Lowering seat?

911st · 04-19-2009, 01:20 PM

I really need more helmet room.

The thought is to lower the driver seat about 1.5 inch and I have some questions.

Will an 85 sport seat fit down and in between the side rail and shift tunnel?

I have read the fuel line is in the shift tunnel against the drivers side and that welding or drilling into the tunnel is a significant risk. Can I get more specific info as to what I need to worry about from the drivers side? Dose anyone have pictures?

Thank you for any help.

rothaus · 04-19-2009, 01:52 PM

See what happen when I tried to tap the holes

Be carefull when taping these holes !

Cheers

JP911 · JP911's Garage

Safest way to go is to remove the fuel lines. Just had my seat lowered and my mechanic (John Holleran) pulled the lines out to be safe. BTW, I love having the seat (almost) on the floor; feels like a more natural driving position.

mca · 04-19-2009, 03:19 PM

I can't help but I have the same problem. I have only been to the track once and I didn't feel comfortable in the seat with a helmet - had to lean forward a bit and tilt my neck to keep it from hitting the roof. I am only 6' and I don't think my torso is especially long - maybe I have a long head or something.

Please let us know your ultimate solution. Too many threads go unresolved.

Many thanks,
Craig

911st · 04-19-2009, 03:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JP911

Safest way to go is to remove the fuel lines. Just had my seat lowered and my mechanic (John Holleran) pulled the lines out to be safe. BTW, I love having the seat (almost) on the floor; feels like a more natural driving position.

Are you still running the stock seat? Dose it fit down between the shift tunnel and the sill?

JP911 · JP911's Garage

Not running the stock seats any longer, but I have recaro seats on recaro sliders which match the dimensions of the factory sliders, so the stock seats should still fit.

Tom '74 911 · 04-19-2009, 05:18 PM

I cut out the stock mounting rails and welded in some new cross bars to get my seat as low as possible. I use a Recaro SPG and also have a SPG XL for the passenger side. You WILL melt the fuel lines in the tunnel if you don't pull them. I was planning to replace them anyway so I left them in to see what would happen - they melted. With the stock set-up, I didn't fit with my helmet on. Now there's plenty of room. I can post pics once I get my iPhoto library sorted from my move to Aperture!

Tom

911st · 04-19-2009, 07:14 PM

If I can not fit my sport seats between the shift tunnel and sill, I may hve to get race buckets or take out the SR.

Thank you for the help so far.

Bill Verburg · Bill Verburg's Garage

The lowest seats I've ever found for a 911 are the older series Recaro LS/KR/KRX series seats that mounted on a tabbed frame.

The current sidemounts might get you a little more room especially if you ditch the sliders, but w/o sliders there are other issues, it's awfully convienient to have sliders eevn on a full race car.

911st · 04-20-2009, 11:35 AM

I love my factory sport seats. I always move them back on the sliders to try to keep ware on the extreme side bolster down.

I wonder if I could just delete the factory slide and set the seat in a fixed position. That might get me 1" which should get me by.

The draw back is if someone else wants to drive the car.

Thx.

rw229 · 04-20-2009, 12:25 PM

I could use some head room as well and found this is posted over in the Tech Articles...

http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/911_tall_drivers/911_tall_drivers.htm

Has anyone tried this? Results?

911st · 04-20-2009, 12:31 PM

I am looking for more helmet room.

Can the drivers seat rail be removed and the seat bolted directly to the mounts without it?

I understand this would put the seat in a fixed position.

Thx.

911st · 04-20-2009, 12:41 PM

I should have looked first. At least on the sport seat the silder is part of the seat and not removable.

I am concluding that the seat will not fit down between the sill and tunnel. However, if the mounts are lowered 1.5" the mounts will. This may be my best option at the lowest cost.

My other option is to sell my sport seats and buy Recaros.

911st · 04-20-2009, 12:50 PM

Here is a great post on lowering the seat rail w/o welding on the tunnel.

No weld to tunnel seat lowering

911st · 04-20-2009, 01:29 PM

OK, what do I have to do to cut and weld on the tunnel (and sill).

Can I reach in through the parking brake and just pry or move the gas/brake lines away from the side.

I am thinking the best nearly stock method will be to cut down the stock mounts and welding them back in so I need to explore this.

Thanks again.

Quicksilver · 04-20-2009, 03:37 PM

I have short legs and a long torso. (Think of it as being 6'5" with part of the legs missing...) A lot more helmet room was required especially since I sit very upright when I drive.

I have the base of my seat a bit below the seat mounting rails. I'm using a side mount Cobra Suzuka. If you are coming down Orange County way contact me and I can sit you in it and see if it does enough for you.
The fit of the seat is tight. The door latch touches the left hand thigh bolster outside padding. The shift knob grazes the right hand high bolster's outside padding when you select 2nd gear. It is actually a great position for everything but there isn't room for more. (Wonder if a 915 pattern would make a difference...)

Anyway, tell me if your headed this way.

JP911 · JP911's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by 911st

Can I reach in through the parking brake and just pry or move the gas/brake lines away from the side.

The fuel lines sit in their own small tunnel within the larger tunnel and can't be pushed out of the way (they must be removed). They're positioned on the driver's side at the top of the tunnel. The rear brake line is in a similar position on the passenger's side, but it's held in place with clips.

Inniswhe · 04-20-2009, 05:24 PM

I believe one can see the spot welds outlining the smaller tunnel within a tunnel referred to above. When I performed my no weld nutsert method I drilled either below or above the fuel line tunnel to avoid - can't remember which way it was but I think I was below . At any rate I was able to totally avoid the fuel line issue. I did weld the lowered rails to the stubs of the former rails just above the floor so that I would not overheat the undercoating on the floor pan.

Worked quite well as I figured pulling the fuel lines would be a pain.

911st · 04-20-2009, 05:47 PM

Great info on the locations. So If I weld say up from the bottom 1" am I clear of the fuel line?

Inniswhe, Did your car have the seat belt attached to the seat. That looks like the first part that might bottom out if I drop the seat. Looks like I could just leave the carpet off in that area if needed. Good though on leaving the tabs to weld to.

I am also thinking of lowering the front of the rail a bit more as I have lifts in my seat and if I can lower the rear 1.5" and the front 2" I get another .25". Still thinking on this.

PcarPhil · 04-21-2009, 03:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 911st

I am concluding that the seat will not fit down between the sill and tunnel. However, if the mounts are lowered 1.5" the mounts will. This may be my best option at the lowest cost.

I agree - stock seats do not fit (well) trying to get them lower between the sill and tunnel. IIRC if you try the seat becomes even more offset to the steering wheel.

Miata size seats work well getting below the stock mounts.

I've also done a seatfoamectomy on stock seats. I wouldn't waste your time. Lower the seat rails, remove the sunroof assembly, or buy a non-sunroof chassis.

My current setup is a '77 non sunroof chassis, Recaro SRD seats, no slider on the drivers side, and custom drivers side mounts to position the seat directly in front of the steering wheel. Slightly modified stock rails (but not lowered). At 6'4" I've got plenty of headroom with my setup.