Nifty Posted January 3, 2005 Share Posted January 3, 2005 I've a head restraint to put on my FIA bar. I don't have tillets but leather S types so the head rest will be coming off in order to fit the head restraint so it needs some padding on the plate. What do people commonly use please? Keep off the straight and narrow 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Durrant Posted January 3, 2005 Share Posted January 3, 2005 Nifty I cut a thin piece of plywood to the size of the bracket, then covered this in black vinyl with a layer of foam in between. I then fixed this to the head restraint bracket with contact adhesive. It has been on the car since the beginning of past hear with no problems, although I have Tillets fittted and the head restraint is used to support the back of the seat. If you want a picture let me know. Mark D Su77on Se7ens Considering my options for 2005 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Kipper Posted January 4, 2005 Share Posted January 4, 2005 Nifty Similar to Mark. I cut a couple of pieces from an old camping bedroll and then used black duck tape to tape them to the restraint. Gives enough thickness to stop your helmet coming into contact with the metal of the restraint. Had no problem last year and stayed on in all weathers (including Harewood ). Kipper Fun is not a straight line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nifty Posted January 4, 2005 Author Share Posted January 4, 2005 I was initially considering bed roll Keep off the straight and narrow 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Perry Posted January 4, 2005 Share Posted January 4, 2005 I cut up a soft childs swimming float and glued it to the metal, looks good and resists water. More importantly it didn't need covering. Edited by - Graham Perry on 4 Jan 2005 09:29:13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelspeed Posted January 5, 2005 Share Posted January 5, 2005 I used an old mouse mat cut to size and tank taped on. Edited by - Chelspeed on 5 Jan 2005 17:11:18 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nifty Posted January 5, 2005 Author Share Posted January 5, 2005 *thumbup* Keep off the straight and narrow 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ijk Posted January 5, 2005 Share Posted January 5, 2005 Don't wish to be a kill joy to all you ingenious guys out there but the purpose of the head restraint is to protect your head against impact so the recommended material has to be energy absorbing foam. Not sure what its called but we are obliged to use it in our glider seat so it can be purchased through aircraft supply shops. RD Aviation is good starting point. They are somewhere in Oxford, probably on the airfield but I do not have a contact number to hand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nifty Posted January 6, 2005 Author Share Posted January 6, 2005 ijk, I shall be wearing a helmet. The head restraint is there to stop me getting whiplash, and the padding on it to stop the helmet getting damage by the metal work. I shalln't be using the head restraint without the helmet (I'll be replacing the S-type headrests for road driving). Under these circumstances I'm not sure I need to go to the lengths you suggest but thanks for the info anyway. Keep off the straight and narrow 😬 Edited by - Nifty on 6 Jan 2005 12:46:19 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelspeed Posted January 6, 2005 Share Posted January 6, 2005 > The head restraint is there to stop me getting whiplash, and the padding on it to stop > the helmet getting damage by the metal work Exactly right. Me too. My helmet is resting on the head restraint in normal driving position so no energy absorption required as there's no energy involved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ijk Posted January 6, 2005 Share Posted January 6, 2005 Oh dear I wish I hadn't started this. Glad to hear your heads remain stationary against the headrestraint at all times. I'll opt for the energy absorbing foam just in case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nifty Posted January 7, 2005 Author Share Posted January 7, 2005 ijk, Of course it doesn't, but the energy absorbing material inside the helmet should cover that eventuality. Keep off the straight and narrow 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelspeed Posted January 7, 2005 Share Posted January 7, 2005 The head restraint is an MSA requirement. If it was intended to be an energy absorption device then that would be specified as it is with F1 cockpit sides (OK in FIA rules), roll cage padding and stuff like that. All it says is there must be a head restraint that resists certain forces. A plain metal restraint satisfies these rules so that's what Caterham sell. Many people choose to pad the restraint for reasons stated many times above, nothing to do with energy adsorption. In a rearward impact your head will already be touching the restraint so no energy to be absorbed. In a forward impact your head will move forwards not backwards so the head restraint is not needed for energy absorption. A head rest in a tin top is a very different thing as you have no helmet on and you can move around much more with a three point harness. I wouldn't like a plain metal headrest in a tin top but really don't think it's an issue in a Caterham. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Wong1697456877 Posted January 9, 2005 Share Posted January 9, 2005 In a forward impact your head will move forwards not backwards so the head restraint is not needed for energy absorption. What about the recoil backwards? Also most people drive with their head off the headrest and if you're about to collide with something, you might crouch forwards and look down, rather than lean backwards onto your headrest. I'd definitely prefer it to be padded. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Sture Posted January 10, 2005 Share Posted January 10, 2005 The following points occur to me: 1) I would not want my helmet to come into contact with the side of a piece of metal - the helmet would definitely have to be thrown away then. 2) having been rear ended in my day car a couple of years ago (coming up to a roundabout) I remember my head whacking the headrest pretty hard - and I have for several years been careful about getting the heard restraint in the daily car at the right height. That makes me quite conscious of the forces involved. 3) How can you guarantee that an accident in sprinting won't involve your head being whacked into the head rest? Having a spin and then going backwards into an obstacle could create much bigger forces than a Metro impaling itself on the back of my Merc estate's towbar! And if you do spin, you would (IMHO) be pretty special to remember to keep your head in contact with the headrest at all times Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon Posted January 10, 2005 Share Posted January 10, 2005 for what its worth...I would imagine the forces involved whilst wearing a helmet are increased due to its weight on the head......so even in a front on accident it will be thrown forward and then back with more omphm (technical jargon is not my thing) Hi Tim ...hope you're well....are you sprinting this season 🤔 Gordy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myles Posted January 11, 2005 Share Posted January 11, 2005 In a rearward impact your head will already be touching the restraint so no energy to be absorbed. Tish and pish My head/helmet doesn't touch the seat whilst driving (tillets - somewhat reclined). You'd have to purposefully hold your head against the seat - as you bounced over curbs and grass - quite possibly whilst looking in the various mirrors in order to judge if you could apply some lock and avoid the scenery... And just what is the difference between impacting your head on the rollbar when your seat deforms/breaks and impacting it on a large plate of steel? Not a whole heap, I'd guess... Personally, I'm going to cut-down some spare rollbar padding and zip-tie/tape it on - unless I can find a small amount of Confor kicking around a race team.... Project Scope-Creep is underway... Alcester Racing 7's Equipe - 🙆🏻™ Alcester-Racing-Sevens.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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