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Making seats slide....
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Qldelsie
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 13, 2020 5:17 pm    Post subject: Making seats slide.... Reply with quote

What is the best thing to put on the seat runners to make them slide as easily as possible ?
I have new plastic "sliders" fitted, and cleaned out the metal runners on the seat base while I had the seats out. I then just put a small smeer of grease on the runner before refitting them. They were "OK", but certainly not very easy.
Is there anything that people have found best for this ? A light smeer of oil ? Talcum powder ? WD 40 ? Nothing at all ?
I have my seat out at the moment and thought I might try something else instead of grease (which you have to be careful to keep off carpets etc.)
Thanks
G
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ALLWAGONS
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 13, 2020 7:21 pm    Post subject: Re: Making seats slide.... Reply with quote

I am no expert, but I have found that many of us when taking the seats out, we have inadvertently dropped the seat making the c channel tight. When we don’t have the plastics sliders, it’s ok, because seats don’t wobble. But when we install the sliders, the fit is very tight. Remove your seats, check the c channel for Spacing consistency. And adjust accordingly.
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blues90
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 13, 2020 7:36 pm    Post subject: Re: Making seats slide.... Reply with quote

Qldelsie wrote:
What is the best thing to put on the seat runners to make them slide as easily as possible ?
I have new plastic "sliders" fitted, and cleaned out the metal runners on the seat base while I had the seats out. I then just put a small smeer of grease on the runner before refitting them. They were "OK", but certainly not very easy.
Is there anything that people have found best for this ? A light smeer of oil ? Talcum powder ? WD 40 ? Nothing at all ?
I have my seat out at the moment and thought I might try something else instead of grease (which you have to be careful to keep off carpets etc.)
Thanks
G


I did my 73 and just used silicone grease, just a smear thin coat and replaced the plastic guides on the right seat, they were worn in the rear and rattles bug me. They worked fine after.
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Qldelsie
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 13, 2020 8:00 pm    Post subject: Re: Making seats slide.... Reply with quote

ALLWAGONS wrote:
I am no expert, but I have found that many of us when taking the seats out, we have inadvertently dropped the seat making the c channel tight. When we don’t have the plastics sliders, it’s ok, because seats don’t wobble. But when we install the sliders, the fit is very tight. Remove your seats, check the c channel for Spacing consistency. And adjust accordingly.


When my seats were out, I trial fitted the plastic bits in the metal grooves, and they ran freely, so I don't think they are pinched - But I will double check.
Because they ran freely in the grooves when the seat was on the bench, it led me to thinking that it was just the weight of the seat and occupant that was making it tight due to friction, and thus a lubricant was required. Thus the question for the best lubricant between plastic and metal !!
How come modern seats slide so easily ???
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VWporscheGT3
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 14, 2020 7:40 am    Post subject: Re: Making seats slide.... Reply with quote

I honestly think your binding due to fit. check your channels and recheck, a whole rail could even be kicked over on the seat... it should not be hard to slide
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 14, 2020 9:41 am    Post subject: Re: Making seats slide.... Reply with quote

Yes, the sliding parts of the seat and track get bent. Make sure all are clean, straight, and without burrs and sharp corners. it takes time but pays dividends.

Then lube with silicone spray, not grease. Grease will hold dirt, cause friction and wear out the plastic. Just re-spray once or twice a year.
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raygreenwood
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 14, 2020 9:55 am    Post subject: Re: Making seats slide.... Reply with quote

Qldelsie wrote:
ALLWAGONS wrote:
I am no expert, but I have found that many of us when taking the seats out, we have inadvertently dropped the seat making the c channel tight. When we don’t have the plastics sliders, it’s ok, because seats don’t wobble. But when we install the sliders, the fit is very tight. Remove your seats, check the c channel for Spacing consistency. And adjust accordingly.


When my seats were out, I trial fitted the plastic bits in the metal grooves, and they ran freely, so I don't think they are pinched - But I will double check.
Because they ran freely in the grooves when the seat was on the bench, it led me to thinking that it was just the weight of the seat and occupant that was making it tight due to friction, and thus a lubricant was required. Thus the question for the best lubricant between plastic and metal !!
How come modern seats slide so easily ???


As blues90 noted...silicone grease. Specfiically it needs to be a "dry" silicone grease just like you use in lubricating the window glides. Oils and normal greases collect DIRT which will turn the grease into an abrasive....and quickly destroy the plastic parts.

The right "stuff"....brand wise....is Sil-Glide

https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/american-greas...lsrc=aw.ds

But the "best" stuff...product type wise...is tehe"stick" grease that is designed to lube door striker plates. Even John Muir...noted that he loved to take his cars to the dealer for oil and lube service when he could...because they lubed all the locks and latches...and this is what they used.

I do not know if Sil-Glide still makes the "sticks" of silicone dry lubricant. They were in a 1" diameter by 3"ish long metal tube with a metal cap...you push them up fro the bottom like chap-stick.

The company that makes "sil-Glide' still makes lots of "stick" lubricants but I do not see the sil-glide variety in their line up...scroll down.

https://www.jbtools.com/american-grease-stick-ce-1...AHEALw_wcB

I will check teh SDS/TDS on the sticks they do have. As long as they are non-petroleum and are silicone based....they will work fine.


