Getting ready to get back to the track at the end of the month after 8 years away, did a bunch of updates to my car so it'll be basically just a big test and tune (of my car and myself.... So if I see green before hitting the loud pedal then I'm going home, right... gotta remember that.. ha). Then I just realized yesterday that my brand new Crow belts, that I bought in 2021, expired in 2023... brand new freakin' belts, unused, just bolted in... will be one of the few things tech will check too. No time to send them back to Crow to get recertified, so I have to buy a new set now... arghhhh! Not that I have the $150 plus shipping atm either, I have enough to get to the track for the weekend... no track burgers for me I guess.

I get safety item expiration dates, but man, I've got a box of belts that are all good belts, no fraying, no damage. 2 years is just a ridiculously short amount of time. I could understand belts on a dirt car, like a dirt sprint car or off-road desert truck or something, where the belts get abused by dirt, mud, etc.... but not on a drag car. Yeah, sweat is a problem, if it's a problem though. 5 years would make a lot more sense than 2 years.... What else am I forgetting?

What's wrong with you.
You know they have been sitting out in the sun since you bought them and are now junk.
Drag cars are not kept in shops, garages, trailers 99.99% of their lives so they have no choice.

There's no way they can come up with a UV treatment, not like the straps on semi trucks that are exposed and secure much heavier loads.
Not like climbing gear for people that are in dangerous careers.
Not like lifting gear that is used for decades.

The seat belt scam is the biggest theft of money in auto racing.
Even bigger than a trans case, which is ridiculous.


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thanks SFI

 

No, You can thank NHRA for that rule. Instigated by them, and the SFI went along with it.

 

And now you have to have a 6 point harness. Not a 5 point.

 

We do on an adv ET level car.


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Farther south you go the rules change. You can be in Bengals tiger stripe pants (at 1 track) to cut off jean shorts couple states later (next track) and still pass. 😄

 

no fault but the owner, You know well enough to buy the belts last.

 

Surely the one thing you should have learned by now is sometimes life gets in the way.

 

And if I read correctly, you can run stock 50 year old lap belt down to 8.50's with stock seats ?

 

If the car requires a roll bar you have to have a proper dated harness

 

yeah, the crazy part is you look at anyone's daily driver, that gets used way more than any race car, through the rough weather seasons, and the belts are fine for decades if not the entire life of the car. I only recently had to scrap my '67 Coronet 4-dr that was my daily driver (yes, I drove it all through the winter, and parked it outside all year long, it was just my car, not a show car or hot rod).. the rust had finally caught up with it (not bad for over a half century of use, well, that and I put a hole in the #8 piston), but the lap belts were fine... no fraying, no sweat degradation. But a pair of extremely well made, thick, heavy duty, race harnesses are no good after 2 years? I mean, just check our belts to make sure they're not damaged. It would take the tech guy the same amount of time as it takes them to read the SFI date sticker on it... "Hmmm, no fraying, no cuts, no sweat corrosion on the material... you're good". Nuts. Oh man, my 2010 street pickup belts must be dangerous by their thinking, I mean, they're 15 years old!

 

I bet 90% of tracks don't do any tech inspection or ask for any expiration dates on a tech card other than your name and address, so If your track is in the group then head to the track and don't worry about it. I know none of my tracks near by do, both NHRA and IHRA. if you have entry money they will take it and let you race

 

In Illinois and Indiana they check for safety items the first time they see you at the track each season. Harness, helmet, jacket, shoes, gloves., throttle return springs, master shut down switch, no start in gear, battery ground and holds down, chassis certification, as needed.

 

I have Deist and have had them recertified.

 

My experience with recertification is it not worth it. By the time you package and deliver to UPS, pay shipping to original company that made them, the companies fee to do it, and more shipping back to you, roughly 50% of new price has accumulated. Just buy new ones. I just put out of date ones on Marketplace for 1/3 of new and some stock car or dune buggy buys them.

