Side mount bucket Seats

[(steven)]

Has anyone got any tips on how to fit side mount buckets seats into a car.

I wondering about trying to get some more headroom in my Mx5 track car but want to make sure the seat stays put in an accident.

I am assuming just bolt through a flat place in the floor and through a chunky piece of metal the other side to act as a spreader plate.

[muckymotor]

To mount them properly two bars should be welded width ways to bolt the side mounts to. There's the risk that if the seats are just bolted to the floor, even using reinforcement, they may rip through in the event of an accident. Car floors tend to be uneven too so getting them level could be another problem.

[tertius]

There must be mounting points in the floor that the regular seats bolt to? These will be strong enough the question will be are they in the right place?

If they are in the wrong place could you get custom seat mounts made up that bolt to the normal floor bolt points but also position the seat correctly? I did this for my car.

[shim]

you can fit mounts like these to existing bolt positions on most cars and then attach the runner and then side mounts for the bucket on top

nice and sturdy and not as heavy as welded plate or made up bars

http://store.nexternal.com/shared/StoreFront/defau...

[lewis s]

Judging by how the seats are mounted in my Chim (bolted to the fibreglass with penny washers) i doubt ultimate strength is really needed as all of the force in an accident would be taken by the seat belt.

From all of the pictures of TVR accidents i have seen all of the seats have stayed put?

[WorAl]

lewis s said:

Judging by how the seats are mounted in my Chim (bolted to the fibreglass with penny washers) i doubt ultimate strength is really needed as all of the force in an accident would be taken by the seat belt.

From all of the pictures of TVR accidents i have seen all of the seats have stayed put?

Arent TVR Seats bolted to Tubes running across the car linked to the Spine and the outrigger? I'm pretty sure mine are.

[Herman Toothrot]

The OEM MX5 mounts (where the seat sub frame bolts to) are raisedm, pressed 1mm steel plates with captive nuts that are spot welded with about 8 spots to the floor.

Hole's drilled in the floor and spreader plates spot welded to the underside will be more sturdy than the OEM setup.

To fit sidemount seats or base mount without runners you will have to remove the OEM mounts (drill out the spot welds) else you have no hope of getting the seat flat.

[juliann]

lewis s said:

i doubt ultimate strength is really needed as all of the force in an accident would be taken by the seat belt.

Please don't perpetuate that myth. There have been a number of deaths where seat mountings have failed and fatal injuries attained from contact with the interior of the car (I'm not taking about any particular marque). The seat belt, or harness, is only designed to work in conjunction with a properly fixed and orientated seat.

Edited by juliann on Tuesday 19th January 18:30