for years as a road race instructor, my students have always asked me "whats the first upgrade i should make to my car?"

my first answer has always been to upgrade the stock seats and belts. i have a firm belief that if your not expending energy keeping yourself upright in your seat you will have better control of your car.

when i was researching my new ride i new that the stang with the upgraded interior package had the sport seats( with the air bag sensors) and the seats in the c6 vette had better lateral support, but not that much better. ( i think both cars need better seats)

when i compared the two cars( payment /insurance/cost of upgrades/performace potential /fiberglass that looks like a washboard/ steel and aluminium ect)

i chose the 06 gt as my new ride

during my first day at the track i was concerned with the seats, yesterday i went to the track with the frpp suspention kit installed and have decided i need new seats [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/mad.gif[/img]

does anyone make seats that keep the airbag sensors intact?

if not what happens to the air bags in the car? does the system go to sleep/ set codes/ go to a half way default/ ect.

in the big picture i know that it doesnt matter much( we drove cars without bags forever)

but, mrs. thogt is concerned, and im wondering what my insurance agent would say in the event of ......

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also where does everyon achcor their aftermarket seat belts ?

the outside is easy (mount them to the factory points)

the inside mounts to the seat and i dont want the buckle scraping the center console.(when the seat moves)
so should i drill through the floor and use a couple of big washers on either side of the sheetmetal??

thanks in advance

jay

 

I was wondering this as well. I'd love to add some better seats, but don't want to throw an airbag code. Plus the weight savings are nice.

Also, how did the FRPP package handle the track?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(max2000jp @ March 2, 2006, 10:23 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
I was wondering this as well. I'd love to add some better seats, but don't want to throw an airbag code. Plus the weight savings are nice.

Also, how did the FRPP package handle the track?
[/b][/quote]


max,

i installed the kit in stages,

first i ran the car stock ( it turned laps 3/5 seconds faster than my sons 02 Roush stage 2)

then i went with just the sway bars/ strut tower brace installed( with the front bar set in the middle postion ) and the car picked up an other 3 seconds. this may have been because i was learning the car or because the car was better with the sway bar upgrade, ( i think the latter, i learn a new car in just a few laps )

with the car running the full kit i had a hard time keeping my torso planted and although i picked up an other 3 seconds, i think there is more in the car if i had some good seats/ belts.

i miss the full race (hard to get into/ out of ) seats in my race car!!!


jay

 

If the ODS is removed or unpluged it will throw the airbag light on.

Saleen / Roush change the foam & recover the stock seat frames and leave the sensor in the pass. seat BUT they are recalibrated. The recali can be done by a FOrd service department, you MUST do this even though the airbag light is not on. anytime you remove the pass. seat cover (bottom cushion) you have to have it recalibrated. It is all in the shop manual.

now what happens if you remove the ODS totally, well I am not sure!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tkogt @ March 2, 2006, 10:47 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
max,

i installed the kit in stages,

first i ran the car stock ( it turned laps 3/5 seconds faster than my sons 02 Roush stage 2)

then i went with just the sway bars/ strut tower brace installed( with the front bar set in the middle postion ) and the car picked up an other 3 seconds. this may have been because i was learning the car or because the car was better with the sway bar upgrade, ( i think the latter, i learn a new car in just a few laps )

with the car running the full kit i had a hard time keeping my torso planted and although i picked up an other 3 seconds, i think there is more in the car if i had some good seats/ belts.

i miss the full race (hard to get into/ out of ) seats in my race car!!!
jay
[/b][/quote]

So roughly a 6+ second decrease in lap times, that's impressive. Do you run the stock brakes with Race pads? Also, what kind of tires are you running. If you aren't run R-compounds you can shave a big amount of time off by using them. I am sure you already know this, but was just wondering.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(max2000jp @ March 3, 2006, 3:20 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
So roughly a 6+ second decrease in lap times, that's impressive. Do you run the stock brakes with Race pads? Also, what kind of tires are you running. If you aren't run R-compounds you can shave a big amount of time off by using them. I am sure you already know this, but was just wondering.
[/b][/quote]

i am still running the stock brakes and havent had any fade issues yet, i am thinking about some 6 piston
wilwoods with the 14 inch rotors.

and i still have the 235/50/18 kdws's (snow tires) on the car!

i just ordered a set of 18/10 maas m21c's and some 275/40/18 kdw's


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back to the seat thing, i called h.p. motorsports and they think that they will be able to in stall the sensors into the aftermarket seats.

but after the above post about having to recalibrate the system if the seats are removed i wonder?

(thanks for that info by the way i was going to pull my seats today to have a look under them)

i think ill let them do someone elses car first!!!


jay

 

Just to revive an old thread on the stock airbag sensors related to installing race seats.

Is this only an issue with the passenger side seat or is the driver side airbag also controlled by a seat sensor in the cushion?