Rocking Seat Solution: The Permanent fix
Thread Starter
Supporting Vendor
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 8,550
Likes: 903
From: Republic of Texas
Rocking Seat Solution: The Permanent fix
Those of you with power seats may have noticed that they slide back and forth upon braking and acceleration. This I due to the OEM rubber spacers disintegrating after repeated use. The Nylon inserts I’m offering will replace the failed rubber spacer restoring a solid feel to your power seats.
Okay, following the install procedure posted by "k0ts" I managed to fix my seats.
Link: http://www.lieblweb.com/c5seatfix.html
Tools I used:
- 5/8" socket (to remove seat mounting nuts)
- Torx 20, 25 and 40 screwdrivers
- PB blaster or similar
- Vice Grip Pliers
- Needle nose pliers
- Heavy duty grease cleaner (lava, fast orange or similar soap will work too)
- Flat exacto knife and wire brush (to clean up the melted rubber where the new spacers will go
To order go here:
Seat Spacers
Special thanks to Frank’s Vettes for providing the prototype materials for production. If you’re in the Spring/Houston area, Frank’s Vettes can install these spacers for you if you feel the installation is beyond your ability or time limits.
Okay, following the install procedure posted by "k0ts" I managed to fix my seats.
Link: http://www.lieblweb.com/c5seatfix.html
Tools I used:
- 5/8" socket (to remove seat mounting nuts)
- Torx 20, 25 and 40 screwdrivers
- PB blaster or similar
- Vice Grip Pliers
- Needle nose pliers
- Heavy duty grease cleaner (lava, fast orange or similar soap will work too)
- Flat exacto knife and wire brush (to clean up the melted rubber where the new spacers will go
To order go here:
Seat Spacers
Special thanks to Frank’s Vettes for providing the prototype materials for production. If you’re in the Spring/Houston area, Frank’s Vettes can install these spacers for you if you feel the installation is beyond your ability or time limits.
Last edited by TheRadioFlyer; Oct 25, 2012 at 09:30 AM.
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 17,769
Likes: 3,697
From: The Sunshine State
2022 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2021 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
C7 of the Year - Modified Finalist 2021
Finalist 2020 C7 of the Year -- Modified
2020 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
C5 of Year Finalist (appearance mods) 2019
2018 C5 of Year Finalist
Those of you with power seats may have noticed that they slide back and forth upon braking and acceleration. This I due to the OEM rubber spacers disintegrating after repeated use. The Nylon inserts I’m offering will replace the failed rubber spacer restoring a solid feel to your power seats.
Okay, following the install procedure posted by "k0ts" I managed to fix my seats.
Link: http://www.lieblweb.com/c5seatfix.html
Tools I used:
- 5/8" socket (to remove seat mounting nuts)
- Torx 20, 25 and 40 screwdrivers
- PB blaster or similar
- Vice Grip Pliers
- Needle nose pliers
- Heavy duty grease cleaner (lava, fast orange or similar soap will work too)
- Flat exacto knife and wire brush (to clean up the melted rubber where the new spacers will go
Each seat takes 4 spacers but only applies to power seats so here's what I'm offering:
$20 shipped for 4 pcs (one seat) or $25 shipped for 8 pcs (two seats)
Please email me with your CF screen name and the amount wanted and I’ll get a set out to you. Order ship within 2 business days.
email: Radioflyer97@gmail.com
Special thanks to Frank’s Vettes for providing the prototype materials for production. If you’re in the Spring/Houston area, Frank’s Vettes can install these spacers for you if you feel the installation is beyond your ability or time limits.
Okay, following the install procedure posted by "k0ts" I managed to fix my seats.
