Hooker Harness adjustments

Folks,

I have received a set of Hooker Harnesses for my RV6 via Classic Aero and am finding them EXTREMLY difficult to adjust.
They have wire springs fitted to the adjusters which may be a new feature, and which Hooker advise are there to avoid the adjusters "slipping" & the harness loosing tension.

I do admit to being older than average with slightly arthritic shoulders but have no problems with other harnesses in GA aircraft that I fly.

My previous inquiries to these forums before I purchased the Hookers evoked the response that pilots who had purchased them "loved their Hookers" (excuse the play on words).

Has anybody else experienced these problems? Has anybody else got these springs fitted? If so how have they managed?

Hookers say quote..
" It is acceptable to remove the springs from the adjusters. In most situations the minimal amount of slippage without the spring will not be noticed. " Unquote

I have also found the length to be marginal, i.e. they are too long so that when the straps are pulled tight the adjusters foul the thicker section of the harness.

Your feedback would be highly appreciated.

Thanks
Graham
New Zealand.

Hi Graham,

I can't comment as my hooker harnesses aren't installed yet, but if you want to borrow mine to fly with for a bit to compare, you're welcome to - I'm in Nelson and can post them to you.

Cheers,

Hugh

Where are you in NZ Graham?
I have Hooker harnesses that don't have springs in the adjusters in my 7A in Tauranga.
I don't have any issues with the length or adjustments.
Jim

Happywithmine

Hi

I have 30hours on mine. Bit hard to get used to in the beginning.

But mine does take some effort to adjust, not sure if it has got the springs or not. I would not say it's any harder to adjust than any other GA harnesses.

I am however extremely happy with the, very comfortable and easy to lock,and unlock.

AJ

I have removed the springs and find them easy to use and they do not slip. If you are unhappy with the length of the webbing you should contact Hooker and have them make adjustments. They are VERY friendly folks.

I use a spring only on the crotch strap. I have found the crotch strap never needs adjustment and did slip some with time (until Hooker installed the spring for me). The lap and shoulder belts are find without the springs.

Regarding the length, you may be able to take up extra length at the attachment points. (On mine, the shoulder straps are secured with sliders so they are easy to adjust.)

If your set-up is not easily adjustable at the anchor ends, contact the folks at Hooker. They are very helpful.

Good luck,

Yup, a pain to adjust ...

I have Hooker sport sets (5 pt) and have from the get-go found them a pain to adjust. So do all my pilot friends when they ride with me. Even when we follow the directions about "pull the tab away from the buckle and then adjust length" it doesn't help. The lap belts are the worst; the shoulder harnesses are the easiest. As someone else said, the crotch belt seldom requires adjustment. And yes, my other RV friends who have other brands of belts/harnesses seem to have no such problem with adjustments. Given Hookers' reputation and general high quality, I'm shocked they're so hard to adjust.

I have not removed the wire springs from mine .... Yet.

Terry

What Smokey said.
Remove the springs.
They will work great.

They get a little easier with use, and it helps to add a double sided velcro tie wrap on the adjustment buckle. You can slip a finger or thumb in it, lift, and make your adjustments. They ARE a bit stiff.

Don

ronschreck said:

I have removed the springs and find them easy to use and they do not slip. If you are unhappy with the length of the webbing you should contact Hooker and have them make adjustments. They are VERY friendly folks.

Click to expand...

Gents

Thanks for all of your informative replies. I shall remove the sprigs at least from the waist straps.

Can anybody advise how to remove the springs without cutting them?

Probably very difficult to explain in words.

Thanks
Graham

Graham

My issue was the opposite of yours. When I purchased my Hooker harnesses (somewhere around 2004) there were no clips in them. I found the belts, especially the shoulder belts, continually loosening especially in turbulence. This greatly concerned me as I did not want my head to hit the canopy during turbulence and either crack the canopy or knock me out. I flew with this situation for several years and finally while at Oshkosh a few years ago I stopped at the Hooker booth and asked them what they suggested I do. They said, "Well, we could install some clips in them. That should stop the slippage." So I sent my harnesses in and they added the clips at no charge.

The clips have indeed helped reduce the slippage but it still occurs during every flight. Just not as often as pre-clips. During turbulence, I still find myself tightening the shoulder harnesses frequently.

So my 2 cents is to keep the clips.

As to the seat belt portion of the harness, mine does slip but is mostly an issue during maneuvers that lift you out of the seat such as recovery from takeoff (power on) stalls or inverted flight. This is just as serious, if not more so, an issue as turbulence. While practicing high angle of attack power on stalls, I have literally been lifted out of the seat during the pushover to recovery where my feet lifted off the rudder pedals and the stick was barely within reach. At Oshkosh 2014, I stopped by the Hooker booth to inquire about their ratchet system so that I could prevent just such an occurrence. Unfortunately, Hooker will only sell the ratchet with a double seat belt arrangement (two belts rather than one for your seat). For an RV8 this would create quite a bulky setup that I don't care to adopt. So I'm going to look around for other solutions/sources.

Meanwhile, I'm keeping the clips installed. For me, they are much better than no clips.

Chris