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djkeev
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Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32987
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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 Posted: Mon Apr 29, 2013 3:16 pm Post subject: 1974 and newer Seat Guides, How to Install |
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There seems to be a lot of anguish over installing 1974 and newer seat guides.
If your seat is loose and rocking..... Most likely the guides are worn or missing.
It is also likely the tracks welded into the chassis are bent as well and it would do you good to look at them and make any needed repairs so they are straight.
Also take a wire brush and scraper and clean the tracks of old grease and dirt. Even go so far as to sand them until they shine! Not the outside, the inside of the U.
These are dirty and need cleaning......
Note that The reproduction bits you can purchase today are not shaped poorly or inferior to the original design.
Here are various views of Genuine VW guides and after market guides........
KEEP IN MIND THESE ARE MADE OF A HARD PLASTIC AND THEY WILL BREAK IF TREATED ROUGHLY..........
Notice the "teeth" on the new Pedestal guide but they are missing from the old Black original VW one, these teeth break easily but are needed for proper installation...... They clip over the Pedestal bracket and hold the guide in place.
Here is a view of the Passenger (right) seat pedestal......... Top looking towards the rear........
Looking from the door........
Here is the new Pedestal guide starting to be installed, you need to move the seat adjustment lever to pull to locking pin back so it can be inserted. The pin will end up passing through the round hole in the Guide.......
The bottom "tail" of the guide goes into the slot below the pin hole and sticks out..... Push down firmly until the guides "teeth" click over the mounting bracket........ Release the seat adjust lever and allow the pin to protrude through the new guide.......
THERE! That was easy! Now on to the rear seat guides, this is the fun part!
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Here are the tools I used to fix the lower seat guides.
Knipex Adjustable Plier Wrench,
a Square to use as a straight edge,
a File to even up the repaired guides,
a Screw Driver to bent the tabs back into alignment and
a Hammer..... a small Ball Peen to gently encourage the metal to go where I want it to go!
I realize not all may have a pair of the Knipex Plier Wrench but it would be worth the investment! This has become one of my "Go To" tools! They grip metal firmly as well as having parrarel jaws and without damage allow me to bend and manipulate metal into shape...........
Here is the front single track, it's in great shape and no repairs are needed......
Here are the rear guides, inner and outer......
He is a close up of the inner rear seat guide...... Notice how straight the metal is....... This is a GOOD thing!.......
Here is a close up of the outer guide...... NOT so pretty.........(sorry it's out of focus) .... you can see the curve the guide has from years of abuse. A new plastic guide will NOT clip onto this curved metal and stay on. It will keep falling off and will drive you absolutely nuts while you fight trying to install the seat!..........
I used my tools to reshape the guide until it was flat, or as flat as I could get it. I then used the file on the flat surface to smooth it out and remove any burrs or imperfections that would hinder the guide bushing from effectively snapping on.
See how much straighter the guide is after re shaping? ........
Here are the results of using the file on the straightened guide...... The shiny spots were high imperfections removed by the file, perfection isn't required, just close to perfect is fine............
The guide is just starting to slide on, I install them so the slit it toward the top when installed...... It works for me..... Maybe they go down? I've never seen documentation on how they go.....  .........
Here is an edge view showing the retaining Tab that snaps into the squarish hole stamped in the metal seat guide.......
I use a very small screw driver to encourage the tab to depress and slide over the steel. I tap the edge of the guide very gently with a plastic hammer to slide it on.......
Here is the Plastic Guide fully installed on the repaired metal seat guide. See the Tab is firmly snapped into the squarish hole provided for it........
Both guides firmly attached to the seat. Now make sure the tracks are ready for the seat and install it!......
I use a smear of white grease in the tracks. Not a lot for it will come off onto any clothing left on the rear floor, just enough to help it slide.......
Dave
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Grumpy Jew
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Joined: August 27, 2012
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Location: Southern California
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| Posted: Mon Apr 29, 2013 5:10 pm Post subject: |
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Simply wonderful. Great write up and am very happy you did it as i am about to order these.
Thank You!!!!
