Questions about Rally Gear

"Haimatox" (haimatox) 02/25/2014 at 14:58 • Filed to: Rally

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NOTE: I'm reposting this because it got pushed way down, so nobody saw it.

Hey Oppo,

So I'm looking to get into rally co-driving (thanks Dusty!). Obviously safety is paramount here, so good gear is important.

That said, I'm running on a budget. It's not the tightest budget, but I won't be spending more than $2000. I want as high-quality stuff for as my budget allows, but I also want the gear to be legal for as long as possible (don't want to buy more up-to-date stuff).

Do any of you Opponauts have any recommendations? Here's a rough idea of some of the gear I would get.
Helmet- Sparco J Pro-i HANS Intercom Helmet SA2010
HANS- HANS Performance Sport II 20° HANS Device Medium
Suit- Alpinestars GP Start Race Suit
Underwear & Balaclava- Undecided

d1ck > Haimatox 02/25/2014 at 15:08

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Don't forget your boot and gloves. I just went for the cheapest gear with SFI 3.2a / 5 rating when I bought mine. I also have a Hybrid Pro Rage which is allegedly better in side impacts than a HANS.

Haimatox > d1ck 02/25/2014 at 15:10

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But as a co-driver, gloves (and often boots) aren't needed.

d1ck > Haimatox 02/25/2014 at 15:40

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As a co-driver you would be silly to 'save' the cost of these items, only to get severe burns on your extremities in the event of a fire. Boots and gloves are literally the cheapest items aside from a balaclava. The whole point of a suit it to protect you in the case of a fire. Why stop there?

Dusty Ventures > Haimatox 02/25/2014 at 15:41

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Ok, so first off longevity. Pretty much all the suits currently being worn are FIA 8856-2000. I haven't heard anything about these becoming obsolete anytime soon, so no worries there. For helmets you want something that's either SNELL 2010 (will expire in 2020) or FIA 8858-2010.

Here's what I'm currently rocking

Helmet: Peltor G79 ($700)
Suit: Sparco Pro Cup 10 ($600)
Neck Restraint: Simpson Hybrid ($1,170)
Balaclava/underwear: None
Total: $2,470

That's not far off your budget ceiling, and I wasn't by any means going for the cheapest gear out there. As for the gear you listed, the Alpinestars suit is a good suit and costs about the same as the Sparco. There's no wrong choice between the two.

The helmet is a bit of a concern. Most rally cars (I'd say 99.8%) have either a Stilo or a Peltor intercom installed. Each is wired differently and has different plugs (because these guys are bastards and they know that if they make an intercom that only works with their brand of helmets/headsets they'll sell more helmets/headsets). There are, fortunately, adapters available that make it possible to plug a Peltor helmet into a Stilo intercom, or vice versa. The Sparco helmet plug looks similar to a Peltor plug, but there's a good chance it's slightly different and only designed to fit Sparco intercoms. I think you can see where I'm going with this. This is why I just went and forked over the extra cash for a Peltor helmet, to avoid the headache. If, however, you're willing to go a little DIY to save some scratch, you can get pretty much any open face helmet and install one of these headsets.

Now for the HANS. Simply put, I hate them. I think the HANS is an outdated design that is less safe than it's competition and has only stayed at the forefront of the neck restraint market through clever marketing (such as making themselves the official and only allowed restraint of NASCAR), (alleged) bribes, and suing the crap out of any design that looks even remotely close to theirs. The shortcomings of the design are even more pronounced in rough terrain competition such as rally and desert racing. The constant up and down bouncing can cause even the best belts to slowly loosen. Tight belts are the ONLY thing that keeps the HANS in place to do it's job. If a loose belt slips off one side of the HANS it makes the device more dangerous instead of less. This has happened a few times in desert races and, while not conclusively proven, it is suspected that this contributed to a handful of neck and back injuries.

