raising an already lowered seat. Yes I know it sounds silly!

[wingnutLP]

my car came with a lowered seat and I am long of leg and short of body!

 

It hadn't really bothered me but at brands last week the instructor suggested my thumbs should be resting in the crooks of the steering wheel. to get my hands that low my elbows bump against the transmission tunnel particularly but also the door rest. This makes changing gear a bit awkward.

 

 

I have since tried sitting on a pillow in the car and think I have been too low all along. With the pillow I have a better view and also can change gear more easily with my hands in a comfortable position.

 

It also might help with the fact that iI physically can't get the lap part of my belt tight enough around my skinny ass when iI am on track!

 

The upshot is that I now need to raise my seat. I don't really want to remove the lowered floor as the next owner may eventually want it so iI was wondering if anyone has any clever ideas?

 

Has anyone ever seen spacing bolts for this purpose? I could use some tube, washers and long bolts I guess but I worry that there will be movement in them.

 

your thoughts on the matter would be much appreciated.

[Mankee]

Could you make a foam seat and/or base to raise you up a little? This is a very useful guide from another member and something that I've considered for the other half as the driver's seat in my car is as far forward as possible and she's a few inches too short.

 

http://www.sjmmarsh.f2s.com/Caterham/Foam%20Seat.html

[DougBaker]

My first thought would be to place some wood between the seat and floor. That would mean the weight of you on the seat was still spread over the full length of the seat runners rather than concentrated at the points you added some spacers.

[Grubbster]

I'll be interested to hear ideas on this as well as I am about to start building my Academy car (with lowered floor) and I'm a short 🙆🏻. I am considering using a foam or bead seat but initially I'll probably just look at ways of raising the tillet a few inches.

[SLR No.77]

Add some lengths of box-section ally under the runners. Either bolt through or use M8 rivnuts.

 

Stu.

[Dickie Normuss]

Or put it on the CC adjustable runners if not already on them.

[Jonathan Kay]

Quoting wingnutLP: 

The upshot is that I now need to raise my seat.

How much higher?

 

Jonathan

[Kevsta]

The tunnel is a problem for us all! Try counter steering in anger and not having elbow problems! I drive around it. But to raise it I'd go with suggestions of a longer piece rather than four individual pieces. Box section ali or even 90 degree ali (box section might be over doing it).

 

With you raised up - check your head (with a helmet on) is way clear of the roll bar top - I'd rather have restrictions in changing gear than my head above the protection zone (and keep in mind it is a straight line from the top of the roll bar to the front chassis member - it's quite a rake!).

 

The lap part of the belt - a CC design error (IMO) in the spec of the belt lengths for anyone not packing a few extra burgers and being quite tall (you are further back on the seat runners to the belts need to be shorter). You might want to try a crotch strap to help hold the belts down - I did and wouldn't go back as the belt sit so much better!

 

Kev

[myothercarsa2cv]

Honeycomb floor panel and spacers through the honeycomb? here - will raise you and protect your bottom 🙆🏻

[Smiffy69]

Be careful if you raise the seat and you have the CC adjustable runners fitted as the release arm will not clear the hole in the floor cross member if you raise it too much. i.e. if your short and need the seat forward you might have a few issues.

[SLR No.77]

I have lowered floors with adjustable runners on the drivers side ..... I initially had the adjusting arm through the cross-member hole but have recently bent the arm to enable it to clear the top of the cross-member. Much much easier to adjust - the hole is a silly idea!

 

Stu.

[wingnutLP]

great, but lots of ideas there thanks.

 

It needs to go up about the height it was lowered so i guess that is 30mm or so.

 

 

I will watch out for the roll bar but iI have long legs and a short body so iI think iI will be fine as iI am not planning on going higher than the original seat height would have been.

 

box section Ali sounds like the way to go rather than spacer bolts as iI was thinking.

[Pete - W.Sussex]

I did a temporary job on mine last weekend - SV with lowered floor ans standard leather seats with adjustment.

 

I thought about ali box section (saw some in Wickes) but since the bottom of the seat sits on the floor I think it would need a sheet of ali on top of the box sections. In the end I went with a couple of bits of 2 by 2 cut down a bit with a sheet of plywood on top which the seat cushion on. Longer bolts from Halfords through the original bolts. Don't seem to have any problem with the release arm but interested to read the warnings about head height in relation to roll bar.

 

Will be trying it out this weekend - want to get the height right, adjustment will be circular saw and plane! Like the honeycomb idea as the permanent fix but trial and error first!