[RESOLVED] Seat bolt question

[DGajre777]

I bought Corbeau FX Pro seats and ran into trouble with the seat bolt. The corbeau brackets suck which I knew. While installing the seat 2 days ago, the bolt went in at an angle and I stripped it. I took the seat out, put a bolt from top and it goes all the way in. If I put the seat back on, there isn't enough space for me to put a wrench of any kind to turn the bolt to keep it straight.

I know that the OEM bolt with "7" marked on it is a Class 8.8 metric bolt. I was thinking that I could get a longer Class 8.8 bolt, jbweld the bolt (couldn't hurt), tighten it into the hole with a wrench without the seat on, let the JBWeld dry, cut the head off the bolt (might take a while with a dremel), put the seat on and then put a class 8.8 hex nut on the bolt.

Will this be safe if I get in an accident? Should I get the bolt spot welded after I bolt it in? I am not even going to try to cut a Class 10.9 metric bolt and I don't want to drill holes under the car to mount the seats in.

Any ideas?

 

[romeen]

I had a similar problem when I installed my Sparcos. I just ended up tapping the hole for a bigger bolt. This was 5 years ago and I haven't had any problems. Of course I haven't been in any accidents either to really put it to the test.

I also had to drill the hole in the seat mounting bracket bigger to allow the larger bolt through.

BTW, I know what you mean about the limited space to get a wrench in there. Can't remember if it's the rear inner or outer bolt but with the aftermarket brackets it's a real bi*** to turn the damn thing.

 

[DGajre777]

Did you drill through the bottom of the car or just used a bigger bolt? How did you tighten the bigger bolt when I can't even tighten the OEM bolt?

I know what you mean about the brackets. I had to make 2 of the holes on the corbeau bracket larger so they line up. I think corbeau drills the holes and then welds the all the pieces together instead of welding and then drilling holes. The bolt I am having trouble with is the rear outer one. And I haven't even started on the passenger seat yet.

 

[romeen]

You don't have to drill through the bottom of the car. There is an elevated ridge or rail that runs from side to side, one for the front studs and then the one for the rear bolts. If you look down into the bolt hole you will see an empty area under the threaded hole and then the actual floor. You only need to tap threads in the top portion.

IIRC, the rear inner was the hardest to access for me. I think I just used and open end wrench, but I was able to turn it only about a 1/4 turn before repositioning. I think I used an offset box end wrench for the outer one.

And yeah, the Sparco brackets did not line up well either. I think I had to enlarge both rear bolt holes in order to get it aligned.

 

[MrBoxx]

I know it would be pretty hard to do, but is it possible to get a picture of how the bracket and bolt are arranged? I'm planning on buying some Corbeau seats in the near future and am wondering how the brackets come and what's required to install the seats. If there's a known issue with them, I'd like to be warned as much in advance as I can.

If everything is put back together, then don't worry about it.

 

[DGajre777]

Ah, so you tapped it first. That makes sense.

Eric - I still have the passenger bracket in the living room. I can take pics of those. The driver side is the same, think of it as a mirror image of the passenger seat. As for seats, the FX1 PRO touches the door when it is closed. I originally wanted the FX1s but after I measure the car I got Pros.

 

[Jeff99GS]

If you JB weld a bolt in and then cut the head off, make sure you thread a nut onto the bolt before you thread it into the hole in the car.
That way after you cut the head off the bolt you can remove the nut and it will clean up the threads you just cut through. This will make it MUCH easier to get the nut back on.

 

[DGajre777]

If you JB weld a bolt in and then cut the head off, make sure you thread a nut onto the bolt before you thread it into the hole in the car.
That way after you cut the head off the bolt you can remove the nut and it will clean up the threads you just cut through. This will make it MUCH easier to get the nut back on.

Good idea! I never thought of that one.

I was thinking of another idea of just drilling under the car, bolting it from the bottom (that way I don't have to cut the head) and then taking it to a body shop to have them reweld the hole or use JBWeld or something else to cover the hole. This way I don't have to worry about the bolt going anywhere if I get in an accident or if I roll the car over.

 

[romeen]

I was thinking of another idea of just drilling under the car, bolting it from the bottom (that way I don't have to cut the head) and then taking it to a body shop to have them reweld the hole or use JBWeld or something else to cover the hole. This way I don't have to worry about the bolt going anywhere if I get in an accident or if I roll the car over.

If you do decide to drill all the way through the floor board remember that the hole will have to be perfectly aligned with the existing bolt hole in that elevated ridge in order for the bolt to come through straight (vertical). It's also possible that when you torque it down it may deform the floor just a bit since the bolt will be bridging two "layers" of metal with space in between them. Not likely, but possible.

I still think it would be easier to tap new threads and use a larger bolt.

 

[DGajre777]

If you do decide to drill all the way through the floor board remember that the hole will have to be perfectly aligned with the existing bolt hole in that elevated ridge in order for the bolt to come through straight (vertical). It's also possible that when you torque it down it may deform the floor just a bit since the bolt will be bridging two "layers" of metal with space in between them. Not likely, but possible.

I still think it would be easier to tap new threads and use a larger bolt.

I meant doing this...

 

[DGajre777]

Eric - Here are the pics.

 

[DGajre777]

This is the one on the driver bracket that I had trouble with which lead to a stripped bolt. The pic below is from the passenger bracket.

 

[Jeff99GS]

Can't you just slid the seat forward to gain better acsess to that hole?

What's in the way?

 

[DGajre777]

Can't you just slid the seat forward to gain better acsess to that hole?

What's in the way?

The seat is in the way. With it all the way forward it still sits over the bolt.

