Driver's Seat Remount at Home - 2 5/8" Back

[cycledrum]

**** www.extendmyseat.com brackets for Gen2 Prius' became available July 2009. Use them for more seat travel instead of this difficult modification ****

** Project Completed! Done on used 06 Prius seat from salvage yard. Can slide back 2 5/8" further. Legroom improved! 2 5/8" equivalent to a bit over 4 extra clicks back, using 3 clicks and can comfortably use steering wheel with tilt nearly all way down. See post #28 for pics of four settings.

I would do this mod again, totally worth it! Original seat in my house. **

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Project started by purchasing the only used Prius driver's seat w/airbag within 60 miles (San Francisco Bay Area), tough to find, but seat in very good condition. Next, removal of the four mounting feet (removal of rivets, spot welds, must be very careful not to bend seat rails!). Gave drawing to metal shop to fabricate braces for 'extending' rails to front feet. Drill holes in braces, bolt, check fit, tack, then seat professionally TIG welded at metal shop. Sand, paint, grease rails, mount in car, connect, done.

Easy? Ah, no. This and more took place over 2 weeks in spare time after work.

PC member nyprius was about first to have this done through a handicapped retrofitter type business. Some have done it themselves also.

Passenger seat all the way back -


There are 2 bends in the front braces to leave the rails in same plane as stock. Left rear foot does not allow lifting of front of rails much, or that foot may deform. (when folks put 1 1/2" of washers under front feet to lift for thigh support, seems a possibility of bending left rear foot).

Seat rails and feet are strong metal as they are pretty tough to drill through.

http://priuschat.com/forums/prius-mo...ng-tricky.html

I chose a seat remount over height adjuster addition (PCers jelloslug , Solar_Powered did this) because it's easier and more seat travel a top priority (height adjuster mod does not give more legroom as Prius upper seat bottom frame already set 1/4" from fully back)

http://priuschat.com/forums/prius-mo...-them-out.html

Here's a front brace before welding. Technician said gray epoxy 'popped' right off during tack welding. Good. Can see '06 Pri' upside down -



Notice sanded portion on bottom of rail. This is new location for rear foot. Once rear feet welded, left rear bolt will be 'sandwiched' permanently between mount foot and rail.



Back mount feet prepped (paint sanded off) and in car. After front mounts loosely bolted in place, lifted rear rails and applied epoxy to set rear mounts in place. Left rear foot fell off during seat removal, but left an imprint to clamp in position for welding (far away from car of course).



** Disclaimer - If you should decide to do a modification like this, it is at your own risk. It could damage your vehicle, you could be seriously injured or killed from failure of seat mount. Toyota sells no replacement parts for a Prius driver's seat with airbag, and such seat assemblies cost over $2,500 from Toyota. My modification was done on a 2006 Prius driver's seat with airbag which cost $300 from an auto salvage yard. **

** Note - my insurance carrier confirmed the car is still fully covered. A Toyota service advisor looked at the seat mod briefly and said should not be a safety problem long as it's electrically connected which it is. **

[cycledrum]

post deleted. project continued post #7

[cycledrum]

Priuschat is a great and valuable resource. I might not have embarked on this project without seeing other's examples too.

So thanks to Danny and all the other contributors.

[dogfriend]

Originally Posted by cycledrum

.

One tricky part of welding is getting started. Lower the helmet, then you're in the dark til start the arc. I can see would take some practice to get good at welding.

Yep, that's the part that sucks about arc welding. I think they have helmets now that automatically darken when you strike the arc. I liked gas welding better because I could actually see what I was doing.

[cycledrum]

Originally Posted by dogfriend

Yep, that's the part that sucks about arc welding. I think they have helmets now that automatically darken when you strike the arc. I liked gas welding better because I could actually see what I was doing.

Lowe's had an auto darkening helmet for sale - $199 !!

[dogfriend]

Originally Posted by cycledrum

Lowe's had an auto darkening helmet for sale - $199 !!

Kind of pricey unless you are planning to become a pro. They didn't even have those helmets back when I took the welding class in college.

[cycledrum]

Project car



Epoxy has been drying 11 hrs. so far. Seat should come out with feet exactly where they ought to be ... ready for welding.

[cycledrum]

I had it professionally TIG welded. I'll keep an eye on these welds from time to time, but I doubt they'll ever break. Looks ugly, but sanding, painting makes it all nice again.







Time to sand, paint, grease the rails and drop it in! Well, after work.

[cycledrum]

I grabbed gloss black in haste other morning, painted. Darn, Satin Black was the paint to get. No big deal.



Tire screw jack doubles as seat lifter (or should I say lowerer?)



Got to be inline, no cross-threading allowed! Thread lube helps out. Meanwhile I'm doing gymnastics to get right body position to turn ....

[cycledrum]

... this handy wrench found laying around.



And the right bolt lines up too!



Feet, braces and rails all welded on 3 sides.