Seat install?

[PatrickM]

So, I finally picked up a set of '74-'81 Sport seats for my car from a fellow Pelican. I removed the driver's comfort seat without much trouble. My question is this, how do I insert and tighten the 2 rear bolts that hold the rails to the floor? Should I bolt the rails in first and then sit the sport seat (ha) onto the rails and thread the allen bolts up through the rails into the seat? I don't see how else I am going to be able to access the rear slider to floor bolts. Please help.

Thanks, Patrick

[PatrickM]

Am I simply missing the obvious?

[VFR750]

You should be able to slide the seat far enough forward to get to them. But the tough part is getting a wrench on them. You have to have the right tool.

The right tool: Take a 10mm socket and grind a 12mm hex on the outside of the socket at the 1/4" drive end. Then you can slip the socket over the 6 point bolts (replace the cap screws with 6 point bolts) A 12mm open end wrench can now engage the flats on the socket, and let you turn the bolts.

There is not enough room to get a ratchet in there, so you need to replace the racket, with the open end wrench.

[PatrickM]

VFR750, thanks for the info. I think that there should be another way to do this.

[emac]

Pat

Install the REAR bolts first. With the front removed you will be able to push the seat up about 1" more. This will be just enough to get your wrench on. Just went through this about 6 mos ago.

[azasadny]

Originally Posted by emac

Pat

Install the REAR bolts first. With the front removed you will be able to push the seat up about 1" more. This will be just enough to get your wrench on. Just went through this about 6 mos ago.

Yep, this is the trick... it's a tight fit, but it will work. Lube the seat rails with lithium grease while you're at it...

[PatrickM]

Like mentioned in this earlier post, there is no way that my seats will move any farther forward, even if I remove the front bolts first.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showthread.php?t=266139&highlight=seat+install


Thanks, Patrick

[fred cook]

The original bolts for SC seats were allen bolts (at least they were in my SC). If you have to use a hex head bolt, Sears makes a set of hex converters that plug into a socket so that you can put a wrench on it. The set comes with 1/4" drive, 3/8" drive and 1/2" drive inserts. A lot easier than grinding a hex on the end of the socket! However, you really should be able to move the seat far enough forward on the track to access the bolt. Check to make sure that there is nothing jamming the track.

Good luck!

[Janusz]

Have you checked the sliders with the seats not installed to see if they move far enough back to get to the back bolt hole? I would have agreed with Ernie and Art having run into this myself. If you put in the front bolts first, the slider hits the front bolts, not allowing the slider to move forward all the way to get to the back bolts. The front bolt holes slide out further past the seat, so installing the back bolts first still gives you enough room to access the front of the slider. Must not be the case in your situation, so good luck.

[PatrickM]

Thanks for all of the tips, but the sliders slide over the bolts without any interference. I was going to replace all of the hex head cap screws with allen bolts, but I still cannot get to the rear ones. The sport seats just stick back too far to be able to get a tool onto the screw.

-Patrick

[fred cook]

Are the sliders mounted properly on the seats? Someone may have mounted the sliders too far forward, thus making it impossible to fit a wrench. Look to see if there are extra mounting holes on the sliders that would allow them to be moved backwards slightly.

[930LDR]

When I used to have to wrestle with a set of SRDs, I would install the rears first and then slide the seats all the way back. I used a shortened allen wrench to squeeze over the frame rail and below the seat. It sucked. I cursed every minute of it the two times that I had to remove and replace the seats.

I can't tell you how happy I am with a set of fixed back recaros and side mounts!