 

[bmoha2]

Would you necessarily have to weld that hole shut? How about making it round and putting one of those premade rubber plugs in it? I could see where non reclining seats would be a problem for access etc. I think your idea is pretty much spot on DGajre777. I wonder if you couldn't do exactly like what your diagram said but use serrated washers under the nut on the top and make the hole on the bottom thru the underpan big enough to fit the socket for the bolt you will be passing thru and tighten it from the bottom of the car? Wow that was a heck of a run on sentence. Sorry. The seats do look killer. I am glad this post was made because I have been wanting to get a set of Corbeau seats myself and wanted more details.

 

[Jeff99GS]

I see.

Also another thing that may help is to leave the other 3 bolts finger tight so the mount plate will be moveable.
This will allow the hole in the mount plate to line up with the hole in the floor easier.

If the other 3 are already tight, the mounting plate may be cocked it one direction causing the bolt to go in at an angle. Just a thought.

 

[DGajre777]

I see.

Also another thing that may help is to leave the other 3 bolts finger tight so the mount plate will be moveable.
This will allow the hole in the mount plate to line up with the hole in the floor easier.

If the other 3 are already tight, the mounting plate may be cocked it one direction causing the bolt to go in at an angle. Just a thought.

This was the first thing I tried. I even tried putting the bolt that I have trouble with first, before the other bolts and it still didn't / doesn't go in straight.

Would you necessarily have to weld that hole shut? How about making it round and putting one of those premade rubber plugs in it? I could see where non reclining seats would be a problem for access etc. I think your idea is pretty much spot on DGajre777. I wonder if you couldn't do exactly like what your diagram said but use serrated washers under the nut on the top and make the hole on the bottom thru the underpan big enough to fit the socket for the bolt you will be passing thru and tighten it from the bottom of the car? Wow that was a heck of a run on sentence. Sorry. The seats do look killer. I am glad this post was made because I have been wanting to get a set of Corbeau seats myself and wanted more details.

I know what you mean, I researched for days about Corbeau seats in DSMs and couldn't find any installation pics.

I can't image jacking up the car every time I want to take the seats out. I still have to redo the headliner, fuel pump and a few years later get a roll bar/cage. Even if I seal the bottom of the bolt, water will still go through the open hole. But I like the idea of premade rubber plugs. I just don't know where I could find a generic one but then again I haven't really looked for them either. I'll get under the car later on and see if I find any plugs big enough so I can get OEM ones. There seem to be 2 behind the rail, maybe I can get a hole big enough to match those and just use rubber plugs.

 

[Jeff99GS]

I have a shit load of those rubber plugs in a various sizes...from 3/4"- 1.5" If you need a couple let me know and I stick them in an envelope and send them out to you!

We do sunroofs at the shop I work at so I pull those plugs out to run Drain tubes outside the car. I always save them just incase I need one. I would think a 1" plug would be big enough.

 

[romeen]

Dee, just curious why you don't want to tap it for a bigger bolt? It seems easier than cutting a round hole from underneath which I would imagine would have to be rather accurate in size to get a good tight seal with the rubber plug.

Also, do you know how much those seats weigh?

 

[DGajre777]

I have a shit load of those rubber plugs in a various sizes...from 3/4"- 1.5" If you need a couple let me know and I stick them in an envelope and send them out to you!

We do sunroofs at the shop I work at so I pull those plugs out to run Drain tubes outside the car. I always save them just incase I need one. I would think a 1" plug would be big enough.

Thanks!

Dee, just curious why you don't want to tap it for a bigger bolt? It seems easier than cutting a round hole from underneath which I would imagine would have to be rather accurate in size to get a good tight seal with the rubber plug.

Also, do you know how much those seats weigh?

Even if I tap it for a bigger bolt, I still have the same issue of not being able to get the bolt in straight and I'll end up stripping the bigger bolt.

As for the weight - 16lbs

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[bmoha2]

That's what I'm talking about. I think I might only get the driver side and skip the sliders. I sit in the same position and don't move around so I wouldn't need to move back and forth. It does look like you have substantially better headroom. That would also be something I am looking for as the top of my helmet winds up sitting directly on the liner.

 

[DGajre777]

That's what I'm talking about. I think I might only get the driver side and skip the sliders. I sit in the same position and don't move around so I wouldn't need to move back and forth. It does look like you have substantially better headroom. That would also be something I am looking for as the top of my helmet winds up sitting directly on the liner.

The corbeau brackets come with the sliders but after the seats are in I will be taking the sliders off. I can't see anything between 4k and 6k RPMs cause of my Momo steering wheel. The sliders are about 1" thick including the washers so the seats will be lower by 1".

As for headroom, I have about 3" with the sliders, probably 4" without the sliders but I don't have a sunroof on my car so my roof will not be the same height as other cars with sunroofs.

 

[bmoha2]

sounds like a plan man. The seats do look killer! How do you plan on running your seatbelts? What kind of harnesses are planning on getting? Are those seats fiberglass or carbon fiber?

 

[DGajre777]

sounds like a plan man. The seats do look killer! How do you plan on running your seatbelts? What kind of harnesses are planning on getting? Are those seats fiberglass or carbon fiber?

Thanks! I am using stock seatbelts. The brackets come with a hole for the seat belt clip (the thing the seat belt clicks in). I plan on getting corbeau harnesses in the future. The seats are fiberglass.

 

[bmoha2]

that the stock seats don't hold you in place. I think the stock seats are more troublesome than the stock seatbelts. Your new seats are sure to sure that. I had been looking at those exact seats. With the steering wheel, your interior looks like serious business. I wonder how much the stock seats weigh? You must be losing a lot of weight going to those seats. How comfortable are those seats? I had been told that they are pretty purpose built and not very comfortable for longer drives etc.