Fitting seat runners

[PaulBaker]

Having recently become the owner of my first Caterham 7. I have just removed the drivers seat (was bolted through the floorpan) and installed seat runners (Gives me an extra inch backwards from where the seat originally was, and should let my wife drive the car!) After an entertaining few hours i've got the runners bolted to the floor, and the front two bolts on each side of the seat in place. However I can't physically get to the back two bolts, as the leather of the seat back is in the way. Someone must have done this sort of thing before. I guess it's probably not ideal to only have the front 4 bolts in place, but don't want to damage the leather.

 

Many thanks for your help...

 

Paul Baker

[Andrew Russell]

I suppose that much will depend upon what seats are being used but with my old type adjustable leathers, with the seat slid as far forward as possible, it is just feasible to get at the mounting bolts using a long extension. It is very fiddly and not a job I undertake too often....

 

I have only done this on my own car and cannot speak for other seat/car arrangements.

 

It does help if your hands and arms are verrrrrry long and thin!

 

Andrew

[John]

Try welding the bolt heads to the runners first with the threads protruding downwards through the floor and then just fit nuts to the underside of the car (or weld the nuts and bolt upwards)

 

John

[StewartG]

It's possible to make an approx 1 inch square retainer about 1/8 inch thick for the rear bolts. I used some aluminium strip I had handy. This can be tapped into the end of the runner and it holds the bolt in place and stops it turning as you tighten. Not so easy to describe in words but now I've sown the seeds of the idea you should be able to work something out.

[JampJ]

I replaced the bolts with stainless 5/16"unf

cap headed socket screws washers and nuts.Found it a lot easier getting an allen key in the arkward positions,plus they don't

rust.

CHEERS C7 POW.

 

[Maccers]

Don't take the runners off the seats!!! Thats what I done, and it does look as though you will catch the leather, but when you get them off, bolt them to the floor, the seat does not exactly line up 100%. It does take a lot of fiddling, especially when you have two to do.

 

Probably already got the seats in by now, but I have not read this part for ages,

 

RM.

[tgracing]

With the seat all the way forward I can reach down the back and jam a large screwdriver against the bolt head and tighten the nut from below. This is best achieved by either a) using two people or b) being a gorilla. The manual doesn't give a torque setting and the suggestion seems to be 'Get as much tension as you can, which won't be much, but it will suffice'.

 

Don't put any washers between the bolt head and the runner. Only a buffoon would do that, it stops the seat moving on the runners.

 

A. Buffoon.

 

Edited by - davebo on 24 Apr 2001 11:57:06