Quick fix for broken seat springs - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Johnt49 · #1 10-22-2006, 12:09 PM

Decided to give this a try. It took less than 1 hr & only cost a few bucks. My drivers seat springs were broken on the left side. Couldn't find any good parts at the u pull yard Friday, so this morning I pulled the seat to see if it would work. The springs like to break at the radius, so I cut them back to where I had straight material to work with on both sides. Then just bent a piece of 1/4" brake line, reamed it out to 3/16 ID with a drill, & slipped it over the broken pieces. No need to tack them in place, they can't go anywhere once installed. I've included a couple pics. The first one shows the broken spring. This one had the complete radius missing, so I just trimmed it up so the brake line would slip over it. You can see the one next to it has already been repaired, but the radius was much tighter, so I had to make a much sharper bend in the brake line. Be careful when cutting the spring with a cut off wheel. Make sure you don't drop any hot metal into the seat where it could catch fire. No, I didn't find out the hard way, but was aware it could happen.

kerry · #2 10-22-2006, 12:24 PM

There are a couple of threads on this topic on this board. Someone used injector lines I think and reamed them out to make them fit. See 'pool noodles' also.

d.delano · #3 10-22-2006, 12:32 PM

clever fix, I'll have to try that when the time comes

coachgeo · #4 10-22-2006, 01:23 PM

I started this project MONTHS and months ago on my SD. I must be stupid though cause I can't get the damn driver seat out. The electronics don't seem to want to come unplugged and seat wont come out without disconnecting it (big; but short, wireing harness under seat)

JimmyL · #5 10-22-2006, 06:43 PM

Well, how does the seat feel since you did that? Looks like a good idea, if it is as rigid as it used to be..........

Johnt49 · #6 10-23-2006, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyL

Well, how does the seat feel since you did that? Looks like a good idea, if it is as rigid as it used to be..........

It's better, but not 100%. Whoever owned the car before me must have applied a lot more pressure to the springs (how's that for a PC way of saying lard a$$) than I do. The springs have lost some of their tension. I'm hoping to find a good passenger side seat bottom in the junk yard some day, but this isn't Mercedes country, so the choices are limited.

lietuviai · #7 10-22-2006, 10:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coachgeo

I started this project MONTHS and months ago on my SD. I must be stupid though cause I can't get the damn driver seat out. The electronics don't seem to want to come unplugged and seat wont come out without disconnecting it (big; but short, wireing harness under seat)

Think wire cutters.

lietuviai · #8 10-22-2006, 10:15 PM

It seems like a good idea but aren't the springs supposed to press against the padding firmly?

R Leo · #9 10-23-2006, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coachgeo

I started this project MONTHS and months ago on my SD. I must be stupid though cause I can't get the damn driver seat out. The electronics don't seem to want to come unplugged and seat wont come out without disconnecting it (big; but short, wireing harness under seat)

Coach,
As I've found with all things Mercedes, if it is too hard to do, you're probably doing it wrong.

I recently had the same problems when pulling the seats out of my SDL. It wasn't immediately obvious how to get those wiring connections loose from the seat and I struggled for quite some time figuring out how to get them loose. In the end, after I figured out how to disconnect the wiring, I felt pretty stupid for not realizing how to do it in the first place.

First move the seat all the way back and upwards and remove the carpeted cover that hides the connectors that are almost directly under the front of the seat. .

IIRC, the ends of the cable ends have rigid plastic covers which also function as the latches which hold the cables to the box. By snapping the cover of the largest connector forward, it should release it and you can pull the plug upwards. I think the other connectors are held in by that first big plug. From there, the other plugs come out easily.

It took me an hour to figure out how to get the connectors loose on the first seat. After I figured it out, the second seat took all of 2 minutes.

When I get home this evening, I'll look at it again and confirm this procedure.

coachgeo · #10 10-24-2006, 01:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by R Leo

Coach,...First move the seat all the way back and upwards and remove the carpeted cover that hides the connectors that are almost directly under the front of the seat. . .. the ends of the cable ends have rigid plastic covers which also function as the latches which hold the cables to the box. By snapping the cover of the largest connector forward, it should release it and you can pull the plug upwards. I think the other connectors are held in by that first big plug. From there, the other plugs come out easily....When I get home this evening, I'll look at it again and confirm this procedure.

Thank you SO much R Leo. I asked about the wiring gee hmmm. months and months ago and no one replied. THANK YOU AGAIN. I have been to lazy to struggle with this delima anymore. But "Patience is a virtue" was coined by one lazy a$$ dude... but it's still got some merit

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