Lumbar Repair Options?
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 6,517
Likes: 1,304
From: Windermere FL
Lumbar Repair Options?
Does anyone have any creative repairs or replacement options for the sport's seat lumbar bag when it springs a leak?
I found a new bag, but $175 is too pricey! Any good alternatives?
I tried to disassemble the seat to get to the bag without success. I figured I would take it to an upholstery rather than ruining my perfectly good leather - once I find a good substitute!
Thanks in advance.
I found a new bag, but $175 is too pricey! Any good alternatives?
I tried to disassemble the seat to get to the bag without success. I figured I would take it to an upholstery rather than ruining my perfectly good leather - once I find a good substitute!
Thanks in advance.
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 90,675
Likes: 304
From: SE NY
Cruise-In II Veteran
Have you tried Contemporary Corvette (link on my site)?
Though I have an old catalog, bladders for '84-'93 are listed at $79.
Indeed on my '88 sport seats I had to cut the hog rings along the bottom rear of the seat as well as on each side up the full length of the lower seat back panel.
Though a bit intimidating at first, once you get into one seat it becomes obvious how to proceed.
Though I have an old catalog, bladders for '84-'93 are listed at $79.
Indeed on my '88 sport seats I had to cut the hog rings along the bottom rear of the seat as well as on each side up the full length of the lower seat back panel.
Though a bit intimidating at first, once you get into one seat it becomes obvious how to proceed.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 6,080
Likes: 3
From: Clearwater FL
St. Jude Donor '06
I removed the seat cover and used a bicycle inner tube repair patch and it is working great. The hardest part is getting to the bladder. I had to drill out some rivets in the seat frame. It all worked out fine though. Just read through the Helm manual if you don't allready have one.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 6,517
Likes: 1,304
From: Windermere FL
Originally Posted by C4DC
I removed the seat cover and used a bicycle inner tube repair patch and it is working great.
I have the Helms manual but could not really follow it on how to get to the bladder. I had the seat out of the car. I could not figure out how to remove the hard cover from the seat back.
Where are these rivits you have to drill out?
Can you please give me some tips to get to the bladder?
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 90,675
Likes: 304
From: SE NY
Cruise-In II Veteran
On my '88 the side bolsters are stapled through the plastic, then the bolster is folded over to hide the staples and the bolster hog-ringed to the center sections of the seat back. So you cannot easily separate the plastic from the seat but that isn't required to get to the bladder.
To access the bladder you have to cut the hog rings up each side of the lower back panel, the ones that hold that back panel to the side bolsters. Then you can lift the leather and remove the hog rings holding the bladder to the seat frame. Once in that far you will see how to remove the old bladder, install the new one and install new hog rings between the bolsters and the back panel.
BTW, what year Vette do you have?
To access the bladder you have to cut the hog rings up each side of the lower back panel, the ones that hold that back panel to the side bolsters. Then you can lift the leather and remove the hog rings holding the bladder to the seat frame. Once in that far you will see how to remove the old bladder, install the new one and install new hog rings between the bolsters and the back panel.
BTW, what year Vette do you have?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 6,080
Likes: 3
From: Clearwater FL
St. Jude Donor '06
It apperar you have a pre 90's model and I have a 96, so we have different seats. On mine it was a side bolster that had a hole in it and the rivets were to hold the side bolster mechanism together. The lumbar bladder is easier to get to on mine as just removing the seat cover will expose it. I just followed what the Helm said and it worked out fine.
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