I just did the foamectomy, and I'm still over an inch to high to pass the broomstick test. I don't need the sliders to work, Does anyone sell a bracket that bolts directly to the floor and works with stock seats? Either removing or keeping the rear bumps would be ok
In my experience, regardless of bracket getting to the bolts to actually attach the bracket to the car with a bottom mount seat is mostly impossible.
What I'm probably going to do, unless I switch seats, is remove the rear bumps and create a custom bracket with a nut welded to the top for the rear mounting bolt. Then I can bolt the seat to the bracket, and bolt the bracket to the car from the bottom (through a backing plate, obviously).
I'm using some old-ass MOMO T-Frame Evo seats which are nice, but kinda falling apart. Side mounts would be much easier.
I don't really see another good way to do it.
cmcgregor wrote:
In my experience, regardless of bracket getting to the bolts to actually attach the bracket to the car with a bottom mount seat is mostly impossible.
^This.
You can either bolt the seat to the bracket, or bolt the bracket to the floor, but there's not enough room behind the seat to do both.
Nevermind, your write up is perfectly clear, i just cant read.
I wrote a few threads on Miata rails. Which one are you talking about?
sorry, reading comprehension fail
Is this the one where I removed the rear bumps and reshaped the seat brackets? If so, it's important to note that you lose an inch or so of rearward seat base travel. The base angle and extra click of recline can compensate for that though.
SVreX
MegaDork
10/2/15 3:56 p.m.
Check your measurements extremely carefully.
I just did this (including read bump removal), and was so unhappy with the results that I ended up reversing it and reinstalling the bumps.
The problem is the width narrows as it gets closer to the floor, and shifts to the right. Stock seat can't fit right when wedged down near the floor, and ends up cocked and off center to the wheel.
In my case, I wanted working sliders which did not operate once cocked. Additionally, the seat bottom tipped toward the front and felt really awkward, and the seat belt wouldn't work. I hated it, and ended up cutting the 4 bumps from my parts car and installing them.
In reply to SVreX:
We must have done this differently, because the only issue that I had was slightly reduced rearward travel. What year was your car?
I bolted the seat to the brackets, installed the front bolts then used the rear holes in the bracket to mark the floor for new holes. Then remove and drill.
SVreX
MegaDork
10/2/15 4:01 p.m.
cmcgregor wrote:
In my experience, regardless of bracket getting to the bolts to actually attach the bracket to the car with a bottom mount seat is mostly impossible.
My solution was to attach the bolts to the sliders sticking down like a stud, drill holes in the floor, and put nuts on from under the car.
I welded nuts to the top of the brackets and then bolted up from under the car.
In reply to SVreX:
The two cars that I did were both 1996. The rails and bumps should be the same, but I think the seat belt brackets may be different.
dang it, prior to this the miata has always been the "easy" answer.
icaneat50eggs wrote:
dang it, prior to this the miata has always been the "easy" answer.
Buddy, you and I should get a beer sometime.
My experience: there's no point in removing the seat rails. I removed the bottom seat pad, put the seat back in the car, then gently bashed the metal seat pan bottom with a BFH until the metal just skimmed the carpet when moving the seat fore/aft.
Then I reinstalled the foam, broke out the belt sander (loaded with 50 grit) and sculpted the seat bottom foam until it was comfy but only about an inch thick.
I reinstalled the seat cover and now I have a Miata seat that's only about an inch higher than sitting on the floor with no seat in the car.
For me, there's no benefit in removing the sliders. My seat pan is now up against the carpet.