Link: http://www.lieblweb.com/c5seatfix.html
Tools I used:
- 5/8" socket (to remove seat mounting nuts)
- Torx 20, 25 and 40 screwdrivers
- PB blaster or similar
- Vice Grip Pliers
- Needle nose pliers
- Heavy duty grease cleaner (lava, fast orange or similar soap will work too)
- Flat exacto knife and wire brush (to clean up the melted rubber where the new spacers will go
Each seat takes 4 spacers but only applies to power seats so here's what I'm offering:
$20 shipped for 4 pcs (one seat) or $25 shipped for 8 pcs (two seats)
Please email me with your CF screen name and the amount wanted and I’ll get a set out to you. Order ship within 2 business days.
email: Radioflyer97@gmail.com
Special thanks to Frank’s Vettes for providing the prototype materials for production. If you’re in the Spring/Houston area, Frank’s Vettes can install these spacers for you if you feel the installation is beyond your ability or time limits.
Last edited by MSG C5; Oct 6, 2010 at 05:07 PM.
Thread Starter
Supporting Vendor
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 8,550
Likes: 903
From: Republic of Texas
Maybe I'm missing something, however $25 for 8 nylon washers? Or are there other materials/parts as part of the package? If your spacers are different than the modded 0.30/each nylon washers outlined in Lieblweb's Rocking Seat Fix, please post pics to help me understand what you are offering. Thanks!
The spacers i'm offering are rectangular designed specifically to fit the seat track and are already sanded to the proper thickness. saves about 1-2 hours of boring and messy sanding work.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Every 2027 Corvette Engine Explained
Joe Kucinski
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette
Verdad Gallardo
10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 17,769
Likes: 3,697
From: The Sunshine State
2022 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2021 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
C7 of the Year - Modified Finalist 2021
Finalist 2020 C7 of the Year -- Modified
2020 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
C5 of Year Finalist (appearance mods) 2019
2018 C5 of Year Finalist
The nylon washers in the link are round and 0.125" thick. These will require sanding to get them to fit and are quite a pain to get to sit in just the right spot to re-insert the threaded adjuster rod.
The spacers i'm offering are rectangular designed specifically to fit the seat track and are already sanded to the proper thickness. saves about 1-2 hours of boring and messy sanding work.
The spacers i'm offering are rectangular designed specifically to fit the seat track and are already sanded to the proper thickness. saves about 1-2 hours of boring and messy sanding work.
Thread Starter
Supporting Vendor
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 8,550
Likes: 903
From: Republic of Texas
the idea is that in order to replicate these, a user would need to find and purchase an entire nylon sheet, then have each piece laser-cut, sanded and edges smoothed. This costs significantly more time and money than purchasing one of my sets.
!!!
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 17,769
Likes: 3,697
From: The Sunshine State
2022 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2021 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
C7 of the Year - Modified Finalist 2021
Finalist 2020 C7 of the Year -- Modified
2020 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
C5 of Year Finalist (appearance mods) 2019
2018 C5 of Year Finalist
My concern is that by using the nylon washers, by sanding them down, you gradually get to the point where there is absolutely no movement. If these spacers are not precisely as tight, that's what causes the rocking seat.
Last edited by MSG C5; Oct 8, 2010 at 09:07 AM.
Thread Starter
Supporting Vendor
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 8,550
Likes: 903
From: Republic of Texas
It's a good idea so these are guaranteed as plug and play correct? All measured to fit tightly with no additional sanding, prepping, etc. with exception to adding the grease?
My concern is that by using the nylon washers, by sanding them down, you gradually get to the point where there is absolutely no movement. If these spacers are not precisely as tight, that's what causes the rocking seat.
My concern is that by using the nylon washers, by sanding them down, you gradually get to the point where there is absolutely no movement. If these spacers are not precisely as tight, that's what causes the rocking seat.
With the old rubber washers (which were roughtly 0.125" thick to start) the seat could move as much as 1/4" forward or backward. With thee new nylon washers this movement is reduced to near zero by filling the gap where the rubber washers used to be.
Intermediate
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
From: Carthage MO
What you are buying for $25
What is being sold here is a Service not the raw material.
Everyone will have to make up thier own mind if they want to screw
around with to thick round washers to make them fit in a square hole
or pay $25 for the service. Does not sound like a bad deal to me
if you need them considering $100+ for a front plate bracket.
Everyone will have to make up thier own mind if they want to screw
around with to thick round washers to make them fit in a square hole
or pay $25 for the service. Does not sound like a bad deal to me
if you need them considering $100+ for a front plate bracket.
