OMG! I am truly ecstatic.

I had the front seat "horsehair" pads replaced today. I have a whole different car. I am sitting about 2 inches higher and the driving position is 2000% more comfortable than before.

Plus my right hand butt cheek isn't sliding down into the seat.......

This is a maintenance item I can thoroughly recommend.


RL

of course you took pics of before and after, and are just waiting to upload them right?

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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

Yes, that would have been a good idea!

Is that something you can order somewhere? I took mine apart and stuffed them with pool noodles and foam to get them to stiffen up.

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"Gerwalt" 1984 - 300TD

Pool noodles rule.

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1999 w140, quit voting to old, and to old to fight, a god damned veteran

http://www.gahh.com

New horsehair is the way to go... I bought a pair of them for the two front seats in my 300SD for a little more than $100 a pop, worht every penny. I also replaced the box springs with a pair I pulled out of a '91 300SEL, since the junkyard I go to only charges $35 for a complete front seat. If you replace the springs, make sure you find the later version with the reinforcing straps and extra cross-bracing.

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-Brian

1984 300SD, 375XXX miles, Light Ivory w/ Palomino TEX

Thank you for sharing your experience. I've been looking to replace or re-built my seats for more comfortable ride, I never thought of looking up this guys. I've used them before for my Boxster when the rag top was cut.

I got good foam buns for 300d and also cd's up to 85 if you aint hip on horsehair!

I got the GAHH pads as well. I bought them through Buds Benz in Atlanta as I was buying some used 380SL parts at the same time.

We put GAHH pads in the 380SL seats too. The W126 seats are much much better than the W107 seats, even with new pads.

When I got my 240, the front seat was useless, I might as well have been sitting on the floor. It would have been just as comfortable. The PO was a very large person. I found some good used seat bottoms, and boy what a difference.

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So, later springs are a direct swap? That would be easier than finding seats - especially getting later seats to adjust properly.

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85SD 240K & stopped counting painted, putting bac together. 84SD 180,000. sold to a neighbor and member here but I forget his handle. The 84 is much improved from when I had it. 85TD beginning to repair to DD status. Lots of stuff to do.

Correct, all w126 box springs are compatible with all W126 seat covers and rails. You can see the difference between the earlier and later versions in the photos on the first two posts on this thread-

W123 W126 Seat Spring Box

However, be aware that it can be a medium-sized hassle to switch the rails, since you need to give 12VDC to one of the motors and move it a few times to get access to all of the screws. When I was doing it, a screw fell down into a tight channel in the rails, and it took me like an hour to get it back out.

But it was worth it, there's no comparison between a seat with blown horsehair and broken springs to one that's been properly refurbished (especially if the broken springs were stabbing you in the rear like mine were).

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-Brian

1984 300SD, 375XXX miles, Light Ivory w/ Palomino TEX