I figured this is the place to ask hose who know:

How do you properly mount racing seats inside a street-driven vehicle? I understand that if I purchase seats, they will come with sliders, but do I need custom brackets?

-Wale

yeah you need brackets, just order the right ones for your car. and if you bought ebay rice seats, shame on you and the brackets will cost more than the seat

and if you bought ebay rice seats, shame on you and the brackets will cost more than the seat

was it necessary to say that? Why assume that his seats came from ebay and are cheap?

there are off the shelf brackets for e36's.

BTW, if you experience any engine running problems, lose the platinum plugs - they don't work well in BMW engines.
cheers,
bruce

I figured this is the place to ask hose who know:

How do you properly mount racing seats inside a street-driven vehicle? I understand that if I purchase seats, they will come with sliders, but do I need custom brackets?

-Wale

VAC mounts are pretty good... if you want to retain sliders Wedge Engineering has a nice setup though not as pretty as the Vac stuff.

VAC mounts are pretty good... if you want to retain sliders Wedge Engineering has a nice setup though not as pretty as the Vac stuff.

You can make sliders work with VAC mounts, with the added benefit of not raising your position 3-5 inches.

something else to consider in addition to mounting of the seats is the use and mounting of harnesses. i don't think standard seat belts will cut it that's why i bring it up.

You can make sliders work with VAC mounts, with the added benefit of not raising your position 3-5 inches.

Good point... I broke out an extra Vac for my e30 and I am looking at getting my sliders to bolt in... Luckily the VAC mounts have ALOT of holes to choose from.

I figured this is the place to ask hose who know:

How do you properly mount racing seats inside a street-driven vehicle? I understand that if I purchase seats, they will come with sliders, but do I need custom brackets?

-Wale

Most race seats do NOT come with sliders... for that matter, they usually don't even come with mounting brackets! Race seats should generally not be installed with sliders either... tell us what kind of seat you're thinking about getting and we can help you out (or flame the hell out of you) LOL j/k :rolleyes.

Race seats should generally not be installed with sliders either...
Why not?

Why not?

Basically it creates a weak point... not a solid mount. I'm not saying it isnt done... especially in enduro races where there are multiple drivers, its sometime necessary. I think there are some race-spec sliders.

Also, sliders inherently make the seat sit taller... not really desireable unless you're really short.

Basically it creates a weak point... not a solid mount. I'm not saying it isnt done... especially in enduro races where there are multiple drivers, its sometime necessary. I think there are some race-spec sliders.

Also, sliders inherently make the seat sit taller... not really desireable unless you're really short.
If sliders were unsafe why would the FIA approve of some of them?

If sliders were unsafe why would the FIA approve of some of them?

I never said they were unsafe... I simply said they generally should not be installed with a race seat - a personal observation by me. I then went on to say they are in fact used in racing...

But I get the disctinct impression that the OP isn't really asking about a true RACE seat anyway... thats why I asked what kind of seat he was interested in so we can answer the question better.

I personally have never seen any aftermarket seat come with a slider... race or otherwise.

I want race buckets because I am tired of sliding around in my seat and holding on to my steering wheel for dear life during spirited driving. I am not making my car into a race car, nor am I looking to spend $800+ for a set of used Vaders.

So VACmotorsports is the place to go for brackets?

-Wale

Evosport also has a nice designed seat bracket. They use an 8mm thread with closer spacing between holes that allows you to get the seat set-up better. This is even more important when not using sliders.

-Tony

Some seat manufacturers have sliders that are vehicle specific. Corbeau and Sparco, for instance. I do use double locking sliders in my track car (with Corbeau race seats). They were E30 specific, and they fit perfectly.

I'm running a promotion right now - 25% off mounts and sliders with purchase of a seat.

Here is a link to my Track and Autocross section (http://www.whatsyourconcept.com/shopCategories.asp?categoryID=51) where you will find Corbeau and Sparco seats, among other track goodies.

Ken

Most seats do not come with sliders. You need to figure out which floor mounts, sliders (if needed) and then side/bottom mounts all work together with your specific seat. Mine was easy....Sparco Seat, Sparco side mounts to mount seat to VAC floor mounts, VAC floor mounts bolt nicely onto floor of M3. Adjust to fit me, and screw the rest who want to drive *my* car :)

The biggest issue in my mind is how you will get a normal 3 pt stock seatbelt to work with a "race" seat. I ordered VAC floor mounts with a special bracket to mount a seat belt receptacle (the stock receptical was mounted to the seat itself in my E36 M3).
I didn't have enough room to make it work when the seat was centered, as it was basically pushed into the trans tunnel with no room left for a seat belt receptical down there.