There was 1 company that offered 1 free recertification.

 

Also if you have a passenger seat, put the expired one on that side.

 

Some of us have been racing over 40 years and have multiple cars, none of them have passenger seats.
Even if it did, you only need one and we have dozens of these damn things.

They are stealing our money for absolutely no good reason.
Trying to blame UV damage is a lie, I don't care how many times they claim it's true.

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Getting ready to get back to the track at the end of the month after 8 years away, did a bunch of updates to my car so it'll be basically just a big test and tune (of my car and myself.... So if I see green before hitting the loud pedal then I'm going home, right... gotta remember that.. ha). Then I just realized yesterday that my brand new Crow belts, that I bought in 2021, expired in 2023... brand new freakin' belts, unused, just bolted in... will be one of the few things tech will check too. No time to send them back to Crow to get recertified, so I have to buy a new set now... arghhhh! Not that I have the $150 plus shipping atm either, I have enough to get to the track for the weekend... no track burgers for me I guess.

I get safety item expiration dates, but man, I've got a box of belts that are all good belts, no fraying, no damage. 2 years is just a ridiculously short amount of time. I could understand belts on a dirt car, like a dirt sprint car or off-road desert truck or something, where the belts get abused by dirt, mud, etc.... but not on a drag car. Yeah, sweat is a problem, if it's a problem though. 5 years would make a lot more sense than 2 years.... What else am I forgetting?

It's not to keep you safe, usually,, it's a scam to get your money, mostly.

 

What else am I forgetting?

Check your helmet date.

Not to mention Simpson WILL NOT recertify their own belts!!! Only company I could find who would recertify their belts is Stroud.

They always reweb mine but it does come with a new cert obviously. Just had it done in June and they made the end date 2 years from this coming December.

Curtis

 

Check your helmet date.

I already very unhappily, replaced my out of cert Bell Sport helmet (at the same time as my belts) that fit me perfectly... with a Simpson Viper that doesn't fit well at all... (Bell's Sport helmet has been out of stock for years,why they even advertise it is beyond me}...At least it won't expire until 2030, unlike my damn belts

 

Stock seat belts, ratchet straps, trucker tie down straps, etc. are normally made of polyester which is much better with UV exposure than nylon. Nylon webbing thrown up on our roof in Florida lost ~50% of it's rated strength after 1 year. Nylon is more elastic than polyester and handles shock loads better. But yes, 2 years is a pain for those that take care of their stuff.

Understanding the Impact of UV Exposure on Nylon Webbing Longevity

 

Life span was likely decided by the worst case scenario.
I know an active super pro racer who's car and open trailer is always sitting in the backyard with little shade, no car cover, waiting for the next race.

 

I made an engine sling out of old crotch straps. Been going to figure out how to use the old lap belts for equipment tie downs in the trailer, gas jugs, tool box, canopy, etc....

 

We all know the 2 year expiration on the seat belts is excessive. 5 years would be more reasonable. That being said it is the rule if you want to race at a sanctioned track. I just buy new every 2 years. Not worth my time to package and ship.

 

FIA belts are 5 years because of the material and their testing. I find it hilarious that some bozos are crying about the expense of belts every two years. I am sure some of y'all pay more on a streaming subscription per year.

 

Now my grandsons car seat expires after 10 years of manufactor date. It was already two years old when we bought it new in the unopened box. Bought a few of them for a couple cars . Its good up to 120 #'s. You think I am lifting him in and out when he is 119#s they are fucking nuts. Thing is it turns into a booster seat and uses the auto's belt? Then what exactly expires? The date is on the seat and not on the belt like the racing harnesses. This whole expiration shit is a scam. When the big 3 firure it out watch out they will be disabling the starter every two years if you don't replace the OEM belts, which IMO, would be the ones that would dryrot in the sun.

 

planned obsolescence

 

they spend more on Onlyfans and complain about the belts.