'72 bottom seat cover questions
11-25-2013, 06:50 PM
#1
Race Director
Thread Starter
'72 bottom seat cover questions
I have the seats out, and have sent off the seat belt assemblies for re webbing and rebuilding.
I discovered some PO didn't do a very good job of installing the seat covers, which appear to be fairly new. He seems to have simply rolled the material over the bottom ,and glued it to the inside of the frame surround. or at least glued it here and there.
Are these covers salvageable? if so, how is the cover attached to the seat frame? This is the worst of the two, but the drivers side is similar. The seat appear to have new foam installed also.
Also, how much play should the seat back exhibit between being settled in place, and moved forward until the release catch stops it from going forward?
My seat back seem to move around a lot, both on the seat back supports/hinges, and distance before the catch stops the seat from moving forward. Can this be adjusted out? Right now, the top of the seat back seems to move about 2"-3" before the release catch stops it. Maybe it is normal, but it just seems old and clapped out to me.
Thanks,
Doug
I discovered some PO didn't do a very good job of installing the seat covers, which appear to be fairly new. He seems to have simply rolled the material over the bottom ,and glued it to the inside of the frame surround. or at least glued it here and there.
Are these covers salvageable? if so, how is the cover attached to the seat frame? This is the worst of the two, but the drivers side is similar. The seat appear to have new foam installed also.
Also, how much play should the seat back exhibit between being settled in place, and moved forward until the release catch stops it from going forward?
My seat back seem to move around a lot, both on the seat back supports/hinges, and distance before the catch stops the seat from moving forward. Can this be adjusted out? Right now, the top of the seat back seems to move about 2"-3" before the release catch stops it. Maybe it is normal, but it just seems old and clapped out to me.
Thanks,
Doug
11-25-2013, 07:11 PM
#2
Melting Slicks
Glue?
They're not held onto the frame with glue.
They're missing the "S" clips.
Possible you could install the clips and salvage what you have.
Also looks like your springs are not installed using the necessary hooks, clips, or wires which allow the seat bottom/back to hold its correct shape.
They're not held onto the frame with glue.
They're missing the "S" clips.
Possible you could install the clips and salvage what you have.
Also looks like your springs are not installed using the necessary hooks, clips, or wires which allow the seat bottom/back to hold its correct shape.
Last edited by Hammerhead Fred; 11-25-2013 at 07:16 PM.
11-25-2013, 07:15 PM
#3
Race Director
i discovered some po didn't do a very good job of installing the seat covers, which appear to be fairly new. He seems to have simply rolled the material over the bottom ,and glued it to the inside of the frame surround. Or at least glued it here and there.
Are these covers salvageable? If so, how is the cover attached to the seat frame? This is the worst of the two, but the drivers side is similar. The seat appear to have new foam installed also.
there should be a thick piece of a cardboard material that is stitched to the bottom edge of the bottom cover. This is where there are specially shaped toothed "s" spring clips that get pushed onto this bottom edge...and then clip onto the bottom edge of the frame.
also, how much play should the seat back exhibit between being settled in place, and moved forward until the release catch stops it from going forward?
i would not worry about that...truthfully...this distance is set by the spring steel strap that is a part of your seat back release. You have more important thing to worry about.
my seat back seem to move around a lot, both on the seat back supports/hinges, and distance before the catch stops the seat from moving forward. Can this be adjusted out? Right now, the top of the seat back seems to move about 2"-3" before the release catch stops it. Maybe it is normal, but it just seems old and clapped out to me.
my main concern is that the seat pivot screws are correct...with the thick washers between the hinges and the bottom seat cover area. Sometimes i will install 2 of these washers if i find that it aids in preventing excessive rubbing/binding of the hinge to the bottom seat cover.
Gm changed the seat hinges and some offer a screw that requires clear plastic bushing under it...and other hinges that i have seen do not...and use a different screw that looks the same but the head diameter is different. Also the length of the threaded portion can/should be longer...so when you install them...you need to install a 5/16-18 nut on the extra thread and tighten it so this pivot screw will not back off of the tension setting to set it at when installing it.
When i am doing seat like this...i make absolutely sure that when the backs and bottoms are bolts/screwed together...and the seat goes back...that the ear seat back frame rubber stops contact the seat bottom frame bolts ( big phillips headed bolts) as much as possible. More times that i can count...the frames are twisted/tweaked and these rubber stops and lower bolts do not contact each other well at all. This is my main concern. Once i get the seat frames correct....and often times re-welded due to cracks in the frames...i re-cover them....other than the obvious rust repair and spring replacement if needed.
You can use washers under the bottom frame stop bolts ( big phillips headed ones) to raise the rear seat back if you wish. But...do not extend the rubber stop bolts in the seat back. Make sure that they are secure to the cover. I guess you could do it the other way...but i do not like the look of washer under the rubber stop bolt because you can see them when the seat is tilted forward...and not so easily see them under the bolts on the bottom frame area.
Are these covers salvageable? If so, how is the cover attached to the seat frame? This is the worst of the two, but the drivers side is similar. The seat appear to have new foam installed also.
there should be a thick piece of a cardboard material that is stitched to the bottom edge of the bottom cover. This is where there are specially shaped toothed "s" spring clips that get pushed onto this bottom edge...and then clip onto the bottom edge of the frame.
also, how much play should the seat back exhibit between being settled in place, and moved forward until the release catch stops it from going forward?
i would not worry about that...truthfully...this distance is set by the spring steel strap that is a part of your seat back release. You have more important thing to worry about.
my seat back seem to move around a lot, both on the seat back supports/hinges, and distance before the catch stops the seat from moving forward. Can this be adjusted out? Right now, the top of the seat back seems to move about 2"-3" before the release catch stops it. Maybe it is normal, but it just seems old and clapped out to me.
my main concern is that the seat pivot screws are correct...with the thick washers between the hinges and the bottom seat cover area. Sometimes i will install 2 of these washers if i find that it aids in preventing excessive rubbing/binding of the hinge to the bottom seat cover.
