though?
    I did call Simpson before ordering - it is designed for 3" straps (simpson hybrid sport) and I'm only planning on track days so that aspect should be ok (I hope)
    I'll update again later for benefit of others

  7. #7
    SEC Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    Salt Lake City, UT
    Posts
    494
    Rep Power
    17

    Re: FHR/HANS question

    Ok, so I got both the Hans and Simpson hybrid to try. I had no issues getting in or our of the car with either device + helmet fully attached - a bit of judicious neck bending on the way in, but not an issue really. I definitely agree getting these things on/off while in the car is really difficult though. In the end I've gone with the Hans device (20 degree) because side to side head movement is a litttle better and the device itself is easier for me to get on and off - I just put the Hans and helmet on and off as one complete assembly while out of the car before sliding/contorting my way in. This is with a closed faced helmet.
    As usual, it's one of these things that I hated because of the restriction in movement when testing statically in the car, but when out on track today with it for the first time, it was quickly forgotten about. It's a royal pain while driving around the paddock though because you can't look over you shoulder for traffic, etc.

Similar Threads

  1. Lighting kit question
    By monoposto in forum LB Specialist Cars Ltd
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 15-09-2018, 17:18
  2. HANS-type devices now compulsory in UK rallying
    By ChrisCar6 in forum Stratos Forum
    Replies: 14
    Last Post: 07-12-2015, 00:27
  3. Windscreen question!
    By Allora#2 in forum Stratos Forum
    Replies: 5
    Last Post: 17-03-2015, 20:12
  4. AVO damper question
    By Paul in forum Suspension
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 15-09-2014, 07:28
  5. Engine question
    By catswhiskers in forum Technical Common
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 27-09-2011, 12:40

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •