I'm in the process of building my d150 into drag truck and on a poor man budget. I have a plastic seat in it and bolted to the floor. I realize I need to do something different. It did not line up to the factory seat crossmember so it's just in the sheet metal. I also have a set of expired racing belts and no cage. Lap belts are in factory locations. Nothing to mount the shoulder belts to since no cage so I ran them to the floor and doubled up to the lap belts. For the crotch belt is it better to run behind the point it goes through the seat or in front? Can I build a plate and mount it under the floor with the seat mounting bolts? Would this pass tech? Any ideas are welcome

If you run 11.49 or slower no need for 5pt. belts. Stock lap is OK.

But I'm not running the stock seat and the shoulder lap belt I don't think would work very well with a plastic seat

Somebody can correct me if I'm wrong, but if they are aftermarket belts, they need to be up to date. Doesn't matter if the ET requires them or not.

You won't pass tech with the setup you described. I don't know if it's legal to put a racing seat in and still use the stock seat belts. You also have to brace the seat at the top. You may get by with that at some tracks. You could just put the stock seat back in and use your existing stock belts. However, safety should be your number one objective. You're the one in the car so do it right.

Google; 2015 NHRA General Regulations.

You are wrong. If the car is not required by the rules to have them they do not need to be with in the 2 yr date.

It's in the general rules section in the back of the book. Can't recall the page # though.

Can I put a plate under the floor board or how do I go about the crossmember part in section 6? How can I go about bracing the back also with out a cage. The stock seat belt holes go through a crossmember but not the racing seat

Bill, are you sure about that? Page 45-46 says "All car not required by Class requirements to use SFI 16.1 driver restraint systems must be equipped with an accepted quick-release-type drivers seat belt." It's not that specific. I think once you decide to use a SFI 16.1 harness, you are committed to the rules for such a device. The real hassle would be trying to get through tech even if you don't need current belts. It always amazed me that I had to a have an up to date harness but my friend could use his 30+ year old 2" seat belts. We ran the same class.

Section 10 of et rules. Seatbelt mandatory in all cars sfi 16.1 in cars running 11.49 or quicker. I'm hoping for 12s

You can purchase different "universal" seat mounting brackets at Jeg's or Summit that will probably align with the crossmembers. They are not that expensive. The back brace is another issue. I guess NHRA assumes that if you have a racing seat you have a rollbar. That would explain the shoulder and back brace requirements. I had a plastic seat that didn't have a back brace and I got caught at the track. I do understand the rule because those plastic seats flex a lot.

Bill, I found the rule on page 43 and you are right. It says the classes that don't require 16.1 or 16.5 restraint systems "the two year re-certification does not apply". But you'd better take your rule book with you to tech.

Knowing NHRA what that means is you don't have to replace the stock belts every two years. However if the belts are the 16.1 type you won't be able to use out of date ones. It's like if your car doesn't pass a chassis cert you can't race it even in a slower class that doesn't require it.

Seat brackets.... I'd weld something off the frame over to the seat mounts below the truck. That's what we did in the Mirada. On the belt deal, we ran at three different tracks with expired belts in a 13sec car, nothing was mentioned..... but we did get a tip to remove the date tags from the belts. That car also had a roll bar which was "not required" for the speed/class we were running, but we preferred the safety factor.... again, we had no probs with tech.

It's really going to be up the tech inspector at the track. It's virtually impossible to argue with them though. I just nod and say yes sir, I'll have that fixed next time out.

if it does not run 11.49 you do not have to change belts every two years. just put an old set in a car yesterday. the seat bracing is going to be iffy depending on the tech guy. I am a bronze certified tech guy thru the NHRA. if you wanted to you could just use the lap belt out of the harness.

You are correct. I have seen it happen out at our local NHRA track. If you are in a class that your stock seat belts are ok. DON'T PUT IN AFTERMARKET BELTS!!.IF IT HAS AN OUT OF DATE SFI STICKER ON IT YOU CANNOT RUN THEM. But it is ok to use 20 year old stock ones

Alright let's forget about the date on the belts. Some have been able to use out of date ones some haven't got away with it. I'm more focused on how to make the seat and belts legal with the mounting area I have

Been to E-town with expired belts. The inspector said if they are in the car (mandatory or not) then the have to adhere to the date rules. Period.

call your division director.. but if the car run SLOWER than 11.49 the belt DO NOT HAVE TO BE UPDATED EVERY TWO YEAR. THis just changes in the last 3-4 years.

10:5 DRIVER RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
A quick-release, 3-inch-minimum-width driver restraint system,
with a 2-inch crotch strap, meeting SFI Spec 16.1 or a 2-inchminimum-
width driver restraint system, with a 2-inch crotch
strap meeting SFI Spec 16.5 is mandatory in all cars in
competition required by the rules to have a roll bar or a roll
cage. (Permitted in all other classes.) Driver restraint system
must be clearly labeled as meeting SFI Spec 16.1 or SFI Spec
16.5 and be dated by manufacturer. SFI 16.1 or 16.5 3-inchwide
shoulder harness straps folded over and sewn to be 2
inches wide by the original manufacturer in order to fit into head
and neck restraint lips/channels are acceptable; SFI 16.1 2-
inch-wide shoulder harness straps are not permitted. See Class
Requirements for additional requirements for Top Fuel and
Funny Car. SFI Spec 16.1 or 16.5 Y-type belts prohibited. (In
cases where the class does not require an SFI 16.1 or 16.5
driver restraint system, the two-year recertification does not
apply.)

From the Rule Book