Seat Question
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 102
Likes: 0
From: Northville MI
Seat Question
Okay something from inside my seat has broken off it is a plastic peice. It had some threads and looks like it is something to hold something in place. But bottom line is now I can' adjust my seat for the rear axle to go up and down. Front of the seat still can go up and down but not the back part of the seat. (think this have something to do with my fat butt keep falling in to the seat)
My question is now if I want to have this fixed do I need to get a entire new seat at the dealer or is this something the dealer can do to just replace some parts.
Thanks in advance for any help.
My question is now if I want to have this fixed do I need to get a entire new seat at the dealer or is this something the dealer can do to just replace some parts.
Thanks in advance for any help.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 41,063
Likes: 9,827
From: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)
Re: Seat Question (chivett)
vetterich had something similar to what you are describing. Try posting a message to him in the autocrossing and roadracing forum.
Bill
Bill
Drifting
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 1,871
Likes: 248
From: Weatherford TX
Re: Seat Question (chivett)
Is it a white plastic? That is the worm gear piece for the adjustment. Doubt if you can just buy that peice as the seat track assembly comes as one part and is expensive. You could look for a salvage seat track from a salvage yard or buy as used seat for the part. Then again buy a new seat track and get all new parts. GMpartsdirect.com has about lowest price on a new one if you care to deal with them. Here is a picture of a seat upside down. The actual tracks have been removed for the picture.
[Modified by kenrobb, 12:28 PM 8/14/2003]
[Modified by kenrobb, 12:28 PM 8/14/2003]
Tech Contributor
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 41,063
Likes: 9,827
From: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)
Re: Seat Question (kenrobb)
If it is the white thing shown in Ken's picture vetterich found a machine shop to make a metal one for him. Is there an opportunity here?
Bill
Bill
Racer
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 421
Likes: 13
From: Gansevoort NY
Re: Seat Question (C5inNY)
Although the broken part is probably only a $1 part you can't buy it, you have to buy the whole seat trakc assembly for about $400. I had this same problem and got a machine shop to make me 2, my passengers side broke too, from adjusting the race harness with the seats.
They are a real pain to make they had to make a special die to cut the treads as they are not like a regular screw thread, they are square. I just used a air cut off wheel to grind off the end of the motor shaft sio I could get the stop washer off and the threaded the new piece on. The seat runs out of travle before the new parts reaches the end so you don't have to put the stop washer back on. It works great. I'll check with my shop and see if the can make some more.
Rich
They are a real pain to make they had to make a special die to cut the treads as they are not like a regular screw thread, they are square. I just used a air cut off wheel to grind off the end of the motor shaft sio I could get the stop washer off and the threaded the new piece on. The seat runs out of travle before the new parts reaches the end so you don't have to put the stop washer back on. It works great. I'll check with my shop and see if the can make some more.
Rich
Drifting
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 1,871
Likes: 248
From: Weatherford TX
Re: Seat Question (vettatude)
Don't believe so. Rocking is from the fit of the track pieces and also the small metal piece that turns on the long screw rod that the actual bottom tracks attach to. You can see these 2 pieces in my picture above. All the seat movement/forces are put onto these 2 pieces. Someone at one time posted about making these two machined pieces. but you had to send them your seat to get it done. Easier to buy a used seat or new one for "rocking" fix IMHO.
Racer
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 421
Likes: 13
From: Gansevoort NY
Re: Seat Question (kenrobb)
Ken is right, it won't stop the rocking. The pieces I had made replace to 2 white pieces of plastic that you can see near the top in the picture that is posted.
When mine first broke it was a week before Carlisle a few years ago. I then went to Carlisle and cornered one of the engineers at the GM tent. He gave me his card and his email address and said that if I sent him an email when I got home he would pull 2 new pieces off the line and send them to me free. Well his email was no good and when I tried caling the number on his card a few times I got no answer. I knew he sounded to good to be true! That's when I went to a machine shop and had it made.
Mine actually broke for the pressure I put on them when I tightened up my race harness using the seat adjustment. I would put the seat down and back then pull harness tight, then move seat forward and up.
You can make a short time fix by placing a short piece of a 2x4 under the seat after manually pulling it up.
Rich
When mine first broke it was a week before Carlisle a few years ago. I then went to Carlisle and cornered one of the engineers at the GM tent. He gave me his card and his email address and said that if I sent him an email when I got home he would pull 2 new pieces off the line and send them to me free. Well his email was no good and when I tried caling the number on his card a few times I got no answer. I knew he sounded to good to be true! That's when I went to a machine shop and had it made.
Mine actually broke for the pressure I put on them when I tightened up my race harness using the seat adjustment. I would put the seat down and back then pull harness tight, then move seat forward and up.
You can make a short time fix by placing a short piece of a 2x4 under the seat after manually pulling it up.
Rich
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Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 102
Likes: 0
From: Northville MI
Re: Seat Question (vetterich)
Thanks a lot guys on the info. Yea it is the white plastic thread thingy that you guys are talking about. sounds like pretty much I am screwed.
Now if I change the thing I don't actually get a new seat just the moter assembly on the bottom? Or do I actually change the entire seat?
(I couldn't read up on this cause of the black out I got caught in, but thanks again everyone)
Now if I change the thing I don't actually get a new seat just the moter assembly on the bottom? Or do I actually change the entire seat?
(I couldn't read up on this cause of the black out I got caught in, but thanks again everyone)
Drifting
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 1,871
Likes: 248
From: Weatherford TX
Re: Seat Question (chivett)
You would buy a new seat track assembly. The seat itself/frame bolts to the track assembly. Sometimes it might be cheaper to buy a entire used seat to get just the track assembly to swap with yours.
Racer
Joined: Sep 1999
Posts: 421
Likes: 13
From: Gansevoort NY
Re: Seat Question (kenrobb)
I'm working on getting a few of these pieces made up. I shold know by the end of the week what they will cost. If you can hold out a while I can save you a bunch of $$$$$$
Rich
Rich
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 109
Likes: 0
From: Louisville KY
Re: Seat Question (vetterich)
I don't know if I can help or not but if you can send me a picture of the piece(s) you need I may be able to get it. I do some consulting work for a company that built the seats up until around 2000. They still have some parts in places throughout the plant. Send the pictures to bcunningham@mail.com.
