TR3A seat backs

[pfenlon]

The seats in my car are standard, except for foam inserts in the seat cushions, I have 2 old sprung bases sent from a member in Germany which I will

 

eventually recon.

 

my problem is with the seat backs, which when cornering twist too easily to the left or right, when cornering.

 

This is very dodgy indeed. sadly the seat backs tip forward ( for what I am not sure ) and location, being secured with just 2 bolts, is very poor.

 

TR2 seats dont tip and must be stiffer, but has anyone an answer on how to stiffen the 3A ones.

[Alec Pringle]

Hi Peter,

 

Viagra ?

 

Cheers,

 

Alec

[stuart]

Peter 3a seats should be drivers side fixed back and passenger side tipping back. If you have both tipping then you need to look for a fixed drivers one. I think Simon Westlake who is on here as "I used to have one of those" has some on ebay at the moment. His ID on ebay is TR2-6 bits. Its also worth reinforcing around the holes in the pans were they are bolted to the runners as they usually crack around that area and this will make the seat twist as well.

Stuart.

[TR 2100]

There's not much you can do to stiffen - it's the design that's the problem.

This is particularly bad for the passenger. Not only does the folding seat

back flex even more that the 'solid' driver's side seat, but the driver has

something to hold onto when cornering. Passengers can also have a problem

reaching the floor to give a bit of stability.

 

Seat belts help, and apart from any seat strengthening you may do, I put

a wooden wedge underneath the seat at the back. Probably doesn't help all

that much with the flexing, but it helps spread the load and reduces the

tendency for both the seat base and the floor to flex, crack and rust.

 

AlanR

[vivdownunder]

Hi Peter,

 

I came to the same conclusion that the original 3A seats were just too weak, particularly on the passenger's side with the tilt back for rear passenger access.

 

Over the years, people leaning on the seat backs when entering the car tended to weaken the structure, and water in the seat pan causes rust, leaving the bolt holes to crack as described by Stuart. The two holes where the hinged back attaches elongate, and the whole thing rattles when the passenger side is unoccupied. Often the hinged back sits at a different angle to the fixed side. It was an average design from the start, and doesn't stand up to the general wear and tear of many years of use.

 

Depending on what you want to outlay, the solution for me was to have a new pair of seats fabricated in a heavier guage metal, using the originals as a pattern. They are a fairly simple shape, and you don't need the swages when thicker metal is used, so they really didn't cost an arm and a leg. I deleted the hinged back, as nobody will ever need to hop in the rear while we have the car. When trimmed you'd never know, and they'll last forever and a day.

 

Just another option to consider, like fitting Mazda Miata seats for their comfort and safer high backs.

 

Cheers,

 

Viv.

[pfenlon]

My car is bog standard and both seats tip, its a post 60,000 car is that correct?

[stuart]

My car is bog standard and both seats tip, its a post 60,000 car is that correct?

Peter all 3a even post 60000 had only passenger side as tipping seat. Drivers side is always fixed.

Stuart

[Menno van Rij]

Peter - The driver's side is fixed, the passenger's side is the one with the tipping back. Note, position of the seats in LHD and RHD cars is opposite! (As I learned on this forum last year).

 

When I took the seats of my car apart, I was confronted with a lot of damage! My seats suffered from all bad things you discribe in your posting too! What a mess. I think that constructing new seats from thicker material is a interesting idea! Repairing the old ones costs a lot of time too.

 

Don't know about the Miata seats though, somehow I don't like them. Mind you, I have nothing against better seats in my TR. I seriously consider making (welding) two bespoke frames for bucket seats! I've seen the 'skeleton' of a bucket seat and I think that it's even easier to make that a new 'original' TR seat! I can use Spitfire's head rests too.

 

Last year I posted a question about installing Spitfire seats into a TR. I think no-one ever tried: there was no reply until now. I was quite happy with the seats in my Spitfire. And guess what: there are two Saab Sonett bucket seats in my garage. I trial fitted them into my TR and they fit! On the other hand, I will not use them. Sonett's seats are very, very hard to find!

 

Menno

[stuart]

Menno you could try a pair of MG midget mk 1 seats, they are similar in appearance to TR2/3 seats but they have more of a wrap around back and slightly higher. I fitted them to a 2 and they are much more comfortable. Trimmed as per TR cover pattern they look virtually the same as the originals. If you are interested I will email you some pictures.

Stuart

[Ian Vincent]

My seats had all the symptoms referred to here, and I welded some 1/8th inch flat along the bottom to support the seat runner fixings and inserted some 20g plate as gussets to stiffen the backs and stop them twisting.

 

I was really pleased to read all these posts, i thought it was just me. I figured that once I have put some new covers on no one will spot my alterations, I didn't even have to be fussy about the welding.

 

Rgds Ian

[vivdownunder]

Hi Menno,

 

Last week I saw some TR3A seats that had headrests fitted. A very neat job of fabricating the runner dowels into the seat backs too.

 

The owner's wife is a GP and she wouldn't climb aboard without them.

 

As they say, happy wife, happy life, so........

 

They went off to the trimmer last week so I don't know if I can still get pics, but can try if you like the idea.

 

Regards,

 

Viv.

 

PS Peter, the driver's side seat was fixed to deter rear passengers (kiddies) from hopping out on the traffic side of the car.

Edited August 13, 2008 by vivdownunder

[pfenlon]

Hi Peter,

 

Viagra ?

 

Cheers,

 

Alec

 

I shall deal with you later!