Date:         Fri, 19 Apr 2013 12:28:09 -0400
Reply-To:     Harold Teer <teer.vanagon@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Harold Teer <teer.vanagon@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Steel rod sticking out of side of rear seat
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

For a Friday question, I thought I should ask one I don't remember being
raised on this list since I have been reading it in 1995 or 1996.

On our "91 Westy, two steel rods periodically work their way out of the
rear seat toward the side cabinet.   One rod is toward the front of the
seat and one toward the rear. When this occurs, I use something to push
them back in several inches but on our recent 2 month trip, I had to push
both rods in twice and the problem is getting worse. If I don't catch it in
time, the rod scratches the cabinet or trim when I raise the rear seat.

To see a picture, click here:  "
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=551387&highlight=harold"

Mark Drillock helped me understand the purpose of the rods when he wrote "The
rods are used in Westy seats that have the indented contours built in. The
fabric seams that run across the cushions are attached to those rods. That
is what holds the fabric depressions in their depressed state. Otherwise
the fabric would be floppy."

I don't want to disassemble the seat since I know I would never get it back
together where it would look right.  I have thought about sliding a tube
over the steel rods and then injecting some glue through the tube and then
slowly withdrawing the tube hoping the glue would adhere to the fabric
seams and the rod and hold it in place.  But, since I have never
disassembled a seat to actually see what the interior looks like, I don't
know if that is a good solution or not

So, before I go any further in my thinking, put your thinking caps on and
some of you creative minds give me some suggestions.

Thanks,

Harold

Harold Teer
1991 Westy (Vangaux)
Harrisonburg, VA