Gm changed the seat hinges and some offer a screw that requires clear plastic bushing under it...and other hinges that i have seen do not...and use a different screw that looks the same but the head diameter is different. Also the length of the threaded portion can/should be longer...so when you install them...you need to install a 5/16-18 nut on the extra thread and tighten it so this pivot screw will not back off of the tension setting to set it at when installing it.
When i am doing seat like this...i make absolutely sure that when the backs and bottoms are bolts/screwed together...and the seat goes back...that the ear seat back frame rubber stops contact the seat bottom frame bolts ( big phillips headed bolts) as much as possible. More times that i can count...the frames are twisted/tweaked and these rubber stops and lower bolts do not contact each other well at all. This is my main concern. Once i get the seat frames correct....and often times re-welded due to cracks in the frames...i re-cover them....other than the obvious rust repair and spring replacement if needed.
You can use washers under the bottom frame stop bolts ( big phillips headed ones) to raise the rear seat back if you wish. But...do not extend the rubber stop bolts in the seat back. Make sure that they are secure to the cover. I guess you could do it the other way...but i do not like the look of washer under the rubber stop bolt because you can see them when the seat is tilted forward...and not so easily see them under the bolts on the bottom frame area.
11-25-2013, 07:43 PM
#4
Race Director
Thread Starter
Does anybody have any photos of what it supposed to look like?
Thanks,
Doug
Thanks,
Doug
Glue?
They're not held onto the frame with glue.
They're missing the "S" clips.
Possible you could install the clips and salvage what you have.
Also looks like your springs are not installed using the necessary hooks, clips, or wires which allow the seat bottom/back to hold its correct shape.
They're not held onto the frame with glue.
They're missing the "S" clips.
Possible you could install the clips and salvage what you have.
Also looks like your springs are not installed using the necessary hooks, clips, or wires which allow the seat bottom/back to hold its correct shape.
11-25-2013, 07:46 PM
#5
Former Vendor
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St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Doug... here is the clip that holds the seat cover in place... If no one hits you with an installed picture I can do this tomorrow, were doing a set right now.. 
11-25-2013, 07:54 PM
#6
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St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
actually.. go to this link... at the 4.48 mark... and it will show you how to install the clips.. 
Willcox
Willcox
11-25-2013, 08:24 PM
#7
Race Director
Thread Starter
Will do. I am also curious about the otehr missing pieces mentioned in another post.
I need to order a few items anyway, i can add those to the list. They had hex head bolts (rusty, no less) as hinge bolts on he hinges closest to the console, that didn't help with proper tight operation....
Thanks,
Doug
I need to order a few items anyway, i can add those to the list. They had hex head bolts (rusty, no less) as hinge bolts on he hinges closest to the console, that didn't help with proper tight operation....
Thanks,
Doug
11-25-2013, 09:55 PM
#8
Melting Slicks
Will do. I am also curious about the otehr missing pieces mentioned in another post.
I need to order a few items anyway, i can add those to the list. They had hex head bolts (rusty, no less) as hinge bolts on he hinges closest to the console, that didn't help with proper tight operation....
Thanks,
Doug
I need to order a few items anyway, i can add those to the list. They had hex head bolts (rusty, no less) as hinge bolts on he hinges closest to the console, that didn't help with proper tight operation....
Thanks,
Doug
11-25-2013, 11:24 PM
#9
Race Director
Thread Starter
actually.. go to this link... at the 4.48 mark... and it will show you how to install the clips..
Willcox
Willcox
Thanks,
Doug
11-26-2013, 08:09 AM
#10
Team Owner
Member Since: Jun 2000
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Cruise-In II Veteran
Seats were upholstered at St. Louis. The AIM has diagrams of how they did it, including the clips you're missing.
11-26-2013, 11:23 AM
#11
Race Director
Thread Starter
Question,
On the S clips above, Does the seat material go into the wide part of the clip or the narrow opening?
Thanks,
Doug
Last edited by AZDoug; 11-26-2013 at 11:31 AM.
11-26-2013, 11:30 AM
#12
Race Director
Thread Starter
Also, looking at the AIM, it looks like some felt may be glued to the bottom outside steel frame? Does that felt wrap down under the steel, and up into the inside of the seat?
It is just referred to as Protector Felt.
It is frustrating to find what was supposed to a be a simple seat belt refurb may involve totally redoing the seats, possibly with new seat covers.
At least I picked up the car for a very good price.
Thanks,
Doug
It is just referred to as Protector Felt.
It is frustrating to find what was supposed to a be a simple seat belt refurb may involve totally redoing the seats, possibly with new seat covers.
At least I picked up the car for a very good price.
Thanks,
Doug
11-26-2013, 12:34 PM
#13
Race Director
Thread Starter
I ordered the S clips and hog rings kit, so i will try to fix everything else. Not sure if I can, as the cardboard strip or whatever seems to be missing from the bottom edge of the seat cover. The PO probably took it off so he could glue the cover to the seat frame. I may end up having to buy new covers, as that card board probably gives stiffness to teh edge so it doesn't buckle between s clips. Maybe I can use some 3M weather strip adhesive to glue some paperboard, or nylon stripping to the seat cover edge.
Doug
11-26-2013, 12:36 PM
#14
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St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Doug-
The fat side goes on the seat cover, the thin side just clips over the metal and holds the cover to the frame.
The fat side goes on the seat cover, the thin side just clips over the metal and holds the cover to the frame.