Caterham Harnesses Buying Guide

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Caterhams really need to be fitted with harnesses that have been specifically designed for Caterhams.

The cockpits are extremely tight and there is no space for excessive webbing plus adjustment needs to be accessible and as easy to use as possible.

Caterhams with race seats have even more specific requirements.

So, where to start?

Will your Caterham be used on the road, for track days or FIA events?

Road Use

Road approved Caterham harnesses can have a 4 point or 6 point fixing.

The starting point is a 4 point harness with approval for road use only. This will have a normal buckle similar to a buckle you would find in any car and 2 inch webbing. Also, as standard, these harnesses will have fixed length upper shoulder straps and lap straps that ‘pull down’ to adjust.

Please see the information further down this buying guide regarding shoulder straps and pull up or pull down adjusters.

Examples of these harnesses include:

To go a little further, often Caterham customers want a quick release rotary buckle to compliment the racing nature of the car. In this case a 4 or 6 point harness with FIA approval is ideal, and is also approved for road use. The only exception is FIA harnesses that are ‘HANS only’. 

Examples of these include

Caterham Road Harnesses

Track Day Use

Any of our TRS or Willans harnesses can be used for track days. Obviously, if the car is also to be used on the road it makes sense to use a road, or a road and FIA approved version (as detailed above).

However, we do also offer some harnesses that are manufactured to exactly the same standards but for simple commercial reasons they have not gone through the FIA process (i.e. the manufacturer hasn’t gone through the costly process of having a harness in a particular specification FIA approved) or they have begun the FIA approval process, but are awaiting certification. These harnesses are therefore not FIA approved or approved for road use but can be used for track days.  

A few examples of these are shown below:

The Willans Caterham 4 Point and 6 Point Quick Adjuster Track Day Harnesses (the last two shown above) are perfect for Caterhams with race seats. The aluminium adjusters on the lap straps click directly into the quick release buckle and give the absolute maximum adjustment and very easy access, as the pull-down straps are adjacent to the buckle. These harnesses are awaiting FIA approval but are currently available exclusively from us in this track day format. Please note many Caterham owners use these unapproved track day Caterham harnesses on the road but strictly speaking they should only really be used for track days.

FIA Approved

There are two categories in this section:

  1. Harnesses that are approved for FIA use without a HANS device
  2. Harnesses that are approved for FIA use exclusively with a HANS device

FIA Use Without a HANS Device

As stated above in the road section, FIA approved harnesses are also approved for road use if they are not 'HANS only'. Therefore, the following Caterham harnesses are perfect for FIA use without a HANS device, and road use:

FIA Use Exclusively With a HANS Device

These harnesses are specifically for use with a HANS devices (also known as an FHR device). They all have 2 inch (or 3 inch reducing to 2 inch) shoulder straps to accommodate the device. Examples of these include:

The Caterham International 6 Point Quick Adjuster harness listed above features the ‘ultimate’ quick adjuster, ideal for use with FIA approved racing seats. The lap adjusters are integrated with the quick release buckle and include grab loops, so that the adjuster always sits directly on the driver’s lap for quick and easy adjustment. Please note that many Caterham owners use these harnesses on the road but they are only approved for track day use (with or without a HANS device) and FIA use (with HANS device only).

FIA Harnesses

Shoulder Straps

The upper shoulder straps on Caterham harnesses are approximately 45cm from the adjuster to the fixing point.

As standard, the fixings at the end of the shoulder straps are sewn on. This avoid having excess webbing within the car, however you do have the option to change this to an adjustable upper shoulder strap with a removable fixing point (if you choose this the fixing point will not be sewn on, it will be threaded through the fixing point and back through a 3 bar slide).

The adjustment range of the lower shoulder strap is between 10cm and 40cm.

Fixing Points

Our Caterham harnesses come with the following fixing points and bolts as standard:

4 Point Road Harnesses
These harnesses are supplied with anchor plates and 7/16" UNF bolts. The anchor plates have a 15mm hole and are supplied with a top hat spacer that reduces the hole size to the correct diameter for the 7/16" bolts, and allows the anchor plates to rotate slightly when in position.

