Replace passenger side seat bottom
- Thread starter l3lue
- Start date
x96283
Active Member
- Joined
- Mar 18, 2013
I just did this last week (well new foam for lower and upper on the pass seat).
You'll need to disassemble the seat and remove the rails to access just the lower seat assy. From there, undo the flaps that are hog ringed to the bottom pan. Then you can crush a corner of foam and start to peel/ invert the cover off. There are hog rings that hold the top fabric into place. Look at the seat seam, and there are two rods (with end rings) that will need the hog rings removed as well.
Once you undo the rods and the seam, then the cover should just slide off. The rods run through fabrics sleeves.
When I got down to the bare metal seat pan, I used some foam scraps and gorilla tape to blunt the edges of the metal pan. Running lengthwise, you should have some plastic guide sleeves over the side rails to prevent them from digging into the foam. I also taped the front perimeter of the seat pan. Mine had abraded the OEM fabric on the front of the lower seat assy (think behind your calves if you were sitting in the seat), so I smoothed that out with gorilla tape to help blunt any protrusions.
If you look at the bottom of the pan, there are parallel support wires that may have dug into your factory foam, causing it to sit a bit lower. I picked up a yard of heavy woven fabric from Walmart for $5 and cut out a square to isolate the wires from touching my foam. I hog ringed the fabric into place so now when you view my seat bottom from underneath, you see the wires and pan, then nothing but black fabric.
Before placing the foam replacement, I also dropped in a roughly 12-14 inch square of 1/4 inch high density blue upholstery foam (Walmart craft section, $12). Just cut it to size to fill up the void on top of the black fabric, but below your replacement foam.
Then it's a matter of reassembly . Lay your cover on top inside out, hog ring the seam, slide the rods through the sleeves, ring those at either end. Crush the foam and flip the corners over, paying attention that your welting is nicely lined up. Pull the fabric flaps tight, and hog ring those back into place.
When hog ringing through fabric and onto a listing rod that's buried in foam, you really need to press down to ensure you can clamp around the rod, while going through the foam. If you mess up, just cut the ring/ unbend it and try again. There is a learning curve.
Take photos while you disassemble.
You bolt holes may not line up exactly again when you go to install the recline mechanism. The new foam may cause the OEM cover to sit in a different spot. It's a pain to find the bolt holes again. I used a thin wire rod to probe and ensure I was lined up to the threaded hole in the seat pan.
Watch a couple youtube vids on various seat installs. They're all pretty much the same. This is my third time of re-upholstering car seats.
Get a pair of 45 degree hog ring pliers... they're a bit easier than the straight versions, I think.
If this all seems a little much for you, then consider paying someone (probably 200 to do a whole seat for you). Or consider steaming if your foam is in pretty good shape but only crushed (youtube that for videos too).
I'm expecting replacement driver's foam tomorrow night via Fedex... I should take pictures this time around!!
You'll need to disassemble the seat and remove the rails to access just the lower seat assy. From there, undo the flaps that are hog ringed to the bottom pan. Then you can crush a corner of foam and start to peel/ invert the cover off. There are hog rings that hold the top fabric into place. Look at the seat seam, and there are two rods (with end rings) that will need the hog rings removed as well.
Once you undo the rods and the seam, then the cover should just slide off. The rods run through fabrics sleeves.
When I got down to the bare metal seat pan, I used some foam scraps and gorilla tape to blunt the edges of the metal pan. Running lengthwise, you should have some plastic guide sleeves over the side rails to prevent them from digging into the foam. I also taped the front perimeter of the seat pan. Mine had abraded the OEM fabric on the front of the lower seat assy (think behind your calves if you were sitting in the seat), so I smoothed that out with gorilla tape to help blunt any protrusions.
If you look at the bottom of the pan, there are parallel support wires that may have dug into your factory foam, causing it to sit a bit lower. I picked up a yard of heavy woven fabric from Walmart for $5 and cut out a square to isolate the wires from touching my foam. I hog ringed the fabric into place so now when you view my seat bottom from underneath, you see the wires and pan, then nothing but black fabric.
Before placing the foam replacement, I also dropped in a roughly 12-14 inch square of 1/4 inch high density blue upholstery foam (Walmart craft section, $12). Just cut it to size to fill up the void on top of the black fabric, but below your replacement foam.
Then it's a matter of reassembly . Lay your cover on top inside out, hog ring the seam, slide the rods through the sleeves, ring those at either end. Crush the foam and flip the corners over, paying attention that your welting is nicely lined up. Pull the fabric flaps tight, and hog ring those back into place.
When hog ringing through fabric and onto a listing rod that's buried in foam, you really need to press down to ensure you can clamp around the rod, while going through the foam. If you mess up, just cut the ring/ unbend it and try again. There is a learning curve.
Take photos while you disassemble.
You bolt holes may not line up exactly again when you go to install the recline mechanism. The new foam may cause the OEM cover to sit in a different spot. It's a pain to find the bolt holes again. I used a thin wire rod to probe and ensure I was lined up to the threaded hole in the seat pan.
Watch a couple youtube vids on various seat installs. They're all pretty much the same. This is my third time of re-upholstering car seats.
Get a pair of 45 degree hog ring pliers... they're a bit easier than the straight versions, I think.
If this all seems a little much for you, then consider paying someone (probably 200 to do a whole seat for you). Or consider steaming if your foam is in pretty good shape but only crushed (youtube that for videos too).
I'm expecting replacement driver's foam tomorrow night via Fedex... I should take pictures this time around!!
x96283
Active Member
- Joined
- Mar 18, 2013
OK so do you have a whole assembly... like seat fabric, foam and seat pan? All in one piece?
If so, there is a large torx bolt holding in the inboard hinge (towards the seat belt mount). Maybe T-50, I can't recall the size.
There are two screws to remove on each of the plastic covers for the recline mechanisms. Once those are off, there are 4 bolts (two upper/ two lower) that hold the mechanism to each seat portion (backrest and bottom). Grab the new bottom assy and reinstall.
And of course, you need to swap over the rails.
If so, there is a large torx bolt holding in the inboard hinge (towards the seat belt mount). Maybe T-50, I can't recall the size.
There are two screws to remove on each of the plastic covers for the recline mechanisms. Once those are off, there are 4 bolts (two upper/ two lower) that hold the mechanism to each seat portion (backrest and bottom). Grab the new bottom assy and reinstall.
And of course, you need to swap over the rails.
