Racing Seat Installation - Tips for Novices

This article considers the basic steps to installing a set of racing seats to your road or race car. The following is a guide only however and you should always follow the manufacturer's specific installation instructions very carefully. Where possible, seats should be installed by a professional or by someone with some experience working with race car preparation.

Part One - Taking out the stock manufacturer's seats

You'll have to take out the stock seats from the car before doing anything else. Non-race stock seats tend to be secured onto sliding rails which are, in turn, bolted to the floor of the car. You'll most likely wish to commence with the bolts at the rear of each slider, but be aware that access may be obscured if the manufacturer has covered the bolt heads with carpet or some form of plastic capping. Use a spanner or a good quality socket set to remove the bolts, remembering to adjust the angle of the seat back so that it does not fall over once the bolts are undone.

Now remove the front two bolts in exactly the same fashion, before removing any electrical connectors or other items from underneath the seat which may be damaged if they are not correctly removed.
The seat will be easier to remove if it is first laid onto its side, and then removed from the door base-first in an 'L' shape. If the seats are particularly large, heavy or cumbersome you may need another set of hands - especially if the seats are of good quality and you perhaps wish to sell or reinstall them at a later date.

Part Two - Installing the new race seat sliders

Once the standard seats have been fully removed, the next stage will be to install the bracketing systems onto which the new racing seats are to be mounted. You must remember to test the location of the mounted brackets in order to optimise your driving position. Having drilled the necessary locating holes for your seats, the easiest way to complete the installation is to fix the brackets to the seat itself - before fitting the entire race seat assembly the car as a whole. It's always advisable to install the fixing bolts fairly loosely to begin with, before tightening them once the seat is in place and you are satisfied with the positioning.

Finally install the racing harnesses in accordance with the manufacturer's specifications, and its job done!

Mode Racewear is a Silverstone-based company, supplying quality racing seats and other racing accessories. For top-quality race seats check our our website or call us on 01327 858349 today!

By Richard Harwood