4 Point FIA Harnesses
These harnesses are supplied with anchor plates and 7/16" UNF bolts. The anchor plates have a 13mm hole and are supplied with a top hat spacer that reduces the hole size to the correct diameter for the 7/16" bolts, and allows the anchor plates to rotate slightly when in position.

6 Point FIA Harnesses
These harnesses are supplied with anchor plates and 7/16" UNF bolts. The anchor plates on the shoulder and lap straps have a 15mm hole. The anchor plates on the crutch straps have a 13mm hole. Top hat spacers are supplied that reduce the hole size to the correct diameter for the 7/16" bolts, and allow the anchor plates to rotate slightly when in position.

Adjusters

Your Caterham harnesses can be upgraded to Superlite or Ultralite versions. As standard TRS harnesses use steel anti-creep adjusters. Also available are premium aluminium alloy adjusters, which in addition to being lightweight, offer a smoother and faster adjustment. The Superlite harnesses use these lightweight aluminium adjusters on the shoulder straps, and the Ultralite harnesses use them on both the shoulder and lap straps.

They are highly recommended for vehicles being shared between multiple drivers, and in general we always recommend upgrading to the aluminium adjusters due to their premium look and feel.

Standard Steel Adjusters
TRS 50mm Steel Adjuster

50mm (2") steel adjusters

TRS 75mm Steel Adjuster

75mm (3") steel adjusters

Premium Aluminium Adjusters
TRS 50mm Aluminium Adjuster

50mm (2") aluminium adjusters

TRS 75mm Aluminium Adjuster

75mm (3") aluminium adjusters

Pull Up or Pull Down Lap Strap Adjusters

Lap straps can be supplied with either pull down or pull up adjusters. 

We recommend pull down adjusters that sit approximately 12cm from the buckle. We recommend these so you have easy access to the adjuster, and they will definitely be positioned within the confines of the seat.

As standard, pull up adjusters will sit approximately 12cm from the fixing point at the end of the lap strap, making them difficult to access (they will be down by the sides of the seat), however we are happy to supply them if this is your preference. If you would like pull up adjusters that are a different distance from the fixing point, please contact us. We have supplied some customers with harnesses that have pull up lap adjusters that are 22cm from the fixing point but you would need to check to see if this would be right for your vehicle and the seat you have fitted.

Some harnesses, such as the TRS Caterham International 6 Point FIA Harness with Quick Adjuster (HANS Only) and Willans Caterham 4 Point Track Day Harness with Quick Adjuster include lap adjusters that are integrated with the buckle, to ensure the adjusters are always accessible and the maximum amount of adjustment is available.

Cost of Shipping Caterham Harnesses

All orders in the United Kingdom, including Highlands, Islands and Northern Ireland are shipped carriage free. We also ship to:

You can view the latest carriage charges for these areas on the harness product pages and on our Shipping Charges page.

UK VAT of 20% is removed from all export orders, including the Channel Islands.

Delivery Times

Our range of Caterham harnesses are all made in the UK. The turnaround is fast as we have negotiated this with our manufacturers.

The estimated delivery times are shown on each listing, but we often deliver even quicker.

Once the harnesses are ready to be dispatched, they are shipped on a next day service (UK mainland) and express services to the rest of the world.

Willans or TRS?

Not sure which brand to choose? It is similar to choosing between Volkswagen and Audi, or Rolls Royce and Bentley. The quality of TRS and Willans harnesses is like-for-like, and both companies produce excellent harnesses.

Some customers will have memories of Willans from the Jackie Stewart days, when they were pioneers of safety harnesses, and will therefore feel some allegiance to the Willans brand. Others will prefer the TRS brand and its association with all forms of modern motorsport. Also, some harnesses in the Willans and TRS ranges will have different features, and this may well help determine your choice.

At the Cobra Seats Shop we are big fans of all of these brands and are very happy to recommend either of them to our customers.

You can click here to view our buying guide to the TRS range: TRS Harnesses Explained

Why Buy From Us?

Click here to view the full range of Caterham Harnesses

Click here to view our Caterham Harnesses Comparison Table