Thread Starter
Supporting Vendor
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 8,550
Likes: 903
From: Republic of Texas
What is being sold here is a Service not the raw material.
Everyone will have to make up thier own mind if they want to screw
around with to thick round washers to make them fit in a square hole
or pay $25 for the service. Does not sound like a bad deal to me
if you need them considering $100+ for a front plate bracket.
Everyone will have to make up thier own mind if they want to screw
around with to thick round washers to make them fit in a square hole
or pay $25 for the service. Does not sound like a bad deal to me
if you need them considering $100+ for a front plate bracket.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 87,404
Likes: 1,595
From: Western NY
FWIW, I bought a similar kit from another supplier. The other kit also included a curved Torx driver, to provide easier access to one of the screws, but cost a lot more money. Secondly, the other supplier rather foolishly, doesn't offer one kit with just the nylon parts, at a lesser cost, so you have to buy two complete kits.
Bottom line, the total time for me to do both seats (4 tracks) was about 2.5-3 hours. Naturally, doing the first track was a "learning experience", and took about 50% of the total time. After getting a handle on it, I blew right through the other 3 tracks. However, it was well worth the effort, as both seats are now solid as a rock.
Just an FYI, for those doing the job....before you remove the seats, make sure to move them to their highest position, before disconnecting the electrical plugs. You'll need the clearance between the seat and the seat track, to get at one of the screws. Also, on the coupes, pull off the roof, and also lift the steering wheel to its highest position.
Bottom line, the total time for me to do both seats (4 tracks) was about 2.5-3 hours. Naturally, doing the first track was a "learning experience", and took about 50% of the total time. After getting a handle on it, I blew right through the other 3 tracks. However, it was well worth the effort, as both seats are now solid as a rock.
Just an FYI, for those doing the job....before you remove the seats, make sure to move them to their highest position, before disconnecting the electrical plugs. You'll need the clearance between the seat and the seat track, to get at one of the screws. Also, on the coupes, pull off the roof, and also lift the steering wheel to its highest position.
Last edited by leadfoot4; Oct 8, 2010 at 06:48 PM.
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 17,769
Likes: 3,697
From: The Sunshine State
2022 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2021 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
C7 of the Year - Modified Finalist 2021
Finalist 2020 C7 of the Year -- Modified
2020 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
C5 of Year Finalist (appearance mods) 2019
2018 C5 of Year Finalist
The spacers themselves are laser cut to a tolerance of 0.005" The thickness is hand sanded to a tolerance of roughly 0.010 using a specialized sanding jig I built.
With the old rubber washers (which were roughtly 0.125" thick to start) the seat could move as much as 1/4" forward or backward. With thee new nylon washers this movement is reduced to near zero by filling the gap where the rubber washers used to be.
With the old rubber washers (which were roughtly 0.125" thick to start) the seat could move as much as 1/4" forward or backward. With thee new nylon washers this movement is reduced to near zero by filling the gap where the rubber washers used to be.
I agree the cost justification of this product is the service performed to pre-engineer the spacers and the time saved during installation.
Do you need any special tricks to get the spacers in place? How much play, if any, should there be after the spacers are installed? I would assume very little since the fix is for no movement.
Thread Starter
Supporting Vendor
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 8,550
Likes: 903
From: Republic of Texas
It sort of makes you wonder what GM engineers were thinking when they installed those crappy little rubber washers. I've seen pics of those items removed and they literally crumble. I've still got less than 10,000 butt miles and my driver seat is starting to move.
I agree the cost justification of this product is the service performed to pre-engineer the spacers and the time saved during installation.
Do you need any special tricks to get the spacers in place? How much play, if any, should there be after the spacers are installed? I would assume very little since the fix is for no movement.
I agree the cost justification of this product is the service performed to pre-engineer the spacers and the time saved during installation.
Do you need any special tricks to get the spacers in place? How much play, if any, should there be after the spacers are installed? I would assume very little since the fix is for no movement.
There should be virtually no play in the track when the spacers are installed.
