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Date:         Thu, 12 Mar 1998 12:14:01 -0500
Reply-To:     EMZ <vw4x4@FYI.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         EMZ <vw4x4@FYI.NET>
Subject:      Front seat padding
Comments: To: vanagon@vanagon.com
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII

Well sometime ago I asked the list about the confort of the seats in the Vanagons. I concluded that the back rest needs work, so I padded mine. Here what I did.

PADDING YOUR VANAGON SEAT BACK:

1 - REMOVE SEAT BACK: This is the hardest part. Remove the arm rest by removing the black center plug, pull the armrest off, and remove its mounting bracket. Turn the seat over and remove the small socket head screws that hold the seat track to the base of the seat. These bolts are small and go in front the bottom. Note the springs under the seat track etc. Remove the 2 larger bolts that the seat piviet on the the seat should fail apart, except for the spring (wire) in the tube. Yes it has to be removed.

2 - REMOVE COVERING: on the bottom of the back you will find small metal tabs bent over. Straighten them, and remove the metal rod they hold in place. Pull the head rest out and pull out the plastic mounts that are pushed into the top of the seat. As you start to remove the covering you will find inside a final wire holding the covering in place. Note the palce that it is tied into.

3 - INSERT PADDING: Using a 2" thick piece of foam rubber carefully cut and install the foam to fill the hollow back of the seat. It requires that two pieces be used because of the strange frame work. The top piece being 4 1/4" x the seat width. In addition I install another 1" thick piece in the lower back area, and the same in the upper center between the head rest support.

4 - PADDING SUPPORT: Cover the new foamed area of the seat with a thin piece of sheet metal. I used two pieces of .04" thick aluminum. I pop riveted one piece from the bottom edge to the 4" wide cross support and a top piece from this 4" support to the top. Insert the edges under the existing fram at the top and bottom. At this stage there is only 1 small problem. You have to clear a path in the foam for the plastic head rest mounts. I simply turned the seat cover inside out and install the head reset and padded around it.

6 - RE-ASSEMBLE: This should be straight forward. Don't forget to tie down the two wires that keep the cover fabric tight to the seat. I had to drill extra holes thru the base of sheet metal cover.

Comments can be directed to:

Eric 86-VW4x4 vw4x4@fyi.net 72-240z Pittsburgh, PA USA 1936-Chrysler


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