Drivers seat loose, not what you think

Weaver · 08-23-2006, 05:05 PM

Driving my '88 w/power seats today when I felt the drivers seat rocking back and forth while accelerating or getting on the brakes. While looking at it back at home I noticed it was basically loose at the right rear corner. I just thought the rail was coming loose so I went in to tighten it. Turns out both rails were tight, both ends.

So it turns out that the upper rail looks loosely connected to the lower rail. Almost like it need a shim inbetween the two. Or did it lose some ball bearings? To be honest, I have never removed seat rails from a 911, so I really don't know what is in there. I never move the seat, probably in a year or so.

Has anyone seen this before? Does my explaination make any sense at all?

Weaver · 08-23-2006, 05:36 PM

Oh my God! I just saw the prices of seat rails on PP. You have got to be kidding! Is it possible that rails just wear out? Man, if anyone has any experience with rail or maybe rebuilding rails, I would really appreciate some input.

tonypeoni · 08-23-2006, 05:42 PM

How many miles does your car have most of the time these seat rails last for at least 80k or so?

Weaver · 08-23-2006, 05:50 PM

Huh, its got 82K on it. I've never heard of a mileage for seat rails. On ebay I can buy one Recaro SPG kevlar race seat for the price of a right side seat rail. Cr@p

Oh Haha · 08-23-2006, 05:54 PM

My seats have a little "play" in them as well. I have removed them and tore them apart but didn't find any part that I could adjust. It seems the tang that fits into the slot just wears over time. I imagine a welder could build it back and file it for a precise fit. Too much work for me, though.
It's not unsafe or I would have done something about it long ago.

There are only four 10mm bolts(if original) holding the seats in. They are a PIA to get out. You need a short socket for this task.
Move the seat all the way forward to get to the rear bolts then all the way back for the fronts. I replaced mine with socket head bolts for easy in/out when needed. Hoep this helps.

tonypeoni · 08-23-2006, 05:57 PM

Just something Ive noticed with the 911s Ive owned. Taking into account that most of the time the seat is moved every time the car is exited . If a car has 80k highway miles then that would greatly increase their life span or maybe im just the only one that has to move the seat back to get out of a 911 with out bending my legs .

pjv911 · pjv911's Garage

used seat rails are fairly cheap and easy to find. Did you check the bolts from the rails to the seats themselves ? They should be 5mm allen head.

Kurt Williams

Weaver · 08-23-2006, 06:18 PM

Actually Kurt, I did not check seat to rail because i thought I saw the two halves of the rail moving apart from each other more than the other side. But I will check the seat when i get home next week. Its funny because I never ever move the seat. and I'm the only one who drives the car. I think

Thank you Kurt, Tony, and Wayne for your replies.

Wil Ferch · 08:03 AM

Lotta disinformation here !!!....

by mid 80's ....there were 6 ( not 4) bolts used.....two for the front and two ( in series) for the back....and these are IIRC...6mm socket head size ( not 5mm) ...on a core M8 bolt size IIRC....

BTW...what actually is "loose" ? ...the "sliders" ??? the two piece deal that slides amongst itself??? The "perches" are welded sheet metal structures welded to to the floor pan..don't wear out.

Factory sliders should cost $50 / each side ( used from dismantlers) last time I looked..but that was 3 years ago or so....

- Wil

emac · emac's Garage

What is all the fuss about ---- anyone ever heard of a rivet gun.
I would use heavy duty rivets

Oh Haha · 08-24-2006, 04:40 PM

Take the seats out and investigate the problem. Post pictures and then we can make an accurate call.

Thanks Wil, I didn't know they added two more bolts to the later car's mounts.

Zeke · 08-24-2006, 05:05 PM

I haven't worked on an '88 (yet; I'd like to be working on mine that doesn't exist

). but I don't think there are any bearings. There aren't in the cars a few years before. How much movement are you talking about? I've seen and driven in some pretty sloppy seat mountings and the only time I appreciably felt any movement was when the base was loose from the seat frame. I'd go with Kurt's suggestion that you look upwards for your problem.

BTW, I think those were the bolts he was referring to when he said 5mm. He was probably thinking of the ones that bolt to the perches, which have been a 5mm socket head in my cars until I got to the Boxster.

Wil Ferch · 06:31 PM

My 85 and most other Porsches I've worked on that were around that year used a 6mm socket head for the bolt that attaches the lower portion of the slider to the car's solid seat perches ( of the floor).

Can't vouch for the upside-down bolts that screw up into the seat through the top part of the slider.

Just checked this on the car in the garage...

Wil

Zeke · 08-24-2006, 07:16 PM

Wil, the 914 and early cars did use the 5mm. I went out and grabbed some out of my parts bin. There were 8 per seat. Don't know about the underside either, but that's where I'd look for this problem.

Weaver · 08-24-2006, 09:21 PM

Thanks for everyones replies. Sorry I've missed them, just got into Sonoma today and had to work.

What it looked like to me last night was if you grabed the upper rail you could pull it away from the lower rail about .125". Doesn't sound like much, but the seat moves around under braking. The six bolts to the perches are tight.

I thought I saw ball bearings inbetween the two rails, and the grooves in the lower rail are round with the approx. diameter of the bearing.

I will remove the seat sometime next week and take a closer look, maybe shot some pics.

Hopefully I don't have to search for one of those "lightly used" $50 rails.

Thanks for the input