TR6 post 72 seat headrest friction rollers

[MARK]

My Seats - TR6 73 - are being rebuilt at upholsters and they have told me that the friction rollers on both seats are missing ! No wonder the headrests would never stay up! (and no viagra did not work the pills just crumbled !)

There seems to be two types - metal or nylon, These are no longer available from usual suppliers I have just found out !

Is there a way of establshing which type I should have ? -

do spitfire ones fit and are there two types in spitfire seats ?

or has anyone made a substitute in the past ?.

I am going to collect the half rebuilt seats to see what is involved. with the hope I can sort something out that would do the job.

Help the sun is out and no seats in the car !

Mark

[JohnC]

I recently had a pair of CF/CR seats rebuilt. They were also missing the rollers. The upholsterer used metal rollers, which look like springs made of flattened wire. No idea where he got them, but he didn't make a drama out of them, so I assume there is a supply somewhere. I can ask if you like (but the delay getting them from Oz might drive you nuts!).

Cheers,

John

[Mike G]

Hi Mark

When I re-built my seats, I used small lengths of compressed air Nylon tubing. It is very tough and reluctent to distort, so holds the headrests in there desired position very well.

 

Mike G

[Tracer]

Sorry to hear about your problem of getting it to staying up!!!

 

(tough crowd here!!)

 

I has a similiar problem with the two TR6 1972 seats I rebuilt.

 

I found the headrest are held in place by what appears to be a thin metal "spring" .

 

The "spring" is positioned horizontally in the recessed area of headrest shaft track.

 

The diameter of the spring extends a bit into the headrest track and is compressed against the headrest shaft.

 

This "friction" against the shaft is what cause the headrest to stay in position.

 

After (35 + years) the flexing on the spring causes it to break and there goes the friction needed to hold up the headrests.

 

 

I tried all sorts of springs with no sucess.

 

The cure for my seats was to find a bolt with a diameter that just about touched the headrest shaft.

 

Installed it hoizontally (in the same recess used for the spring)..then tighted the bolt and nut to the point where the track is being bent slightly inward.

 

If you do the tightening process slowly you can adjust the amount of pressure/force necessary to adjust the headrests.

 

 

Presto!!! Instant friction and no worries about broken friction rollers ever again.

 

 

Granted this is not the 'correct" method to use. If I could have gotten the proper repair parts I would have use them instead.

 

This is one method that worked ... the other sugestions sound good too!

 

In any case good luck with trying to keep it up!

Edited August 8, 2007 by Tracer

[JOHN'S TR6]

Mark

I also had problems with my head rest on my 74 TR6 staying up.

 

I thought it would be a simple solution as I work for an Engineering Plastics distributor. ( A I Plastics in Newport 01633 271003 ) Cheap plug there.

We keep Nylon rod in stock 6 and 8mm Dia. I thought I will take the seat into work, cut a bit of rod of the desired diameter and it would be sorted. Much to my anoyance, it turned out that the required Dia needed to be approx 7mm. This is a size that is not a standard in the plastics world.

I have enquired as to the minimum quantity to grind 8mm rod to 7mm, but now my seats covers are back on i can not guarentee the correct dia.

 

In the end I used some 6mm dia rod and wrapped it in insulating tape. It worked for all of a week on one seat. The other is still working.

I have now pushed a 30mm wide strip 0.5mm thk of PTFE plate down the head rest channel against the roller and it grips fine.

 

I imagine that if there was not enough tension on a roller, you could even cut some slide packers out of a plastic milk bottle as Polyethylene has very good wear properties.

If any one does need bits of plastics we do have an E-Bay site.click here

 

 

Regards John

Edited August 9, 2007 by JOHN'S TR6

[MARK]

Mark

I also had problems with my head rest on my 74 TR6 staying up.

 

I thought it would be a simple solution as I work for an Engineering Plastics distributor. ( A I Plastics in Newport 01633 271003 ) Cheap plug there.

We keep Nylon rod in stock 6 and 8mm Dia. I thought I will take the seat into work, cut a bit of rod of the desired diameter and it would be sorted. Much to my anoyance, it turned out that the required Dia needed to be approx 7mm. This is a size that is not a standard in the plastics world.

I have enquired as to the minimum quantity to grind 8mm rod to 7mm, but now my seats covers are back on i can not guarentee the correct dia.

 

In the end I used some 6mm dia rod and wrapped it in insulating tape. It worked for all of a week on one seat. The other is still working.

I have now pushed a 30mm wide strip 0.5mm thk of PTFE plate down the head rest channel against the roller and it grips fine.

 

I imagine that if there was not enough tension on a roller, you could even cut some slide packers out of a plastic milk bottle as Polyethylene has very good wear properties.

If any one does need bits of plastics we do have an E-Bay site.click here

Regards John

[MARK]

THANKS FOR ALL THE HELP. FIXED THE PROBLEM ! PUT A LARGE HEAVY DUTY PLASTIC WALL CAVITY FIXING PLUG - ( THE RAWL PLUG STYLE ) THAT FITTED TIGHTLY IN THE ROLLER HOUSING. THEN TIGHTENED THE SCREW UP IN THE PLUG WITH THE HEADREST IN PLACE UNTIL I GOT THE DESIRED TENSON.

THE BODGE SEEMS TO BE WORKING OK!,

I HAD THOUGHT ABOUT USING A BOLT COVERED WITH PLASTIC PIPE BUT DID NOT FIND QUITE THE THE RIGHT SIZE IN MY ( NOT THROW IT - MAY MIGHT BE USEFUL HOARD )" !

( WHY IS IT WHEN FOLLOWING A RUSH OF BLOOD OR NAGGING FROM THE WIFE AND HAVE A * CLEAR OUT * YOU ALWAYS THROW OUT THING YOU NEED THE NEXT WEEK !)

SEATS ARE BACK BUT THE SUN HAS GONE IN !

MARK