I'm thinking of buying a HANS Device for the track.

Anyone using one? How does it feel when in the car? How restrictive?

Thanks,

Bill P.

my gf (paralegal, law student) worked on a case where a Hans device literally saved the life of a driver.

the guy with the Hutchens device was not so lucky. nasty lawsuit, Hutchens was found liable.

(i have neither, but lets just say i'll be going with hans when the time comes)

Hi Nathan,

I've heard the HANS has worked when the circumstances dictated it. They are pricey (about the cost of a set of slicks) but pretty cheap insurance if you ask me. I just worry a tad while my wife is out on the track. And the new car will have some serious power, so I'm trying to upgrade all of the safety equipment.

Thanks,

Bill P.

Bill,
I've thought about this for a long time. If/when the bluecar is done I will definitely have one. I haven't been too concerned with doing a couple DEs here and there with whitey cause it's slow and I'm using stock seat belts so my whole body would move and (hopefully) not snap the neck like if strapped in with a proper harness. I think the HANS is well worth the cost of admission. The other alternatives look a little...well K-Mart-ish for my taste.

Also, does anybody have any experience with the Isaac device? http://isaacdirect.com/

I too am in the market for a head and neck safety system.

Steve

I bought a Hans device earlier in the year and really like it. Since I am getting old and it is hard to get into and out of the 914 with the door bars, so I put it on once I am inside and then attach the helmet. It is easy to hook and unhook and I did try getting out with it and the helmet and I did it okay. The only restriction it causes is some head turning restriction which hasn't caused any problems. It does spread out the load of the shoulder belts so after a race weekend my sholders don't feel any after effects of the belts as they used to. When I bought mine I had a race supply shop fit me and install the helmet fasteners which never hurt the custom paint job on the helmet. I'd say get one as it is pretty cheap insurance.

Steve,
the isaac seems promising. The racer comments are good, and the simplicity is nice. I wonder about comfort of the pins on the back and shoulders though.

A friend of mine has a HANS and one problem that I saw with his (it might be a fitment issue) was that at the end of a track session when he returned to the pits, one of his shoulder belts had all but slipped off of the HANS. I don't know at what point this happened but in a collision I could imagine that one side unrestrained would be worse than no HANS at all. Anyone else experience belts slipping off of the device?

Steve

I really like the theory about the decelleration using the shock absorbers on this design. And getting in and out looks pretty easy.

Anyone use the ISAACS?

Bill P.

I think that it is more than possible that the HANS device could have saved D.E.'s life.

Good bet if you ask me.

I plan on getting some sort of head/neck system. I want the HANS, but I often find myself riding shotgun in a students car, often with just 3 point harnesses, the HANS doesnt work in this application.

I generally hope I keep my students in line and am helpfull to them as they learn to drive on a racetrack....but I have one off at about 70 mph where we hit the tirewall, its quite a helpless feeling as you are sliding towards something and have no control over your destiny... and you were the not one controlling the car when control was lost

Which is why I want a head and neck restraint system that works while I instruct.

The Hutchens device, and the Simpson system look promising..

I have an interesting comparison of the various Head/Neck systems in *.pdf format..

can we upload them here?

With mine I have not had any troubles with the belts sliding off. My seat is an aluminum set with the belt openings close together and they are just about the width of the belts (+1/2 inch or so). I talked to the designer last summer and he noted some belts do not work correctly with the Hans device and may have to be replaced and also that if the seat is fitted correctly with the belt openings in the correct position to your shoulders there is not an issue of belt slipping. I have noticed you have to be careful to make sure the belts are over the corners of the Hans device and make absolutely sure the adjustment buckles are clear as they will slip on the hard surface. As Tim noted they would not help if you were ridding in a car without a 5/6 pt harness system but I very seldom do any instructing so it was not a concern for me.

The entire Formula-1 field started using Hans devices a while ago. Some drivers have reported that they have trouble getting comfortable with it, but it seems like it's well worth it.

It should be a Mastercard ad:
Hans device: $xxxx
Walking away after wrecking your race car: PRICELESS

The other thing the F1 guys have been doing is switching to Carbon & Kevlar fiber helmets, which apparently are a lot lighter and stronger than the current breed. It's expected that the price of these will lower significantly in the coming couple of years. I haven't looked - are these things available in a reasonable price range yet??

For those who already have a HANS - What seatback angle did you get? I race an open wheel car plus my teener and am wondering which to get.
T.C.

I'm also interested in getting a HANS Device. Here is a thread from Corner Carvers.com about it.
HANS Device

This has turned into a great thread

I've talked to the HANS dealers and the majority of sales for enclosed race cars is for a 20 degree seat back. The ISAAC device wasn't really matched to a seatback angle as the device anchors to the belts, not underneath them.

I really don't have a decision yet on which way to go. I'll have to talk with more people and hopefully more people chime in here to help me make an educated choice.

Thanks folks!

Keep it coming!

Bill P.

I saw them priced for about $900 recently
I'm definatly gonna get one when I'm ready
Been in a 30mph head on collision and didn't like what happened to my neck at all
Don't wanna try that again at track speeds
Cheap insurance...

Ditto

The only other one I'd consider might be the Isaac but at this point one major plus for the HANS is simple market acceptance -- the aftermarket as well as trackside personnel are "familiar" with it now. The last thing you want in a major SHTF ("stuff hits the fan") is for the corner workers or EMT's to have NO clue how to get you free of the car...

