Thread: Defender Seat Slides

As it has often been stated: 'didn't happen without pix

yeah love to see some pics

i think you will find that all defender drivers will be interested......

here is a set of plans for this sort of thing

and here for a hinged arrangement as well...

mine has 20mm spacers and longer bolts giving it a lift..

Off to your friendly steel merchant for 30*2 SHS galv box section. 4 lengths @ 520. This length won't overhang the drop into the rear footwell. I got them to cut as I don't have a metal saw and I'm woeful with a hacksaw ... ($20 the lot).

Off to the hardware man for bolts, nuts and washers. I got 5/16x1" (that's all they had). ($10 the lot incl spares) 7mm x 25mm if you prefer. I had to touch up the bolt heads so they'd fit my 1/4" 13mm socket as this was the biggest that would fit in the track of the seat rail.

Cut about 55x17 off the end. Drill a cope hole in the corner 1st and cut to that. Avoids overcuts and better as no stress concentration in the corner.
This cutoff is necessary to clear the upstand across the rear above the footwell.

Seat anchor holes are at 440mm crs. and the 2 sets can be offset 55mm with the forward pair on the underside for the original mounting points in the vehicle and the rear pair on the top for the new seat location.

Drill out opposite bottom pair of holes on the top with 18mm dia to allow socket to engage bolthead for fixing SHS to vehicle.

Paint.

Install SHS to vehicle (checking first to ensure all holes line up). You will note original packing shims under seat tracks (thick washers) I had to add a pair of flat washers at the rear to effect adequate clearance (raised the track up another 1.5mm or so as I wanted to leave as much of the box section as possible for strength ... it's been said I've spent some time in the good paddock ) Put 1 each at the front also just for the hell of it.

Fixing bolts at rear of seats is easy as overhang section gives clear access.

Fixing bolts at front of seats is a real PITA as they are about 70mm down inside the box. I had success by taping the nut,spring washer and flat washer to a carpenter's pencil, cut out the hole and poke down tube to allow screwing in bolt.

All finished. I'll get some plastic caps for the front of the tube when they're back in stock.


Cheers

Originally Posted by incisor

here is a set of plans for this sort of thing

and here for a hinged arrangement as well...

mine has 20mm spacers and longer bolts giving it a lift..

Yep ... zacary same .. more or less

Hinged seat is a great idea, But i would be making mine a tad more Heavy Duty...... in an accident i cant see that lasting....

Off to the wreckers to find a 2 door volvo..... now they have nice seat brackets