6pt harnessses are a hassle on the street at best, and dangerous at worst.

I want race buckets because I am tired of sliding around in my seat and holding on to my steering wheel for dear life during spirited driving. I am not making my car into a race car, nor am I looking to spend $800+ for a set of used Vaders.

Well I can save you the trouble of worrying about Vaders by saying that they absolutely suck at holding you while cornering. My moldy ass 15 year old Nissan seats are 10x better at holding you on track.

My slider's on the race seats are so stiff that you can blow a nut out moving the seats...:stickoutt

My slider's on the race seats are so stiff that you can blow a nut out moving the seats...:stickoutt

You better setup a catchcan for that accident waiting to happen son. That sounds like a good way to drop some... uhhh... fluid onto the track. :help

:lol I m made some err heavy duty mounting brackets...You could probably pick the car up by the seat mounts..I wasn't too concerened with weight..:D

I have the Momo T-Frame Buckets and we designed custom brackets for ours - I did install sliders, however, will be removing them -- as Stack Track mentioned - they do raise the seat up about an inch.......

Let me know if you want a custom bracket for a fixed seat - I'll ping Eric1h and have him cut and weld you up a set.

Evosport also has a nice designed seat bracket. They use an 8mm thread with closer spacing between holes that allows you to get the seat set-up better. This is even more important when not using sliders.

-Tony

Thanks Tony, yes we do. They also offer another row of holes for more side to side options. :buttrock

Some seat manufacturers have sliders that are vehicle specific. Corbeau and Sparco, for instance. I do use double locking sliders in my track car (with Corbeau race seats). They were E30 specific, and they fit perfectly.Ken

The Sparco sliders are NOT vehicle specific. The mounts are, not the sliders. Sparco ONLY makes one set of universal sliders.

They are FYI approved, but I would NOT use them in a race car. I did, and they moved when I crashed a car and I broke my tail bone and hit my head on the steering wheel due to them. :eek:

Thanks
Brad

Scary... I am considering upgrading to fixed mounted Sparcos as I think I'll be on track more than I originally anticipated. I have no plans on wheel to wheel racing, just DEs and possibly Solo events. I'll want FIA Homologated products in that case.

I stand corrected regarding the sliders. I clearly must have misread the Sparco literature that listed vehicle-specific applications. I appreciate the correction.

No problem and I HIGHLY recommend NOT using the sliders on a track car! Sounds like you are moving the right direction!

Thanks
Brad

What is a typical bottom mount seat bolt pattern (distance)? I am trying to find a universal slider to fit a Corbeau FX-1 seat and it seems too big for anything out there (13" or 33cm from front to rear mounting locations). The Sparco double locking looks nice, but states a 271mm fitment. I've only heard bad things about the Corbeau sliders (although just in reference to the single locking version), so I was looking at other alternatives at this time.

Corbeau makes a slider for the seat, and it will direct-fit into the E36.

A double locking slider runs for $99+ shipping. Feel free to email me directly if you're interested. alkendesign @ gmail . com

Ken

PS - this is what I use in my E30 with Corbeau ForzaII... One side needed a very minor modification (hole expanded about 1/16"). Just a manufacturing tolerance issue, I'm sure.

No problem and I HIGHLY recommend NOT using the sliders on a track car! Sounds like you are moving the right direction!

Thanks
Brad

What would you recommend for a DE car where there are two drivers?

What would you recommend for a DE car where there are two drivers?

I know for enduros, we set the seat for the largest driver and make seat inserts (bead seats with resin) for all the other guys.

I am the largest guy. My seast doesn't even have the seat cushion on the bottom, so seat inserts work well in my seat!!

Scott Lang and Ralph Warren have both driven my car during enduro's and they are small and smaller than me!!

Corbeau makes a slider for the seat, and it will direct-fit into the E36.

A double locking slider runs for $99+ shipping. Feel free to email me directly if you're interested.

Yeah, well I'm using a donated E36 Corbeau base mount that I had to hack up and re-weld to fit. The sliders were not included, but from the ones I've seen are quite flimsy (a lot of play/movement). I wouldn't pay but $60 for their slider set, which is what the Sparco double-locking units are selling for.

Heck, even Summit (I know... I know...) has a decent set of heavy duty double locking sliders for < $30.

Seems I need to make a bracket to go between the slider and seat to fit a universal slider. Crap! Add another 1-2 lbs to the new seat!

