[JGrove]

Hello everyone. I just recieved my Schroth Rallye 3 harness for the driver's side. So, I documented the install. But first, some back ground:

My seat belts were shot. They were very worn and the reels were not locking at all. I couldn't get it replaced by Honda, because my Prelude has a salvage title. I didn't really trust grabbing one from the junk yard, as they would most likely be in similar condition to mine.

Now, why the Schroth Rallye 3? Easy. Schroth Rallye 3, Rallye 4, Rallye Cross, Auto Control II and III all are compliant with FMVSS 209. That makes them DOT approved and street legal. They incorparate ASM (Anti Sub-Marining), allowing your inboard shoulder and hip rotate first (though minimal) to keep from rebounding and sliding under the lap belt. And as Schroth says on their web site, in Germany you can order you BMW with these harnesses as an option. So good, The Ultimate Driving Machine uses them as OE. On to the install.

These are made side specific and I am installing the driver's side.

I'm doing this as a replacement, as in, removing my old belts and installing these. However, you can have both and I'll tell you when and where it'll make a difference.

INBOARD SIDE
First things first, unbolt your seat. There's 4 bolts, one and each corner. The plastic caps pop off easily with the exception of the inner rear most cover. It has a philips head screw securing it.



Now disconnect the wiring to the buckle and yank the seat out. Remember, lift with your legs and keep your back straight. Si seats weigh in at around 45 lbs. If your keeping your belts, leave the wire alone for now. If you're ditching yours, tuck it back under the carpet where it comes out.



Now, remove this trim piece over the belt buckle, held on by a philips head screw



Surprise! The buckle doesn't mount there. But we still need it off. The buckle mounts underneath inside the seat rail, with this monster 17mm bolt.



Unbolt it. Now, if your keeping your belts, leave the buckle and wiring alone. If your ditching them, you can either cut the wires or unbolt the seat from the rail and slip them out.



Get your harness. route the shoulder straps under the headrest, pinch it down. Tuck the door side mount in between the seat bottom and back like the second picture. Now route the inboard mount in between the seat and rail and line up the bolt whole with the mount in the rail/ with the buckle and the mount in the rail. Use the hardware I've used as demonstrated.





Bolt her down to 30lb/ft. torque.
Now for the trim peice. Cut the section I did to clear the harness strap. Try to do it better than me. Shouldn't be hard once you finish, mount it back onto the seat.




Once done, bolt the seat back in and pop the covers back on.
1 DOWN, 2 TO GO!

DOOR SIDE
You could use the rearmost seat mount, but that would require bending the mounting tab on the harness and could also have clearance issues with the seat rail backing over it if your anything taller than 5 foot. So USDM, I present the seat belt mount we never got to use:



Pop the rear seat cushin (if you have one), carefully pop the plastic uphostry clip, and pull your carpet back at the rear seat well, out from under the door sill. Look at the carpet at about were the reinforced mount sits. It should be dirty and round (comes from under the chassis), making a perfect stencil to cut your carpet. DO IT NAO!

Use this hardware is my suggestion.


Lay the carpet back down, under the door sill,and clip back in. Thread in the hardware, and torque it down to 30lb/ft again. Make sure the harness mout tab is at around 45* from the floorboard. This will minimize binding or the lap belt


2 Done! Last 1 Has Choices!!?!

That's right. That also depends.

Differences in Schroth 4 point ASM products and construction.

The Rallye 3 & 4 and the Auto Control II & III are, for the most part, the same harness. They vary at the shoulder tail strap(s). All have quick disconnect of the shoulder straps. The Quick release buckles are reversed on the Rallyes versus the Auto Controls. As in, the tail strap on the Auto Control is Male and the tail strap on the Rallye is Female. Keeps the crafty consumer from buying a cheaper harness and upgrading it at less than they sell the Auto Control.

Rallye 3 and 4 have interchangable tail straps. If you got a 3, you can buy and use the 4 tail strap and vice versa. Difference? Rallye 3 has one tail strap, 4 has 2. This is for flexability of mounting. Only got one viable mounting point, go with a 3. Got 2 and 4 is much better. The 4 will center the tail strap, where as the 3 will mount off set using factory mounts.

The Auto Control II & III are like the Rallye 3, but with an inertia reel that locks up at .5 g load in any direction. This allows comfortable range of motion while cruising just like your factory seat belt, but when its business time BAM!! Racecar! Really, these are the perfect DD 4 point harnesses. Especially since they are street legal. Difference? II has 2" straps, III has, you guessed it, 3" straps.

There is also the Rallye Cross. It has no tail strap disconnect and is ment to be a permanent solution. Available as either bolt down or wrap (for roll bars/cages). It also has ASM, Bright red release button and as safe and street legal as the others.
Enough of this didactic blabbering.

Shoulder Tail Strap Mounting

With the Rallye 3, you may choose either the C pillar rear seat belt hanger mount, or the rear seat belt buckle mount.




I chose the C-pillar cuz....I got work to do on the floor . Straight forward, use the hardware that I chose or anything that works best if your keeping your rear belts too. Just be sure to mount the harness tab under the rear belt hanger to the pillar if your keeping them



Torque it down to 30 lb/ft again. Try to keep the mounting tab Horizontal if your going c-pillar, vertical if seat buckle. Reinstall your rear seat

TKO!!! SHE'S DONE!!!



Last steps are adjusting the staps to you. Fallow the directions supplied with your harness.

I hope this writeup was helpfull and maybe it answer your questions. It sure was fun to do. If you do have questions, I'll answer them the best I can.

[JDM86lude]

wow great write up i hope it gets sticky hey why didnt u go with takata or can u not do it that way with takata.

[hondaprelude1988s]

that looks sweet this should make a sticky

[FrozenStreaks]

Nice, work Link of where you bought yours from?

[mackie]

will this work on any 4/5 point harness?

[JGrove]

Originally Posted by JDM86lude

wow great write up i hope it gets sticky hey why didnt u go with takata or can u not do it that way with takata.

As kickass as i think the Takata harnesses are, I wouldn't have had a leg to stand on in court if an officer decided to Cite me for the harness. The Schroth 4 point harnesses have been tested and conform to FMVSS 209, making them DOT approved and street legal in the USA.
Thank you for your kind words

Originally Posted by hondaprelude1988s

that looks sweet this should make a sticky

Thank you for your apreciation!

Originally Posted by FrozenStreaks

Nice, work Link of where you bought yours from?

Actually, I bought mine second hand off ebay. The deal was too good to pass up. But here are some links where you can get them
http://www.schrothracing.com/store/Tuning
http://www.soloracer.com/schroth.html

Originally Posted by mackie

will this work on any 4/5 point harness?

I don't know for sure, but I imagine any harness with bolt down mounting tabs will fit the same way. On the rear tail straps, you could get away with using eyelet and clip attachment, and on the outboard lap, but the inboard mount is gonna have to be bolt down unless you want to drill and reinforce a new hole.

Thank you all for your positive feedback. Although the instructions for mounting are very easy, I hate having to decide which way to go. I just wanted to simplify it and be specific for us 3rd genners. quite a few of our 5 gen members already rock these same harnesses.