For that matter....you could probably use a dry silicone spray just as well...like CRC. It comes in a green spray can is a dry silicone micro-powder. Bad-ass stuff on plastic. Ray
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Tram
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 14, 2020 11:41 am    Post subject: Re: Making seats slide.... Reply with quote

Slide, you say?


Link


Sounds funky! Surprised

I have used a spray lock graphite lubricant like Lock- Ease with good results.
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60DoubleTurd
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 14, 2020 1:40 pm    Post subject: Re: Making seats slide.... Reply with quote

No one repops the plastic slides for the seat tracks yet??
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VWporscheGT3
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 14, 2020 1:57 pm    Post subject: Re: Making seats slide.... Reply with quote

60DoubleTurd wrote:
No one repops the plastic slides for the seat tracks yet??


ISP west does and they are reasonably priced... thats what the OP got. it just takes a little finess to get your seats sliding just so
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60DoubleTurd
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 14, 2020 2:48 pm    Post subject: Re: Making seats slide.... Reply with quote

VWporscheGT3 wrote:
60DoubleTurd wrote:
No one repops the plastic slides for the seat tracks yet??


ISP west does and they are reasonably priced... thats what the OP got. it just takes a little finess to get your seats sliding just so


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Qldelsie
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 14, 2020 3:40 pm    Post subject: Re: Making seats slide.... Reply with quote

OK - Will follow the advice and see how I go.
Thanks
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blues90
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 17, 2020 7:28 am    Post subject: Re: Making seats slide.... Reply with quote

I don't move the seats much. Instead of silicone grease perhaps crayola choose your color might work or even candle wax or even car paste wax. paste wax would be easy.

Certainly grit with stick to any sort of grease yet at the same time grit will lay in the rails and still wear the plastic unless one vacuums it out.
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Rome
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 17, 2020 12:47 pm    Post subject: Re: Making seats slide.... Reply with quote

Don't Type 3 also have a strong spring under the front seat, which helps move the seat forward? Here it is on a Beetle:
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 17, 2020 2:32 pm    Post subject: Re: Making seats slide.... Reply with quote

Rome wrote:
Don't Type 3 also have a strong spring under the front seat, which helps move the seat forward? Here it is on a Beetle:
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Not on the earlier 2 rail seats. The 3 point seats did get a spring though.
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Qldelsie
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 17, 2020 3:51 pm    Post subject: Re: Making seats slide.... Reply with quote

No helper spring on mine Crying or Very sad

But I did remove all the grease off mine while it was out, and found some silicone spray specially for seat runners, and got it to where the plastic strips actually fell through the steel groove by their own weight, so definitely no bend rails there.
Put the seat back in and it slides much easier. Will do the other seat in due course (Too busy driving her at the moment !)
Thanks for the advise, y'all.
G
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raygreenwood
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 17, 2020 7:30 pm    Post subject: Re: Making seats slide.... Reply with quote

blues90 wrote:
I don't move the seats much. Instead of silicone grease perhaps crayola choose your color might work or even candle wax or even car paste wax. paste wax would be easy.

Certainly grit with stick to any sort of grease yet at the same time grit will lay in the rails and still wear the plastic unless one vacuums it out.


Actually....no. its surprising how little if any...dirt and grit.....the proper type of lubricant draws.
Vw used the stick product on locks plates, latches and window glides for about 50 years or more with no issues.

We still use it on open air industrial plastic glides.

Effectively it is very much like a wax or paraffin...in that its dry enough to the touch to not attract dirt....but actually has load bearing lubricating properties compared to paraffin.

You can try wax....it will work and allow sliding.....but will not keep the parts from wearing out. Ray
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notchboy
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 17, 2020 8:46 pm    Post subject: Re: Making seats slide.... Reply with quote

I just had to beat the shit out of my passenger to get it off. The last people just threw it in, tight. Definitely need a C channel adjustment and new sliders.

Next stop is fixing some of the bashed seat base, painting and putting on recliners.



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blues90
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 18, 2020 7:13 am    Post subject: Re: Making seats slide.... Reply with quote

Looking at the two rail system compared to the later three rail . The three rail is a much better design . I never greased mine since I bought it and the rails and plastic were in pretty good shape . The only part that would stick was the release pin on the front of the center rail.

What I said earlier is that even with no lube of any kind grit will still find it's way into the rails and wear the plastic slides.
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raygreenwood
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 18, 2020 10:29 am    Post subject: Re: Making seats slide.... Reply with quote

blues90 wrote:
Looking at the two rail system compared to the later three rail . The three rail is a much better design . I never greased mine since I bought it and the rails and plastic were in pretty good shape . The only part that would stick was the release pin on the front of the center rail.

What I said earlier is that even with no lube of any kind grit will still find it's way into the rails and wear the plastic slides.


Thats true.....grit finds its way onto the rails....and without lube it gets pushed out of the way where it can. With normal grease or oil...it forms a paste...and normal grease or oil being wet...even dust that blows across the lube gets stuck in it.
This paste will then be abrasive and much more efficient at cutting/grinding. The dry stick type lube is at least somewhere closer to dry with no lube.

The problem with no lube is that rust finds its way to ub-lubed runners just as fast.

There is no perfect solution. Ray
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