So, let's talk about the Hybrid. Like the HANS the Hybrid line (there are multiple versions) relies on the belts, the difference is that's not the only thing the Hybrid uses. It wraps itself around your torso, using your body as an anchor point, and it attaches to the harness at the central locking point, where shoulder belts loosening isn't an issue. The Hybrid is considered by most to be a superior design than the HANS, and many say it is the safest restraint on the market. I also find it much more comfortable. I once wore it into a restaurant because I forgot I was wearing it. Mine cost over a grand, because I went for the top shelf model, but you can get a FIA-legal Hybrid Pro for $660 (BTW, this + Peltor helmet + Alpinestars suit = $1960. In budget!). I suggest getting a FIA-legal model over a SFI legal version because the FIA restraint can be used globally while the SFI version is pretty much only legal in the states (the two different versions use different clips on the helmet). Best of all, Safe Drives (the site I linked to) has a rent-to-own program for the Hybrid restraints. You pay $100 plus shipping for every race week you rent the device until you reach the purchase price of the version you want. That's how I was able to afford my Hybrid.

Dusty Ventures > d1ck 02/25/2014 at 15:41

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Gloves and pace note books don't get along, like at all. Even at the WRC level co-drivers don't wear them

d1ck > Dusty Ventures 02/25/2014 at 15:44

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I've done it and had no problems, as have all of my navigators. Say what you want but no way is my ass ever going in a race car without full fire protection, and in my opinion you're crazy if you don't think that way as well.

Dusty Ventures > d1ck 02/25/2014 at 15:49

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Fair enough. I'll just keep being crazy along with Elena, Mills, Patterson, Antilla, Minor, Leitenen, and all the others ;) I'd rather that than not be able to feel that I just turned two pages and end up calling the wrong notes.

d1ck > Dusty Ventures 02/25/2014 at 16:20

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I'm not trying to sound like a dick (harharhar) here but I 100% stand by what I said.

Dusty Ventures > d1ck 02/25/2014 at 17:31

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And I respect that. All the same I'll stick to my established methods

Haimatox > Dusty Ventures 02/26/2014 at 09:57

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Thanks for the help. Would the Hybrid require me to purchase different helmet posts or other hardware from the ones provided with most helmets?

Dusty Ventures > Haimatox 02/26/2014 at 10:11

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It does require different posts. The photo above is of the FIA Hybrid helmet post, attached to the hybrid tether in the top, detached in the bottom (this also is a good way to show one of the other things I love about the Hybrid. To quickly unhook the restraint from the helmet you just grab the neon cords and pull, giving you back full movement of your head. Great when you finish a stage and don't have time to take helmet and neck restraint off but need to be able to look sideways to check cross traffic). Fortunately the replacement posts come with the neck restraint. If you get a helmet with HANS posts pre-installed all you need to do is unscrew the posts and swap in the Hybrid posts. You can even use the same backing thread plate as the HANS posts (the part on the inside of the helmet that the posts screw into. I went through exactly this when I got my Peltor helmet, it came with the HANS posts.

Haimatox > Dusty Ventures 02/26/2014 at 10:24

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So that's the $65 option for "M6 Hardware" you see on the website? And would you recommend the sliding or fixed tethers?

Dusty Ventures > Haimatox 02/26/2014 at 10:35

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Yeah, to be FIA-legal you need the upgraded M6 hardware. Otherwise you get the SFI-legal D-ring type clasps shown above. I'd definitely suggest the sliding tethers.

Haimatox > Dusty Ventures 02/26/2014 at 11:28

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What have you heard about the OMP Jet 10? The size of the Jet would be more fitting to my head than the Peltor. It's roughly the same price as well. I was wondering if you know anybody who has one and could vouch for it.

Dusty Ventures > Haimatox 02/26/2014 at 11:36

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I don't know anyone offhand who uses it, but OMP is a good brand and the helmet looks great. It won't make you look like a Spaceball like mine does.