Making your own seat brackets?

[infernosg]

So after being less than impressed with Wedge Engineering's seat brackets in my last car I want to do something different this time without spending $200/ea for Bride's brackets. I'm curious what kind of "custom" or "homemade" solutions anyone here has done.

For reference I've got two Sparco Torino II's and an extra set of stock sliders. I don't have access to a welder of any sort so anything I can do is pretty much limited to what I can cut out of bar or tube stock and bolt together.

[djmtsu]

Do your seats mount from the side, or underneath?

Corbeau brackets mount from the underneath and can be had for around $80 each, and slide. I sold mine as a pair for $150

[infernosg]

Originally Posted by djmtsu

Do your seats mount from the side, or underneath?

Corbeau brackets mount from the underneath and can be had for around $80 each, and slide. I sold mine as a pair for $150

The Torino II's mount from the bottom - your typical reclining "racing seats". As far as I know the only over-the-counter brackets available come from Wedge Engineering and are $79/ea. I used some of their brackets when I had these seats in my old Protege5 and they took a lot of work to get in and straight (had to drill out a lot of holes). I got the extra stock sliders for cheap and was hoping to make something work. I have a couple ideas but I was curious what other people had done.

My current ideas are:
1. Use stock sliders with adapter plates. I'll have to use some spacers so the plates will clear the slider moving parts (1/4" or so)
2. Grind off stock sliders and just use brackets, then use adapter plates to adapt Sparco sliders (I have two of those as well) to stock brackets

My big concern is over all seat height. I'm not overly tall at 5'-10" but I feel if I increase the seat height at all my head is going to touch the roof. Option 1 has the potential for being taller than stock, but involves much less cutting/grinding. Option 2 will take a lot longer but in the end will be shorter because the Sparco sliders are thinner and I won't have to use spacers.

[djmtsu]

My Corbeau brackets/sliders fit like a glove, and were very low to the floor. I am 6'3 and had no issues with my head/hair touching the headliner, with a sunroof.

[infernosg]

Originally Posted by djmtsu

My Corbeau brackets/sliders fit like a glove, and were very low to the floor. I am 6'3 and had no issues with my head/hair touching the headliner, with a sunroof.

Did those come straight from Corbeau? I ask because Sparco "lists" having brackets for the RX-7, but they're actually made by Wedge Engineering.

[djmtsu]

Yes, straight from Corbeau--> http://www.corbeau.com/service/seat_brackets/

They had the Corbeau symbol on them, as well as the part number and 'FC3S 86-91'

Even on Corbeau's site they are $89, some places might have them cheaper.

[infernosg]

Ugh, Wedge's are up to $110/ea - screw that. I'm going to be picking up some 3/4" square tubing and 1/8" flat stock aluminum tonight and try to tackle the driver's side tomorrow.

[infernosg]

Well, got the bracket components all fabbed up for the driver's side. I just need to get some longer bolts to hold everything together and hopefully it'll all fit in.

On a related note it's going to be a damn tight fit with the Torino II's. Maybe everything will line up better when it's installed but the initial test fit was discouraging.

[infernosg]

End results attached below. Pictures show the 3/4" square tubing I initially used but that resulting in a seating position that was too high. I ended up using some 1/4"x1" flat stock (needed to be thickn enough to clear some features on the stock brackets) and everything is good. The end result is essentially the same (only seating height changed).

[RETed]

Is that aluminum?
If so, for safety sake, please change it to mild steel.
Aluminum work hardens very quickly and can fail with very little warning.


-Ted

[infernosg]

Originally Posted by RETed

Is that aluminum?
If so, for safety sake, please change it to mild steel.
Aluminum work hardens very quickly and can fail with very little warning.


-Ted

Unfortunately it is aluminum. Not my first choice but given the resources I have it was really my only option (can't drill steel/weld). Fortunately the aluminum really isn't serving too much of a structural purpose. I understand the holes in the aluminum are kt's (stress multipliers) and therefore may tear under significant loads, but they're really just serving as a means to join the brackets to the seats. The stock seat brackets (mild steel, I assume) and the grade 8 bolts are really what is carrying the loads. I suppose I could always do a FEM analysis in ANSYS to make sure everything is okay, LOL!

I will be removing these again in a few weeks to see how they're holding up. If I see signs of distress I will likely go buy some mild steel bits and take them to a machine shop to be put together (i.e. welded) in a manner similar to the current configuration.

[infernosg]

Ugh, so even after swapping out the 3/4" square tubing for 1/4" flat stock the driver's seat is still too high. With my helmet on my head hits the roof and I'm not a very tall person (5'-10" at best). Even though I dislike them I am seriously considering the Wedge brackets and Sparco sliders, but I don't know if that setup would be any lower.

Does anyone know if side-mounted seats are any higher/lower than the reclineables? Lately I've been considering selling the Torino II's and picking up something FIA approved like the Evo. Anyone have the Evo's or something similar in an FC?

[Phoenix7]

I'm with you...the Wedge Eng. brackets SUCK!! Side mounts should allow you to be seated lower at least 1/2 an inch more than the brackets + sliders.