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Tim Donahoe
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Location: Redding, CA
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| Posted: Mon Apr 29, 2013 5:41 pm Post subject: |
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Great write-up. I have a question, though: what keeps the seats from sliding off the tracks if you push back too far when adjusting your seat? Mine just keep going until they're off the tracks. Then they're a bitch to get back on.
Tim |
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djkeev
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75smith
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Location: NH
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| Posted: Mon Apr 29, 2013 8:35 pm Post subject: |
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using this pic as a reference as I don't have a picture of it, but there is a peice of metal that has a small curve on the end of it, that will attach to the pedalstal, and when mounted correctly will grab at that metal tab welded on top of the center rail in the above seat
Orange Bentley section 4, page 18(not actual page number, but number in that section) has a small description of removing the seat, kind of shows it but not well
when I get back home(3 more weeks) and if you still need a picture I'll grab one for you guys, unless Dave here finds it and posts a pic of it-or any one else for that matter-get an extra 1/2 inch back by not using the forward hole as a stop!
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djkeev
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handlebar mike
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Joined: April 29, 2013
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Location: Kennesaw GA
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| Posted: Wed May 01, 2013 10:42 am Post subject: |
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| Where can you buy the seat guides I need some new ones for a 74. |
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DesertBob
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Location: Goodlettsville, Tennessee
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| Posted: Fri May 03, 2013 2:07 pm Post subject: |
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I just picked up a set for my 74 SB.
http://vwparts.aircooled.net/Seat-Slider-Rails-197...98-214.htm
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djkeev
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Tim Donahoe
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| Posted: Sat May 11, 2013 8:53 am Post subject: |
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So that's why my seats will just keep going back until they fall off the track.
I'm missing that piece, apparently.
Tim |
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2kvert
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Location: il
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| Posted: Sun May 12, 2013 5:58 am Post subject: |
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| Wis I'd have had this when I tried mine. I got them installed but not without damaging them. Seats are better now but still wobble |
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reeceb
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Location: United States
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| Posted: Sun May 12, 2013 10:37 am Post subject: |
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| nice pliers. where can you get some. |
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djkeev
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Dwayne1m
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| Posted: Fri Dec 27, 2013 12:07 pm Post subject: |
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This pic is the drivers seat looking at it from the front. Here is what must be done to remove the seats from a 78 vert. Remove the small bolt circled in red. The yellow arrow is pointing to the pin that holds the seat in place from sliding front and back. Slide that pin out and slide the seat towards the rear of the car out of the tracks. |
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Tim Donahoe
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| Posted: Fri Dec 27, 2013 5:06 pm Post subject: |
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I like the "bolt" set-up better than the memory spring.
I found the seat springs (the flat springs to keep the seat from sliding off the rails) in the PO's box of parts that he gave me. Screwed them in and all is well.
But that bolt on the later models certainly looks more heavy duty to me.
Tim |
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djkeev
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Dwayne1m
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| Posted: Sat Dec 28, 2013 7:12 am Post subject: |
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| djkeev wrote: |
I only had one spring on my 74, the other seat had a 1/4-20 bolt and nut in the first hole as your photo shows.
Thanks for adding it!
Interesting seat release mechanism, completely different, can you post more photos of it and how it works?
Dave |
That lever that is in the pic is the lever that you push towards the center of the car to slide the seat front or back. Nothing more to it than that. Very simple design. |
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djkeev
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Dwayne1m
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| Posted: Sun Jan 26, 2014 6:53 pm Post subject: |
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While I am at it here is how the bottom seat covers are attached. I believe the 77-79 use the same seat cover. A little different than previous seats.
In the bottom cushion there are 2 rods that go thru the foam pad.
The seat cover has the wire that must be fished thru around the bottom of the cover just like older style seats. There are also 2 wires that go front to back that must be fished thru the center of the cover in the white sleeves.
You must hog ring those 2 center wires at 4 places and attach them to the 2 wires in the seat pad. That is the most difficult part of the job.
The rest is pretty much self explanatory and just like older style seat covers. |
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bond007
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Location: Durham, NC
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| Posted: Tue Feb 04, 2014 3:30 pm Post subject: |
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| This is what I just needed to help in disassembly and reinstalling all the seat guide plastic hardware... |
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