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Tue Apr 08, 2008 8:52 am

I'm planning to install my swivel bases soon, and I plan to use 10cent's method of bolting them in.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=238428&highlight=swivel+base

I want to get a bit more leg room, still see the top of the gauges and make it easier to rotate the driver's seat, so I am thinking about cutting the rear battery holder off the swivel, and bolting it down about an inch and a half back:

I don't think this will make it any weaker... does anyone else see a problem?

(That's not my swivel...stole pic from forums) Thx-

Tue Apr 08, 2008 1:54 pm

It will.

Tue Apr 08, 2008 2:47 pm

I can't see why that wouldn't work. Even one inch would get you enough clearance from the steering wheel to swivel the driver's seat more easily. I see yours is a passenger van, so no problem with the cabinet just behind the seat which apparently makes a driver's side swivel in a Westy pretty useless. You'll need to fabricate some kind of alternative battery hold-down if you ever install an aux battery, and of course your battery box covers will have to be shortened. If you never want to put a battery in there, you might not even have to shorten the plate anyway.

There will be a small loss of strength in the plate from removing the bent edge and groove that is formed into the panel, but the bases are such heavy steel I can't see that being a problem unless you are particularly heavy. Cutting the plate a bit longer than you intend, and bending down the edge of the plate all the way across would restore that strength. Or you could weld on a length of steel angle to span for the same result.

Tue Apr 08, 2008 4:57 pm

Thx for the input, guys.

10c-I'm pretty frikkin' heavy...lol... 6'1", 230. I already have purchased an Odyssey battery for under the driver's seat. Just waiting to get the swivels taken care of before I wire that and the Yandina in.

If I just take the scoopy battery holder off, I'll lose only about 1/2"..if I cut it on the battery side of the groove...3/4".

I have the time tomorrow, so something will come off...lol.

Tue Apr 08, 2008 6:10 pm

My swivel doesn't have that piece?
I cut it out of an 86

Wed Apr 09, 2008 5:41 pm

I went conservative with my cut...battery side of the groove...used a bandsaw with a metal cutting blade.

I hope to put the driver's side in this weekend...I'll post back to let anyone interested know if the 3/4" helps in swiveling a full-size vanagon seat.

Thu Apr 10, 2008 7:07 pm

Today I cut the tab(s) that prevents the swivel base(s) from lying flat

and discovered that I got very lucky. The base, with the back cut off, clears the Odyssey battery, on it's side, totally....by maybe a 1/16".

I'll be able to move the driver's seat back a couple inches if I want to. I can mount the Odyssey backwards (terminals toward rear) and still have access to the terminals, but will have to remove the swivel base to remove the battery. The main battery is too high to do the same to the passenger seat, and I'm not buying another Odyssey...lol.

One drawback..the driver's seatplate will hit the seatbelt anchor rotating right to the inside. I'll have to be out of the seat and rotate it left towards the door to do a 180. Or change the seatbelt anchor.

Sun Apr 13, 2008 2:32 pm

I decided to use 6 M8 bolts instead of the 4 M6's that 10cent used on each base. I also didn't need to use the JB Weld. I tried, but wasn't patient and then realized with the battery holder cut off I could hold them in place after using 10cent's 'long bolt' trick.

Don't use the flanged ones like I did...They are too high and hit the lip and the cone shaped part of the swiveling part.

I re-did them with flangeless M8's...just clears it.

.

The 2 inches that I gained from cutting the battery holder paid off. Rotating is easy...lots of legroom...still plenty of headroom. The steering wheel does cut a bit off the top of the speedo and tach. Not bad, though.

I still need to cut down and re-rivet the battery covers.

Next Project will be installing Odyssey aux battery, Yandina battery combiner and Blue Sea fuse block.

Thx, 10cent, for showing me how to bolt them in. Big help!

Sun Apr 13, 2008 3:00 pm

Hey, Texxxxxxxx, good job!

I thought a lot about the number and size of the fasteners, and what kind of strength was needed, until I realised that it's the seat belts that hold the person, and the seat, from flying out of the car in a crash. And that the seat weighs a fraction of the weight of an adult.

Notice that the belts are anchored with big, high-grade fasteners.

Sun Apr 13, 2008 3:57 pm

tencentlife wrote: I thought a lot about the number and size of the fasteners, and what kind of strength was needed, until I realised that it's the seat belts that hold the person, and the seat, from flying out of the car in a crash. And that the seat weighs a fraction of the weight of an adult.

Notice that the belts are anchored with big, high-grade fasteners.

I didn't think of it that way, but now that you mention it, it makes sense.

Mon Apr 14, 2008 10:37 am

tencentlife wrote: I thought a lot about the number and size of the fasteners, and what kind of strength was needed, until I realised that it's the seat belts that hold the person, and the seat, from flying out of the car in a crash. And that the seat weighs a fraction of the weight of an adult.

What about a rear end collision where the energy of the collision would be transferred towards the rear of the van? wouldnt the strength of the bolts used to mount the seat come into play then? When I crashed my syncro the seat got deformed quite a bit (it was a front end collision though).

Just a thought.

Mon Apr 14, 2008 10:53 am

Yup, it sure would.