How do I reinstall seat covers after seat rebuild? (126 chasis)

[WANT '71 280SEL]

Tomorrow after work I was hoping to dismantle my driver's seat bottom and replace the box springs. Now, I got the springs from a junkyard and they are good. However, there were some funny looking clips (15?) holding the cover to the horsehair pad. It seems though there are holes in the HH pad? How dod you guys re-use them or should I just put the foam pad I bought on the horsehair then attach the seat cover only by the sides? So, the cover would only be held in place around the edges where the cardboard is instead of the center as well.

Does this make sense? I've spent the past two hours reading on this and no one seems to describe what's done about putting the cover back on.

Thanks
David

[sixto]

You need to replace the hogrings or the cover will slide on the pad. If you follow the 3 metal bars around the main seating area you'll see that there are 4 holes per bar that the hogrings slip through to hold the bar to the pad. Shape the hogring in a tight U and push it through the pad. I set the cover upside down on a table, set the pad over it while holding a hogring vertically with one hand then push the pad down on the hogring hoping to not impale myself. When the hogring ends are through, I compress the pad as much as I can and bend the hogring ends. There is a tool called hogring pliers that might simplify this job. It's not so bad without if a wimp like me can compress the pad and an additional 1/2" of outdoor furniture foam to fit the hogrings.

What I left off are the gazillion staples holding the cover's burlap skirt to the pad. Seems to not make a difference.

Sixto
95 S420
87 300SDL

[Austin85]

check out this link
http://www.peachparts.com/Wikka/W123SeatRepair?show_comments=1#comments

[sixto]

I just realized a difference between the late 126 box spring and the 123 box spring in the pics - the late 126 box spring has coils in the front corners to keep the seat from sagging.

Man, that seat has seen some use. My 270K miles SDL seat innards looked nothing like that.

Sixto
95 S420
87 300SDL

[sixto]

Forgot the pics

[sixto]

Come to think of it, coils might be a better mod for 123 box springs than pool noodles.

Sixto
95 S420
87 300SDL