> Any place to get a good one? Used is fine, and preferable.
>
> Bob
You really don't want a used one- I mean, one that has really been used.
It's like buying a used helmet, maybe a little more difficult as far as
any visible signs of it fully "used".
The kind of belt material/construction that I am familiar with is designed
to strecth a little under tension, in order to gradually decelerate your
body. That's why a seatbelt should always be snug across the pelvis and
chest- if there's too much slack, and the added belt stretch would put
the person into the windshield. Also, the (cheaper) belt may break due to
trying to "catch" the accelerated load of the body.
I'm sure lots of people (re-)sell these that hadn't used them. Some things
to look out for are:
signs of sun damage - fading, brittleness
cuts in the belt - any fraying, sharp cuts in the webbing
heavy use - this is the toughest part. Ask the manufacturer if the belt
was designed with "use indicators"- usually a colored thread,
threaded lengthwise in the webbing, will break if the belt
was stretched to its design limit. Or, maybe a measurement
of its static length.
Buying a harness that looks like it's in good shape, but no longer stretches,
is a serious compromise- it'll work under most moderate conditions, but
under serious use (_five_ point one, plus a real reason behind the rules,
must mean it is serious), it could be the difference between internal
injuries, and walking away from it.
I'll conclude this paranoid preaching with a short story (not gory). I went to
one autocross with the Alfa Club that assembled the track in a parking lot-
using the concrete pillar/lightposts as the apexes for the turns. One driver
oversteered his classic, concours-conditioned, Alfa head-square into the
pillar. Broke his stock seat belt. His helmet folded/dented his steering
wheel, dash, and part of the windshield. He was okay (physically). The car's
frontend was damaged to the firewall.
This was the usual, 2nd-gear autocross track. So please buy a good harness
for those triple-digit speeds. Save the money elsewhere.
-- Eddi