How to remove E30 front seats

[6670charger]

OK, I've done a few hours of research on this, and for something that I keep hearing is available everywhere on the internet, I can't find what I need.

How do the front seats in an E30 come out of the car? Do you need to take them out rails and all, or can the seats simply slide out of the rails while they're still attached to the floor?

Seems like the rails are bolted top down in the rear, and from under the car up in the front.

I want to change the adjusting struts for the seat backs, and found some good vid DIY for that part. Just need to figure out how to get the danged seats out so I can work on them, and want to do it as simply as possible. I figure someone has done this so there is no sense in my reinventing the wheel here.

Any info is appreciated!!

Thanks.

[ELVA164]

Four bolts, two in the front and two in the back. Slide the seat all the way back, remove the black plastic caps from the bolts if they're still there, and remove the two front bolts from inside the car. Slide the seat all the way forward and repeat for the two rear bolts. Make sure the wire for the seat belt buzzer is disconnected from the driver's seat.

If I remember correctly, they're 13mm; you'll want a socket.

[shootnjunky]

17mm

[E30 Wagen]

If I remember correctly, they're 13mm; you'll want a socket.

17mm

[6670charger]

Thanks. I'll take a look in a few minutes. Would like to get one of them done today if I can.

[6670charger]

OK. Got seat out and managed to remove the first shock without having to take the seat back off of the seat entirely. The new shock is quite a bit stiffer than the old one, no surprise. Does anyone have a good trick for compressing these things enough to get them onto their mounting studs?

Thanks.

[6670charger]

OK, got it! Helps to A) put the things in the freezer for about 30 min prior to installation, and B) have someone with you to help steady the strut. I managed to get both by flipping the seat upside down and resting against a sturdy table, then taking a large flat tip screwdriver and push straight down on the slim flat surface on the lower mounting point until it compressed a little and then slid onto the stud. The rest was easy.

Thanks for the responses about getting the seat out of the car. The caps in front deceived me into thinking they bolted in from underneath.

[TimeMachinE30]

There are multiple seat rebuilding threads.

To compress spring use a c-clamp or similar.

[ELVA164]

It would appear I did not remember correctly.

[AndrewBird]

I think the bolts/nuts are 13mm, but you use a 17mm socket on them.

[TimeMachinE30]

I think the bolts/nuts are 13mm, but you use a 17mm socket on them.

[ELVA164]

Yeah, might've gotten thread and head diameter mixed up. At least that's what I'm sticking with now