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View Full Version : Seats for my bucket :)



Boban
16-08-2006, 10:48 PM
Ok ladies and gents, since i found your help so useful last time i had a problem, i thought you lot could help me again.

Now before all of you start saying use the search function n00b, i have alredy and i couldn't find anything useful.

http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/1692/1408062053eb8.th.jpg (http://img150.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1408062053eb8.jpg) http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/3769/1708062033fi8.th.jpg (http://img143.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1708062033fi8.jpg)
So here goes. I just bough some bucket seats (2) for my civic sedan and i'm having a bit of trouble fitting it in. I got a set of rails (2 pairs for 2 seats :p ) but they didn't come with actuall mounting brackets which bolt on to the car chasis. My problem is that the bucket seat rails are about 10cm (9.5cm to be exact) narrower than my stock honda ones which means some 'customisation' will be required to make them fit. I have 2 options that i've come up with:
1) use the new rails that came with the seats and make up some brackets (parts that bolt onto the car) in some weird shape so they are 10cm (approx) wider than the rails, this one would be alot harder to do, or
2) since my stock rails and the new rails are fairly similar in size, i can take the bottom part of the rail (the seat slides back and forth on these) with the mounting bracket and fit it onto the top part of the new rail (they will fit, i checked) and than by welding 2 pieces of metal spread the rails further appart and bolt the seat into those 2 bits of metal instead of bolting it onto the actual rails. This seems to be an easier option, however, i am worried that the seat will sag over time so i need to reinforce the space between the rails (perhaps by welding an 'lXl' <----from one corned to the other) which would make it stronger. Another problem is that if i use the bottom OEM slider and put it with the top of the new slider, i won't have any way of locking the seat in (ie stop it from sliding back and forward) since the handles (one you pull up to unlock/lock the seat in place) are on opposite side and therefore will be non-existent on the new rail combo. So i will need to make up some sort of locking mechanism to keep the seat in place.

Sorry to write so much but it's hard to explain without the pictures, and i don't know how to post them up yet (n00b)

Thanx for all the help ladies and gents. I'll let you know how it goes, and they will be in the car even if i have to superglue them in :p

Edit: pics added. as you can see the rails are only the sliders without any mounting brackets on them. And they are narrower than the honda rails so i need to spread them appart my welding a --->lXl <----in between the rails as well as a piece up top and bottom (so it looks like a square with an X inside it)

roar
16-08-2006, 11:43 PM
i didn't want to read all that block,

but from what i read, your best bet is to buy some rails that fit your seat/car...

if youre adament on customising the rails, don't do a dodge job, the strength of this component can very well save your life one day

joyride
17-08-2006, 11:33 AM
yeah that is hard to read but if the sets you bought are universal, you can use the OEM rails and modify either the seat or rails to fit each other.

jdm_kid
17-08-2006, 11:53 AM
will have to get a engineers cert if modifying and customising the rails

Boban
17-08-2006, 08:15 PM
Yeah sorry guys for the above novel but it's hard to explain without any pics. Modifying the rails will be easier for me to do as i have a friend who can do all the welding for me for free, but i will have to get it certified, which i have no idea how to do (well contact the engeneer obviously) or how much it would be, or i could just pay some workshop to do it for me which will cost me around 200 per seat, will keep you posted.

fadz
17-08-2006, 08:59 PM
engineers want roughly $500 and al theyl do is engineer it, not weld it on or do anything to the seats.

joyride
18-08-2006, 10:01 AM
500 bucks just to certify the seats is a rort... unless you get him to go through all your modifications to the car and have him approve it.
i changed EVERYTHING on my car and the certification only cost 450 bucks.

Boban
19-08-2006, 10:20 PM
Thanx for all the replies guys. I think i might go and buy another set of rails from a wrecker and use those instead of stuffing up my ones. That way i can use the seats for track when i need them and if i have any problems put the stock ones in, til i save up some money and have the thing engeneered. Anyone know how much roughly the stock rails are, i haven't had a chance to call up any wreckers yet because of work, and it's sunday tomorrow so i won't have any ideas til monday. Also, if anyone has bought aftermarket rails for their car can you let me know where and how much. Appreciate all the help.

Thanx
Boban