Hi. Where is the rear of the front seat fastened?

The front bolts are obvious. But how do I unfasten the rear of the front seat? Any other tips to removing the front seats?

I've been following the factory manual but it doesn't look the same at all. Also, any ideas on rebuilding the springs?

Thanks!

Randy

You may have to raise the seat up to it's highest position to get access to the rear bolts. Pull up on the handle on the side of the seat, and if necessary, have someone push the seat from behind, because it can get stuck after a few years of being inoperative.

-Joe

__________________
'81 MB 300SD, '82 MB 300D Turbo (sold/RIP), '04 Lincoln Town Car Ultimate

Sooner or later every car falls apart, ours does it later!
-German Narrator in a MB Promotion Film about the then brand new W123.

Pull your seat as far forward as possible and also use the side handle to raise the seat to its highest position. Now open the backdoor and find the bottom of the seat rail (of the seat you are working on). There is a plastic cover on the end of the seat rail facing the back seat. I had to pry this off in order to get a socket onto the bolt. There is one bolt holding the back of each seat rail down. I presume you already found the two front bolts.

Re: repairing the seat. I fixed my front seat using some old steel fuel line and two pool noodles. I used some short pieces of fuel line to hold the broken ends of the seat spring together. I read a thread where someone went to Lowe's or Home Depot and bought some steel ferrules that would fit on the ends of the springs. I used some old steel gasoline line I got off a junk car. Just cut it about an inch long and stuck it between the two broken pieces of spring. I then took two foam pool noodles and threaded them between the openings in the springs under the seat. I used one entire noodle and most of a second one. The noodles are about 2 to 3 inches in diameter and are about 4 feet long. My seat is now OUTSTANDING to sit and ride on. Very firm and supportive.

At this time of year it may be difficult to find the pool noodles. If your neighbor has a pool, ask if you can get their old ones and buy them a new one in the Spring.

Good Luck.

__________________
Wayne

the triumph of evil requires only that good men stand by and do nothing

13 Audi A3 TDI, the Wife's!
85 190D 5 speed, 195,000 miles
75 Triumph TR 6 w/Toyota 5 speed
2000 Ford F-250 powerstroke
03 Ml500, 109000

I've tried to get the back bolt off but due to rust in floor under a bolt, the bolt in rear left wont come out. It spins like a stripped bolt. PITA.

Gotta do this seat repair!

__________________
'87 924S
'81 280SEL

Sold ->

81 300SD -
93 300E w/ 3.2
85 300D-
79 300SD
82 300CD
83 300CD - CA
87 190E 5 spd
87 Porsche 924S

"..I'll take a simple "C" to "G" and feel brand new about it..."

"I've tried to get the back bolt off"

I've accomplished this task with my trusty sawzall

__________________


1985 Euro 240D 5 spd 140K
1979 240D 5 spd, 40K on engine rebuild
1994 Dodge/Cummins, 5 spd, 121K
1964 Allice Chalmers D15 tractor
2014 Kubota L3800 tractor
1964 VW bug

"Lifes too short to drive a boring car"

I ran into this same thing using the manual - I actually thought I had the seat in the highest position, but didn't and was frustrated when I couldn't find the bolts Eventually I figured it out and used the same techniques to fix mine - I used pipe insulation (no pool noodles in winter).

John

__________________
John Hughes, was in Landstuhl, Germany but currently in San Antonio, TX


1978 280CE Astral Silver now 59,xxx miles and counting "Silber-Kugel"
1986 300E Black Pearl Metallic 143,xxx miles 5-spd daily driver w/ blk leather "Schwarz-Schönheit"
1989 190E 2.6 (euro) 5-spd Desert Taupe 112,xxx kms Had to leave behind in Germany!!! "Helga"
1983 300D Pastel Beige now 312,xxx + miles SOLD

OBK#24

Seriously. 'cause then how would you reattatch the rear seat bottom ? I'd rather have a crushed seat then a wobbly one.

__________________
'87 924S
'81 280SEL

Sold ->

81 300SD -
93 300E w/ 3.2
85 300D-
79 300SD
82 300CD
83 300CD - CA
87 190E 5 spd
87 Porsche 924S

"..I'll take a simple "C" to "G" and feel brand new about it..."

Just today I had to pull three seats out to build one drivers seat
for my 1980 300D. This seems familiar. (Donor car both front
seats, my car drivers seat).

On that spinning bolt... it would seem to me that if it cannot be pushed
on from underneath (american cars seat bolts often protrude through the floor)
that you could push forward on the seat and use the seat leverage to lift
on the bolt while spinning it. Your other three are out, it should move
easily. I assume you removed the long black seat belt bar connected to the rear tunnel.

On reinstall, I have to go out and look, but I thought the seat bolt
receiving end (nut) is replaceable, so you still get all four bolts on reinstall.

I like that pipe insulation idea for bringing comfort back to that seat bottom.
I'll have to try that.

The "captive" nuts on the rear of the drivers seat frame are replaceable. The nuts are attached to a sheet mrtal clip that slips over the sttel channel that is integral to the floor pan. I think I used a grinder to remove mine.....I surmise rust in this area is a common occurence and attribributal to poor maintenacne of drains from the hood hinge and sun roof.....does that sound accurate?

__________________
Rob M
Norwich, VT USA
1980 240D Euro delivery 4 speed manual silver/blue
~160K miles

Rob,

That sounds like it. I'll give that a try on my next attempt. I temporarily gave up and went on to some other issues but that sounds like the answer. I'll investigate those clips next.



Randy

Thats what I did with mine, the captive nuts were nasty from trash and moisture, and I ended up using a cut off wheel on my dremel, got a new bolt and cage nut and put it all back together. Pool noodes can be bought at a pool supply store at a premium, I think I paid 3 bucks each, but thats cheaper than a seat frame!

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91 350SD
14 F150 Eco
19 Fusion Hybrid
11 GT500