please take a seat...........

[Oldred_V8S]

phillpot said:

Too heavy

alluminium much easy to cut, drill and tap (and cheaper!)

What size of bolt (and length( did you go for Mike?

[phillpot]

Hi Paul, bolts are M8 x 50mm


Might sound quite long but by the time they've gone through my amazing brackets, the carpets and the floor then a big penny washer and Nylok nut there are not too many threads left exposed.

[v8s4me]

On the subject of "taking a seat", I may have two MX5 Driver's seats becoming available in a month or so. PM me if interested.

Back to Phillpot's original post now

[Oldred_V8S]

phillpot said:

Hi Paul, bolts are M8 x 50mm


Might sound quite long but by the time they've gone through my amazing brackets, the carpets and the floor then a big penny washer and Nylok nut there are not too many threads left exposed.

Many thanks Mike.

[phillpot]

Thought I'd try some rubber washers between underside of floor and penny washers...........



centre hole is punched smaller than 8mm so they should seal onto the bolts (that's the theory anyway)


do you realise how difficult it is to find an old inner tube these days!

[glenrobbo]

phillpot said:

do you realise how difficult it is to find an old inner tube these days!

Why not just use some old heavy-duty condoms to knock up a few washers Mike?
It's not as if we're likely to knock anything else up, is it?

[magpies]

glenrobbo said:

Why not just use some old heavy-duty condoms to knock up a few washers Mike?
It's not as if we're likely to knock anything else up, is it?

[Kitchski]

phillpot said:

Popular solution seems to be a nut to tighten the bolt into the runner then "penny washers" to help spread the load when seat is refitted.




Not over impressed with this idea, a lot of weight on a relatively small area, my first "solution" was to use strips of wood with holes big enough to clear the nuts in place of the washers. Weight (even my slender figure) now spread as originally over full length of runners.

This is by far the easiest and most effective way of curing this problem, in my opinion. Many mass-produced cars have seats that are anchored at four points, as opposed to spreading the load across the runner. Some Chimaeras and Griffiths also came with a similar setup from the factory, and though everybody likes to pick at the way TVR mounted their seats, I don't actually know of a case where anybody's seat actually came out.
Also, the fact that the seat slides freely once mounted suggests the runners are not under any undue stress.

I'd also suggest that if anybody's seat mounting breaks away when they sit on it, the problem isn't probably isn't the seat

We've all got different views and opinions of course, but I've never had an issue mounting the seats in that way. The only drawback I can see is that it raises your seat the thickness of a penny washer and nut. I stand to gain from increase height from the deck, but the taller people might not

[phillpot]

Kitchski said:

Many mass-produced cars have seats that are anchored at four points, as opposed to spreading the load across the runner.

But they tend to have metal floors

[Kitchski]

phillpot said:

Kitchski said:

Many mass-produced cars have seats that are anchored at four points, as opposed to spreading the load across the runner.

But they tend to have metal floors

Yes, but your point was that the runners were not evenly supported. This would be the case whether the floors are GRP, or metal, or wood, or whatever. Surely?

The main variable there isn't the runners, it's the fact the seats are anchored to something more substantial. I myself have thought about making metal frames to spread the load of the seats in the event of an accident, but concluded that in the event of a front-ender, the bit that will try to fly out of the vehicle with the most force will be the driver, who will be restrained by the seatbelt and thus restrain the seat itself.
In the event of a rear impact, the seat may well try to rip out of the GRP at the front base, but it can only tip backwards a couple of inches or so, until it hits the bodytub.

I mean, if you enjoy the tinkering and modifying things then it's all good, but I have used nuts like that for years now, and would (personally) advise anyone who's done the same and is now worrying about it, not to worry.

[phillpot]

Kitchski said:

I myself have thought about making metal frames to spread the load of the seats in the event of an accident

Nothing to do with possible accidents, I just don't see having that having 15+ stone of lardy arsed driver sat on four washers as particularly "good engineering".

Kitchski said:

advise anyone who's done the same and is now worrying about it, not to worry.

I don't think it is "bad engineering" to the point that anyone should be worrying about it if that is how their seats are secured, but there are ,imho, better inexpensive ways of doing it

[zombeh]

phillpot said:

But they tend to have metal floors

Full of cracks from the poorly supported seat mounts that you have to stop drill and weld up

[GreenV8S]

Kitchski said:

I myself have thought about making metal frames to spread the load of the seats in the event of an accident

Tower View made up some seat brace bars for me that bolt to the outrigger and provide a rigid support for the seat - they stiffen the seat up considerably. In normal driving with the standard seats you probably wouldn't notice the difference, but with a seat that provides lateral support I can feel the difference. I've seen seats torn out of the floor after an accident and the brace bars would obviously prevent that too.

[greymrj]

phillpot said:

Nothing to do with possible accidents, I just don't see having that having 15+ stone of lardy arsed driver sat on four washers as particularly "good engineering".

Having done a sophisticated series of stress calculations while lying under the car, I conclude that my more modest figure is adequately supported