FWIW Schroth makes a HANS-specific shoulder harness. Apparently it is specifically designed to not interfere or move around with the HANS in place. No personal experience but as I have Schroth belts already, I'd possibly go that route.

I need a new helmet next year too...gonna be a $$$$ year I think. Not even counting the new engine I "need" as well

I also got one prior to the past season to use in a vintage racer, with a 6pt harness, and here's what I found with my experience:

[1] side vision: MUCH better than I expected. In fact I thought installation was wrong as there was so much side-to-side freedom of movement [it wasn't].

[2] belt slip: I have to be careful with my set-up to ensure the belts sit perfectly on top before I tighten, and that the shoulder belts are cinched down very tight in order to keep the belts on the device. Ideally my belts should be a touch closer together, but that's major surgery on my car.

[3] head forward: If your seat is very upright like mine, you might find the device pushes your head forward a bit, but not a comfort or safety issue.

[4] helmet installation: I was extremely nervous about punching holes into my brand new kevlar helmet, but it worked just fine. Just go slow and measure a lot more than twice!

[5] ease of attachment at the track: after a handful of practices, you'll have it on very quickly - either in the car or out [easier out].

[6] snagging on fast exit: fortunately I have done it REALLY fast, and my normal exit is straight up. But no snags so far.

[7] piece of mind: now that's a benefit you feel every lap.

And I read all the discussions of Hans vs Isaac for months ....

Gavin

Thanks for the tip, that is an awsome site. The polar opposite of any boxster forum I have been to. Adding it to my Favorites.

How about a group buy?

There is NOTHING on the market that compares to the HANS. There have been several studies using sleds and they have ALL proved that the HANS is the only one that worked. NASCAR did a small clip testing the HANS vs. the Hutchinson, what it, you will not buy the Hutchinson after doing so.

If you have any fitment problems with the HANS, call them or Joe Marko at HMS. Almost all fitment/belt sliding issues are due to your belts not being properly installed.

They will not do a group by.

-tony
HANS user

I would be happy to answer any questions any one has about using the HANS® device by phone or e mail. We just received SFI approval and are the only head & neck restraint to date to have passed all the SFI's testing The Issac seems like a good idea in theory but a) has to disconnected from the belts or helmet before exiting the car (difficult if driver is not coherent) and has steel rods that are in a dangerous position in relation to the head. I can provide any of the members with independent third party test data and product comparrisons with some of the other devices on the market. The standard model sells for $865 and comes with helmet anchors, tethers and padding, everything you need to go racing. The only time we see problems with the belts "slipping off" is because of incorrect shoulder harness mpunting (belts mounted too far apart behind the driver. The HANS® is the only device used in F1, Champ Car, IRL. Next year NASCAR will most likely mandate SFI 38.1 head & neck restraints and unless someone else comes up with a device that can meet these specs, the HANS® will be the only head & neck restraint used in all professional NASCAR classes.

Jay Braxton
Product Specialist
HANS® Performance Products
5096 Peachtree Road
Atlanta, GA 30341

Tel:770-457-1046
1-888-HANS-999
Fax:770-458-6118
Email: jbraxton@hansdevice.com
Web: http://www.hansdevice.com

I love it when the folks who make & sell these things come see us!

Hi Jay,

Thanks for participating on the site....it's great when someone who makes the products chimes in.

One question I have is that on the HANS site (hansdevice.com), you mention 3 inch shoulder belts are fine. When I read the Schroth site about their belts used with a HANS, they recommend a 2 inch shoulder belt and infer that several organizations (FIA, CART, and soon to be NASCAR) have changed rules to allow 2 inch shoulder belts.

Is this a valid statement?

I've already contacted our local PCA racing organization to get their take on it as Porsche Club America mandates 3 inch belts in our region. My wife is much smaller than I am, and since we share a car we will need 2 HANS devices to provide the proper fit. But the 3 inch belts cover most of her shoulder area, so I can see why a 2 inch belt may work better to locate the device on a smaller person.

Please share your thoughts.

Thanks!

Bill P.

i thought pca changed the rules this year to allow 2" belts.

Jay, can you give us some details on the mounting of the shoulderbelts (to prevent them from slipping)

Regarding the Schroth belts: All of our testing has been done with 3" belts. We have always recomended 3", however, I have attended several events where competitors were using the Schroth 2' to 3" "HANS® specific" belts and they seem to work fine. Schroth is our distributor in Europe and a fine company, but they developed the belt on their own so we neither endorse it or condem it. Regarding shoulder harness mounting: There are specific guidelines on our website, but the basic rule to follow is 1" - 2" below shoulder height and as close together as possible (no more than 3" apart inside edge to inside edge). The closer together at the mounting point the better. The model 20 (20 degree seat recline) is the model most appropriate for a 914, or any sedan type car. The model 30 is designed for a more reclined position (Formula Atlantic, F1, etc). Hope this information helps.

Jay Braxton
Product Specialist
HANS® Performance Products
5096 Peachtree Road
Atlanta, GA 30341

Tel:770-457-1046
1-888-HANS-999
Fax:770-458-6118
Email: jbraxton@hansdevice.com
Web: http://www.hansdevice.com

Hi Jay,

Thanks for the information. We appreciate it.

Education is a great way to sell the product.

Now....to measure my wife's neck....

Bill P.

Jay, Were you at the Skip Barber Race this weekend? I picked up a pamplet and 1 of your cards. I would have liked to picked your brain a little.
T.C.