Show me your seat mounts

#1

I am trying to source or fab up a low profile seat mount for my Cobra seat with side mounts. I currently have a e30 specific bracket from Wedge Engineering which adds almost 2 inches of height to my seat. Even with the side mounts all the way to the bottom I can’t get the seat as low as I would like.

I know some people use the VAC Motorsports aluminum brackets but I’m just to cheap to spend that much on them. If any of you have fabbed up a custom mount do you mind posting up some pictures that I can see. Any other suggestions are welcomed and appreciated.

#2

Neither of these are mine, but just to give you some ideas.

I’m having Chris do some like the second for my car right now. I may have some VAC mounts that I can sell at a discount. I’ll let you know.

The black car actually has a bar like the one in the second pic that just bolts in.

JP

#3

It is too damm cold to do it right now, but I can get a picture of the mounts I made. I used 1/8x1-1/2 and 1/8x3" steel strap from Lowes or Home Depot. A bit of hacksawing and a vice and large hammer is all it takes.

#4

If you want to avoid the fabrication, and have the money, call Speedware and you can get a bracket for $110. I got one for my Z3 and it fit perfectly.

#5

I may be wrong but I believe that the Speedware brackets are very similar in design to the Wedge bracket. That is the base of the bracket that the seat mount bolts to is about 2 to 3 inches above the floor pan.

I will probably just fabricate something out of flat aluminum or steel. Much cheaper and lower. I will be sure that they are solid and sturdy as I don’t want to make the seat mount unsafe.

#6

I’m also trying to figure out my seat mounting.

If i just find some steel and do like #2 above, what size/thickness steel should i use to be safe? Where can i get it? Its just bolted ot the factory holes i assume?

Maybe i can get some angle iron from lowes and bolt that in. The ‘L’ part can hang down in the back for a little added strength. Then grind off the ‘L’ part at the ends so i can lay it flat and bolt it down.

Are most of you guys using steel sidemounts?

What height person was using the mounts as shown in pic #2 up there? I’m 6’4 and i wonder if ill have enough room to slide the mount back…

Thanks

#7

I’m also trying to figure out my seat mounting.

If i just find some steel and do like #2 above, what size/thickness steel should i use to be safe? Where can i get it? Its just bolted ot the factory holes i assume?

Maybe i can get some angle iron from lowes and bolt that in. The ‘L’ part can hang down in the back for a little added strength. Then grind off the ‘L’ part at the ends so i can lay it flat and bolt it down.

Are most of you guys using steel sidemounts?

What height person was using the mounts as shown in pic #2 up there? I’m 6’4 and i wonder if ill have enough room to slide the mount back…

Thanks

#8

Yeah, I’ve done my brackets before out of aluminum or steel, but since I don’t know how to weld, nor I want to learn, I had to pay for welding or use many bolts. At the end it didn’t look professional to me, so I decided to buy one.
Choice #2 looks good.
I’m using steel sidemounts since I already have them. When I could justify aluminum, I’ll get them.

#9

I made my seat brackets this past weekend. This time around I used 1/8" steel 2" angle and welded it together in a Z shape. I welded it in a wedge where the rear is lower than the front to slightly recline the seat. I bolted these to the stock locations and then set my aluminum Kirky seat on top and bolted it to the bracket.

If you can’t weld I have had sheet metal shops bend the Z for me before using my dimentions. Not sure they can bend 1/8" but that is over kill as the store bought stuff is much thinner. This is for a bottom mounting seat. I prefer to use the stock locations for mounting.

Michael O.

#10

Another pic here:
http://www.pbase.com/victorhall/image/39223027
-Vic

#11

Can you attach the seat to the floor without reinforcing? I need to know asap.

#12

I don’t know if its recommended but I did, at least for my right side - side mount. I attached it directly to the stock mounting location. On the left - side mount I used a piece of 3/4" x 3" x 16" flat aluminum stock and made a custom mount to attach to the stock mounting points. Cost around $20 and it is extremely solid.

#13

I see, I’ve done that before.
what if I use big-thick washers instead?
Will I pass tech and note in my logbook I have to make a better re-inforcement?

#14

In looking at the stock mounting points I’d say that they are way more than adaquate for mounting the seat. But the rear attach points are just barely adaquate for the lap belts. A bit more reinforcing of the those and a bit larger bolt would be prudent. I’m going to weld in a 3x3x1/8 plate on the top side and move up to a 10mm bolt. By my calculations that should be able to take more load than the latch end of a cam-lock belt.

#15

Hey guys,

For the front left side mounting point in the pics above w/ the bar going across, whats going on there? Is it a bolt or stud welded to the floor pan? That point is 2-3" right of the stock mount, right? What is being used to reinforce this area?

Also, w/ this setup, it looks like the side mounts can only go as far back as to where the front most mounting hole of the side mount is at the stock front seat mount spot. How far back is this? I’m 6’4 w/ a 34" inseam… think that’d be far back enough for me?

I know i’ll have to get busy w/ a tape measure, but i’m trying to decide if i should do this or use VACmount adapters…

Thanks

#16

I’m not so sure that the right front is the stock bolt because it appears to be on top of a small welded plate. The left front is mounted through a welded reinforcing plate. It appears that the two sides are staggered - not sure what is up with that.
I think you’ll have to mount you seat to the side mounts and do a trial fit for your height - put a board over the whole area to level it so you can try various fore/aft positions.

#17

I have the same basic set up as the one with the red side mounts(thanks Salazar!).

The front passenger side stud is the factory stud with a reinforcement plate around it. On the front left stud we counter sunk a bolt upside down and welded it to the body and reinforcement plate.

The rear bar is a notched piece of box steel spanning the factory mounting holes. Mine has a hole drilled in it and a nut welded onto the bottom. In essence the seat mounts directly to the floor making the seating position LOW. I’ve got my seat all the way down and mounted to the floor. I look normal in it since I’m long torso’ed. Anyone who is sub 5’10" may have trouble seeing over the dash. :S All you have to do is move the seat up higher in the side mounts. Make sure to get the seat where you want it, almost exactly because there is VERY little room for adjustment once everything is in there.

JP

#18

Do the VAC floor mounts get the seat centered to the wheel and low enough where headroom is not an issue for taller drivers?

It looks like the VAC floor mounts would be close to the lowest sitting solution other than the thickness of the actual plate.

#19

I redid my seat mounting last winter with this

http://www.apexperformance.net/CartGenie/prod-2218.htm

Worked great and only needed a few new holes drilled in to to work perfect. Can do it with or w/o sliders. Tell them you race with NASA and get 10% off. Apex is great to work with.

[quote=“JonnyAction” post=60975]Do the VAC floor mounts get the seat centered to the wheel and low enough where headroom is not an issue for taller drivers?

It looks like the VAC floor mounts would be close to the lowest sitting solution other than the thickness of the actual plate.[/quote]

#20

I have an old corbeau forza so it has 4 mounting holes on the bottom. I bolted 2 perforated 1 1/4 square tubes in the original mounting holes/studs running front to back. Then I bolted on 2 steel straps side to side to bolt the seat to. The fifth point of the harness runs around the back strap and the lap belts are bolted through the sides of the perforated tubes. The seat mount is low so I see no reason not to built it with as much mass as possible. I don’t have a logbook yet so I can’t tell you if tech will be happy with my setup.