To the original poster, given your stated purpose - continuing to use it as a street car - I'd consider looking at some reclinable seats, not buckets - Corbeau, Sparco, Recaro all make street seats with large meaty bolsters.

That should allow you to safely continue to use the stock seat belts and still hold you in teh seat better. The combination of the larger bolsters and cloth upholstery instead of leather will hold you in better.

What would you recommend for a DE car where there are two drivers?
Like Holder said, using an insert is a great way to go. A slider can be used if it is a must, just realize that you have a compromise.

To the original poster, given your stated purpose - continuing to use it as a street car - I'd consider looking at some reclinable seats, not buckets - Corbeau, Sparco, Recaro all make street seats with large meaty bolsters.

That should allow you to safely continue to use the stock seat belts and still hold you in teh seat better. The combination of the larger bolsters and cloth upholstery instead of leather will hold you in better.
Agree 100%. Sparco Torino's are an awesome street track seat. Get cloth as it holds you better then alcantara or leather.

Thanks
Brad

If sliders were unsafe why would the FIA approve of some of them?


They are FYI approved, but I would NOT use them in a race car. I did, and they moved when I crashed a car and I broke my tail bone and hit my head on the steering wheel due to them.

Thanks
Brad

That's why. Inserts are the way to go for multiple driver setups. And if you do it right, it's pretty damn comfortable, too, to be driving the car in a seat that's pretty much been custom-formed to you! :)

I want race buckets because I am tired of sliding around in my seat and holding on to my steering wheel for dear life during spirited driving. I am not making my car into a race car, nor am I looking to spend $800+ for a set of used Vaders.

So VACmotorsports is the place to go for brackets?

-Wale

LOL. You'll spend 800 by the time you get floor mounts, sliders, side mounts, and seat belt receptacles that will keep you from getting hurt.

VAC mounts are pretty good... if you want to retain sliders Wedge Engineering has a nice setup though not as pretty as the Vac stuff.

FYI, we make our own floor mount It is more versatile then any of the other mounts out there. We have them in stock in SoCal and NorCal.

Walter, you should be carrying these!

Thanks
Brad

FYI, we make our own floor mount It is more versatile then any of the other mounts out there. We have them in stock in SoCal and NorCal.

Walter, you should be carrying these!

Thanks
Brad


:blackeye Ouch.... calling as I type this. :)

I need to try a different setup in my E36...

Will the VAC or Evosport floor mount properly align the seat position with the steering wheel? I went with the Sparco Evo seat (no sliders), sparco base mount, and the side mounts.

The seat position is not centered properly with the steering wheel... I checked with Sparco, I have the proper base for a 95 E36, it is installed properly, etc... it just needs to shift over about an inch or so toward the center console for it to be completely inline with the steering wheel which is not possible when using the mounting points. I have the seat installed in the lowest position on the side mount and I'd prefer it a little lower too, but can not due to the height of the Sparco base mount.

Perhaps a different seat that does not require side mounting would fit/align better... but since I want to use the Evo seat I already invested in, looking for a solution to the alignment with the steering wheel through the use of different floor/base mounts...

Thanks!

Wedge Eng seat brackets. FTW!

our seat mounts will allow more opportunity to align then any other brand on the market. we have extra rows of mounting holes just for this reason. It was one of the main reasons we made our own brackets (to get the seats closer to the tunnel (more aligned with the steering wheel).

Depending on the car/seat/driver (etc) you may not be perfect, but you will be closer then with any other mount.

Thanks
Brad

after spending ober 700 dollars on brackets i finally after a lot of thought made a set out of 1/8 aluminum that work awesome. no need for any floor mounts and if i had to do it again id actually carry my angle over less than i did. ill get you in the right direction. take a piece of 1/8" put a 1.5" flange on it bend it at 45 degrees than go about 2.5 inches than put another 45 degree angle and walla. the other bracket can be just 1 bend with a 90 degree but i needed a 4.25 flange. ill take pictures if you need them.

please do (take pics) ;)

after spending ober 700 dollars on brackets i finally after a lot of thought made a set out of 1/8 aluminum that work awesome. no need for any floor mounts and if i had to do it again id actually carry my angle over less than i did. ill get you in the right direction. take a piece of 1/8" put a 1.5" flange on it bend it at 45 degrees than go about 2.5 inches than put another 45 degree angle and walla. the other bracket can be just 1 bend with a 90 degree but i needed a 4.25 flange. ill take pictures if you need them.

