Modifying sport seats

[FreedS4]

Has anyone modified the factory sport seats/rails so that they sit lower on the factory rails? I'm trying to get them to sit about an inch lower and wanted to see if there was already a "proven" way to make it happen. Thanks for any help/advice!

Chris

[IRON-E]

If you're talking about the sports seats?, there a lever that lowers them quite a bit. Hopefully you've not tried that yet

[FreedS4]

If you're talking about the sports seats?, there a lever that lowers them quite a bit. Hopefully you've not tried that yet

Unfortunately that isn't enough. I still need the seat to be about an inch lower to have enough clearance for my helmet. I'm think about disassembling the factory seat rails and then taking out some material and re-welding them. Just wanted to see if anyone else had done this.

Chris

[e30slidewayz]

Just cut a hole in the roof. I kid I kid. If you got the means to do it, there's enough material you can cut away to make the seats an inch or so lower. But you probably want to give yourself a little extra room incase you hit a bump and come up out your seat a little bit. I switched over to recaro SRDs with massive's brackets and they seem to be a good bit lower than factory, might want to think about ditching the sport seats all together.

[bmwstephen]

you need to swap in early model seat bottoms and rails. they were made in 1984-1985. The thinner profile gives you .5 - 1 inch drop on the seat. You also need lower profile bolts when securing them down to the chassis, otherwise you would pierce your fuel/brake lines on the driver side.

[FreedS4]

Just cut a hole in the roof. I kid I kid. If you got the means to do it, there's enough material you can cut away to make the seats an inch or so lower. But you probably want to give yourself a little extra room incase you hit a bump and come up out your seat a little bit. I switched over to recaro SRDs with massive's brackets and they seem to be a good bit lower than factory, might want to think about ditching the sport seats all together.

Yeah, I've got about a pinkies worth of room between my helmet and my roof right now, so that's why I'm looking for more room. I may end up ditching the sport seats, but I'm looking for options to keep them, for now. Thanks for your help!

you need to swap in early model seat bottoms and rails. they were made in 1984-1985. The thinner profile gives you .5 - 1 inch drop on the seat. You also need lower profile bolts when securing them down to the chassis, otherwise you would pierce your fuel/brake lines on the driver side.

Good stuff! I hadn't heard about using early model seat bottoms. Are the seat bottoms that I'm looking for out of any early e30? I'll look a bit further into this option, as it may just give me the clearance I'm looking for, without having to cut and weld!

Chris

[bmwstephen]

Yeah, I've got about a pinkies worth of room between my helmet and my roof right now, so that's why I'm looking for more room. I may end up ditching the sport seats, but I'm looking for options to keep them, for now. Thanks for your help!




Good stuff! I hadn't heard about using early model seat bottoms. Are the seat bottoms that I'm looking for out of any early e30? I'll look a bit further into this option, as it may just give me the clearance I'm looking for, without having to cut and weld!

Chris

yup, its a pretty neat trick but the only issue is that you have to use the early model seat bottom because the early rails are only compatible with that.

[FreedS4]

yup, its a pretty neat trick but the only issue is that you have to use the early model seat bottom because the early rails are only compatible with that.

It'll still end up be less work than cutting and welding, so that's good.

Have you done this? If so, is it as simple as swapping the seat bottoms and rails? Or do I need to source other parts? i.e. if I get the seat bottoms and rails and a few shortened bolts, will that be all that I need? Thanks again.

Chris

[FreedS4]

yup, its a pretty neat trick but the only issue is that you have to use the early model seat bottom because the early rails are only compatible with that.

Can you go into a little more detail as to what exactly is involved? I haven't found any other good info about what to do. Thanks for all of your help!

Chris

[FreedS4]

Back up to the top, to see if anyone else has insight on this. Thanks!

Chris