Fitting S-Type Seats

[p.greenlees]

I have a 96 Race Chassis 1.4k Supersport which I bought off Caterham a couple of months ago. It used to be a race car but now has been converted for the road, They fitted some old seats in using some sort of brackets which bolts to the cross frames on the chassis. I've just bought some second hand s-type seats with bolts etc. Caterham gave me some channels. Will there be holes already underneath or will I have to drill?

Any good advice would be great.

 

Many thanks

 

Pete

 

 

 

[SLR No.77]

If the channels you have are the aluminium ones (approx 1.5" wide, 0.5" deep if memory serves me correctly) these fit to the underside of the chassis, lengthways parallel to the centre line of the car, ie. following the lie of the seat runners but below the chassis floor. The seat runners are then bolted through through the floor with the channels adding reinforcement below. The bolts are not screwed into the cross bracing of the chassis, but directly to the floor. I think there is also an aluminium strip which goes on the top side of the floor before dropping the seat in place. Don't use the top strip if you have the honeycomb reinforced floor.

 

The whole fitment can be made easier by:

1. Pop rivet the strengthening plates in position before attempting to fit the seat.

2. Having passed the bolts through the seat runners, add nuts to lock the bolts in place on the seat before fitting the seat to the car. Use additional nuts to then anchor the seat in. This will increase the seat height by the width of the additional nut, but makes fitment and re-fitment a doddle.

 

One last point - if you have the reinforced honeycomb floor be careful when tightnening the seat securing bolts - the honeycomb section is extremely rigid and it is very easy to distort the seat runners if the bolts aren't even. You won't damage anything, but the seat will not be free on it's runners.

 

Stu.