'78 Bay seat track repair (Horrific)

Doug Brown

Wanted to show off/complain-about how FUBAR the previous owner left the dirver's side seat tracks. It looks like an ape and a crowbar took out the original seats.

I'm open to suggestions on how to fix these, just picked up a pair of mint vanagon seats to replace the junkyard seat that had been bolted into the driver's spot. My current plan is to take a wide center punch and try to bend these back... Suggestions? I don't have access to a welder or Oxy setup.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

kkjellquist · Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2013 11:58 am Post subject:

That is simply amazing...imagine all the blood, sweat, cursing, hammering, prying that all happened because he didn't know about the tab to slide the seats out!
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aerosurfer · Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2013 12:10 pm Post subject:

my outter driver seat tracks are totally rusted in place from poor seals and standing water on the metal. I'll have to take a cutter to that track to remove the seat.

I already sourced a new set with a WTB ad in the classifieds for reasonable cost, had a few offers real quick. But instead of recon with your safety your best be would be to cut those mangled ones out and secure new ones
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Doug Brown · Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2013 12:20 pm Post subject:

aerosurfer · Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2013 12:47 pm Post subject:

They are spot welded on.
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72 Sportsmobile (sold)
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Wasted youth · Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2013 1:01 pm Post subject:

Man, I liked Everett! Cool

Wish I'd stayed. Anyway, welcome to the Samba! You may find it very useful to get invested in some steel-working tooling...a small wire-feed welder and a grinder with both cut off wheels and grinding wheels, also a cup brush for the grinder would be a good start. Milwaukee tools makes a nice one for that, and you can get a flux-core wire feed welder that uses household current from Lincoln Electric. Try to get a welder that can have a gas kit installed later when money permits.

I know you state you don't have access to those tools, but I would not recommend doing the track replacement without them.

I cannot think of any practical way to remove those tracks...and install your new seats...without those tools. Those tracks are obviously garbage Shocked

and will need serious repair or even better, replacement, and are welded in place at the factory. Keeping in mind the needed crash worthiness of your new seat installation, I would strongly recommend welding in your new tracks Exclamation

Doug Brown · Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2013 1:53 pm Post subject:

Wasted youth/adulthood, you must just miss the rain!

You guys think just drilling out the spot welds on the brackets in the junk yard a good idea or would that affect the seats sliding too much?

mojogoat · Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2013 2:06 pm Post subject:

Install a swivel seat base with the new tracks already on them.
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Doug Brown · Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2013 2:19 pm Post subject:

busdaddy · Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2013 2:24 pm Post subject:

Wow, I'm not sure you could ever straighten that to a point where it'd be useable but it's worth a few minutes of trying, you'd have to notch the side of the end of a piece of ~1/2" bar with a cutoff wheel (anything will work, round, square or even the handle end of a cold chisel or cheap ratchet), make the notch the thickness of the seat track steel and situate the slot ~ 3/16" up from the end. By placing the slot over the damaged section you'll be able to pry it back inwards, don't try to get it all the way first try, work a large area a little at a time.

There's a spot weld at the bottom of each of those rounded cutouts, drilling it off may not be too bad but getting in there to weld back on will be challenging, the cutouts were for the spotwelder's electrode to have access.
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danfromsyr · Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2013 2:24 pm Post subject:

the early (93-95) eurovan front seat tracks unbolt.
if you have any in your local Upull or post out a WTB here & Craigslist.
vanagon seats and stock bay seat should fit into the EV tracks.
I can post up a image tomorrow of what they'd look like for you if needed.

*edit

you can see that the EV seat rails bolt on here in this image (of a swivel unit)

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mojogoat · Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2013 3:54 pm Post subject:

Desertbusman · Posted: Tue Dec 03, 2013 5:59 pm Post subject:

1967250s · Samba Member Joined: May 02, 2007 Posts: 2137

maybe someone here on TS and in your area can help?

Doug Brown · Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2013 9:32 am Post subject:

Fixed.
Fabbed a piece of steel the thickness of the seat rail to ensure I didnt over "adjust" the bracket down. Other than that, used a square punch and a peen hammer. I was shocked it worked as well as it did.

Wasted youth · Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2013 9:35 am Post subject:

Hey, nice save! Razz

busdaddy · Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2013 9:55 am Post subject:

Impressive, nice job!
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Jeff Geisen · Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2013 10:09 am Post subject:

Nice work, Doug.

Hey, for a software guy you are certainly handy with heavy tools.

You should feel proud of what you accomplished there!
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Doug Brown · Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2013 2:43 pm Post subject:

Thanks guys. Now if only i could do the body work...
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eche_bus · Samba Member Joined: October 07, 2007 Posts: 1318

Wow! From the earlier photos it didn't look salvageable. You got real lucky this time!


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