Best way to repair broken car seat frame?
May 6, 2009 9:48 AM Subscribe
Currently in my 2005 Chevy Malibu the driver seat frame is cracked. Underneath the seat I can see a metal bar going across (not IN the seat but under) and it has a huge crack/hole and the other piece is hanging off. This causes my seat to tilt back some and rock. I know eventually when that breaks completely my seat will forever tilt back. Is there a way I can fix this by DIY?
What about a metal bonding? Or some type of v-band clamp perhaps?
Any suggestions are welcomed!
What about a metal bonding? Or some type of v-band clamp perhaps?
Any suggestions are welcomed!
Yeeeeah, I wouldn't do a DIY repair of the driver's seat of my car. This is a bit dangerous - if you're in a collision you have no idea whether the seat will hold up properly or not, and this could compromise the effectiveness of both your seat belts and your air bag. I'd look into getting this fixed professionally, or just replacing the driver's seat myself.
posted by autojack at 10:22 AM on May 6, 2009
posted by autojack at 10:22 AM on May 6, 2009
Response by poster: Any ideas where to find how to remove the seat online?
posted by dolemite01 at 11:12 AM on May 6, 2009
posted by dolemite01 at 11:12 AM on May 6, 2009
The seat should be relatively easy to remove - maybe 4 bolts into the floor or similar. Just pull the little flaps of carpet up and look will probably take you as long as looking it up on line.
posted by Brockles at 11:15 AM on May 6, 2009
posted by Brockles at 11:15 AM on May 6, 2009
Call a junkyard and find out how much a replacement seat would be. As easy is they are to take out and put back in, a new, safe seat might easily beworth the money. (And watch for wires when you remove it - you might have to disconnect some wires via a quick disconnect.)
posted by azpenguin at 2:20 PM on May 6, 2009
posted by azpenguin at 2:20 PM on May 6, 2009
Best answer: The seat is a safety device. The seatbelt prevents you from flying through the front window, the seat itself is what prevents you flying through the back window.
A lot of US cars have weak enough seats that when rear ended the passengers fold the seats over and fly headfirst through the back window. Its a problem with US standards not being high enough, if you have a seat that isn't even up to US standards REPLACE IT! An 05 is pretty new, but for older cars junkyards charge next to nothing for a seat.
Best way to get a strong seat is to buy a car made in germany or japan. TUV and JIS are pretty tough on safety, and the companies don't usually retool for the export models. A german or japanese car made in US, Mexico, etc. you takes your chances...
posted by jester69 at 2:44 PM on May 6, 2009
A lot of US cars have weak enough seats that when rear ended the passengers fold the seats over and fly headfirst through the back window. Its a problem with US standards not being high enough, if you have a seat that isn't even up to US standards REPLACE IT! An 05 is pretty new, but for older cars junkyards charge next to nothing for a seat.
Best way to get a strong seat is to buy a car made in germany or japan. TUV and JIS are pretty tough on safety, and the companies don't usually retool for the export models. A german or japanese car made in US, Mexico, etc. you takes your chances...
posted by jester69 at 2:44 PM on May 6, 2009
Response by poster: Thanks for all the assistance, it turns out the car manufacturer did in fact cover this under warranty due to safety reasons.
posted by dolemite01 at 7:45 PM on July 23, 2009
posted by dolemite01 at 7:45 PM on July 23, 2009
This thread is closed to new comments.
If it were me, I wouldn't trust a v-band clamp, for example - seems kind of sketchy, particularly if you're in a collision.
See here.
posted by HopperFan at 10:05 AM on May 6, 2009