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I'm buying a Hans this week. I don't want to get into what restraint is better or why but just want to know should I spend the extra $65 and get quick disconnect tethers or are standard just fine? Thanks!
Edit: I don't have a particular place picked out to buy from as they all are the same price with free shipping. If there is some deal somewhere you know of I'm in.
The quick disconnect is up to you - most of the time it is not needed. Then again, most of the time a HANS is not needed... You use it on the chance that one day you will need it.
The HANS has been around for a while now. For some reason there are a lot of drivers that run in series requiring their use that have several of them. If you have any connections to any pro teams or drivers I would ask around to see if anyone has a used one to sell. We got ours, lightly used, for $500 - with the quick disconnect.
Thanks Team SSR.... so you are saying, the time the quick disconnect comes in use would be say in the event of a fire for instance and you needed to get out quick? It appeared to me most guys leave the HANS connected to the helmet all the time and you'd get out of the car with the device still connected to the helmet on your head. Maybe I have a big misunderstanding, how often or when are you guys detaching the HANS from your helmet?
Thanks for the tip, my car is at a shop right now that runs MX-5 Pro Cup cars, I'll ask them.
When talking to the Hans dealer I bought mine from I noticed the quick disconnects on display. When I asked I sensed he was a little uncomfortable with them as it introduces another point of failure. He claimed they do not use them in Europe.
I have a HANS with the QDs and it may have saved my life. Aside from the NutDriver.org ITA/IT7 car, we also have an SPU Baby Grand. I was running at Rockingham back in March when I had engine problems and headed towards the pits. As I turned off of pit road, heading toward my garage, the car stalled. I was trying to restart it when the overflow from my damaged carbs ignited. In my pre-race prep, I'd failed to pull the transport pin in my Firebottle system, so when I pulled the toggle, nothing happened. Due to my growing mid-section, I've installed a funnycar-type escape hatch in the roof. When I saw smoke being propelled under pressure through the dash vents, I panicked. I found the handles, popped the roof, and promptly forgot how to unlatch the camlock. (higher level of panic reached). As the smoke is coming through at a faster rate, I am really getting concerned. I don't waste the time pulling the steering wheel off and go to get out. I first hit my head on part of the halo, and it sits me back down. I go to get out again, and the HANS hangs on the B-pillar part of the halo (bad engineering on the escape hatch on my part). I get bounced back to the seat. I go for a third time and hang the HANS again. At this point, folks are coming running with fire extinguishers (thanks to F&C and to Mike Pressley). At this poin I (unadvisedly) pop the QDs on the HANS, yank off my helmet, and successfully extricate myself from the seat. As I get head-and-shoulders out of the roof, some big@$$ed F&C dude grabs me and "helps me to safety". Thank goodness for him. Don't want to try to point you in one way or the other on the QDs. In my situation, the problems were due to my errors, my panic, and my bad engineering. However, I wonder what the outcome may have been if I hadn't been able to get the HANS off as quickly as I did. Just my $0.02 worth.
Scott "Lance calls me Sparky" Franklin
ITA/IT7 and SPU
www.NutDriver.org
Like someone said previously, the use of QD tethers will be up to you based on your needs and car configuration. Most roadracers use the standard tethers unless they are using a full containment seat. Most dragracers and circle track racers get the QD tethers. With a full containment seat, it can be difficult to get your gloved hands up around your anchors. The the free end of the QD tethers can be attached to the front of your helmet with velcro and easily grabbed providing a quick release from everything if needed or more comfortable. If you don't have a full containment seat, most people use the standard tethers. It just takes a couple of seconds of practice to get them off if you need to. Everyone should practice getting out of the car in different emergencies.
dickita15, I would like to know what dealer you were talking about. You can email me at hbennett at hansdevice.com.
Howard Bennett
HANS Performance
My driver/son takes his helmet off separate from the Hans. He can can get out of the car rapidly with the Hans still connected to the helmet. It's pretty difficult to put the helmet on in the car with the Hans, so he usually gets in and out with the helmet on - so quick disconnecting/connecting is not a big deal outside of an emergency situation in our case.