Removing older seats

[Richard_W]

Hi, 

I am about the replace my older style seats with some newer ones. Getting the new seats in and fitted looks pretty simple but only after I can crack the challenge of getting the old seats out!

The seat / runner assembly appears to be fitted to the supporting strips (inside the car) by four nuts But I can't work out how to get them out, they look like the picture below. No doubt they will be a world of pain to get out anyway but what tool do you use? I have tried different types of allen key but nothing seems to fit.

All four of these are easily accessible. 

Any advice would be welcome! Thanks!

 

[SM25T]

Is that a rivnut .... thus a bolt head under the car. If it is spinning, hold it with mole grips.

[Richard_W]

I think it may be a rivnut but I'm not sure, there is no bolt head under the car...

What I have are two, seemingly reinforcing strips that run inside the car from just in front of the seat to just behind the seat. They are mounted using 4 bolts / nuts which you can see under the car. The seat runners are mounted on the strips using the nut in the picture, so I can only get to the bit I can see... You can see the reinforcing strip under the runner, that is the front right one looking towards the back of the car.

I am thinking the easiest way may be to take out the seats, runners and reinforcing strip as one assembly and then try any take it apart without contorting myself to much!! :)

Thanks

Richard

 

[SM25T]

Yes ... just remove the whole lot from the floor, then see what you have once removed.

[brianjhall31]

I've not seen rivnuts before on the seat mountings but I understand why someone would install them as the allen or hex head bolts normally used make it a task for a dexterous octopus to remove and fit the seat.  Standard process is to slide seat as far forward as possible to gain as much access to the heads of the rearmost bolts, then back to the stop for access to the front ones.  All of this requires your left or right are inside the car (depending on which side seat you are removing) and other arm under the car to remove the nut.

Looks like you might have any easier task.  Just make sure you clean the runners well before reisntalling as the collect all sorts of rubbish and then jam up when you try to move the seat later.  Check the bolts, holes and washers for corrosion and treat with something like ACF-50

[Richard_W]

Thanks all!

They are out, taking them out and then dismantling them out of the car was the way to go... Now to get the new seats in...

 

[SM25T]

Good news.