FYI, most racing sanctioning bodies require a thickness of 6mm for aluminum seat bracketry. FIA requires 6mm minimum thickness, also.

Christopher

our seat mounts will allow more opportunity to align then any other brand on the market. we have extra rows of mounting holes just for this reason. It was one of the main reasons we made our own brackets (to get the seats closer to the tunnel (more aligned with the steering wheel).

Depending on the car/seat/driver (etc) you may not be perfect, but you will be closer then with any other mount.

Thanks
Brad


Brad, will they work with the E30?

Thanks,
Mike

Brad, will they work with the E30?

Thanks,
Mike

E36/E46 specific.

VAC sells E30 ones. :-)

I have both in my E36 one side VAC, the other side Evosport.

Carlos.

E36/E46 specific.

VAC sells E30 ones. :-)

I have both in my E36 one side VAC, the other side Evosport.

Carlos.

Is there a difference in the spacing of the bolts/studs that hold the mounts to the floor pan between the E30 and E36/E46?

Thanks,
Mike

This is a good thread, lots of helpful tech coming from vendors and racers!

One thing to remember - side-mount fixed back racing seats never come with the side mount brackets. These usually come in steel (cheap at ~$55 but heavy at 5.1 pounds/pair for the Sparcos) and aluminum (more $ and lighter). You'd think with a $700+ seat it would come with the side mounts, but they are usually sold separate. Don't forget to buy them. :)

We mounted two Sparco EVO 2 seats into our E36 a year ago and found very little out there we liked (price and/or features); maybe there are better choices now. Everything I saw looked heavy, too tall, and fairly pricey. We had to have one seat on a slider, as the 3 drivers in this car had varying heights by as much as 1 foot (me, a male co-driver, and my wife). Also, these seats were W-I-D-E (next time we'll get the EVOs) and a tight fit in the narrow confines of a full interior E36 M3.

I couldn't imagine an "off the shelf" bracket set-up that would work in all E36 models and situations, though. What if the car had a cage, with an intrusive door bar? What if the car has a full interior, where the door panels/handle and console get in the way. If you still street drive the car (like we did for a year with these seats - fairly comfortable, until you had to get in or out) you need a way to mount the OEM 3-point belts, and the OEM lower receptacle is part of the OEM seat bottom. We didn't see an aftermarket bracket set-up available that met all of our needs.

So I spent 10+ hours fabricating (starting over from scratch once) 2 seat mount bracket set-ups. Driver's side had a slider (a single locking unit - needed a better double locking slider tho) that sat very low (at 6'3", I needed the headroom w/ helmet). It also had a fixed passenger side mount that sat even lower (less than 3/4" higher than the seat bottom) for a lower CG when a passenger was riding - WRC style! :D

With the many variables in even a single model like the E36 (cages, interiors, different width fixed back seats, etc), though, we didn't want to market a "bolt-in" slider kit because I bet it wouldn't be a perfect fit for a significant portion of users. Too low, too tall, too far left, too far right. The VAC fixed mount adapters do give you the most options for left/right and fore/aft mounting, however - I see why they made them that way now.

Am I missing something? Is there a "magic bullet" solution for a true slider mount that works in most cases, or do most fixed back seat users all have gutter interiors/doors and fewer headaches in the width issues I stated? I understand the potential issues with a slider coming loose in a crash, too... there should be a sturdier slider (slower to adjust, maybe?) design available, for sure. Oh, I just had a great idea for that...

the solution is what i posted.....it is a one shot deal. i had the vacs, i also had 3 other sets made untill i rested on the current ones. im going outside to take some pictures now.

after spending ober 700 dollars on brackets i finally after a lot of thought made a set out of 1/8 aluminum that work awesome. no need for any floor mounts and if i had to do it again id actually carry my angle over less than i did. ill get you in the right direction. take a piece of 1/8" put a 1.5" flange on it bend it at 45 degrees than go about 2.5 inches than put another 45 degree angle and walla. the other bracket can be just 1 bend with a 90 degree but i needed a 4.25 flange. ill take pictures if you need them.
That doesn't sound very strong. Think about the forces that seat(mounts) will see if you were to back into a wall...

1/8" aluminum would never fly in a tech inspection. Aluminum is a POOR choice for seat mount material. I don't even like the aluminum side mounts from Recaro and Sparco - they come pre-stress-cracked due to the tight bends.

One thing people don't realize is that the double-bend in the side mount is for crash energy absorption - those brackets bend and reduce the energy your body sees from a rear impact. I've seen others weld up reinforcements on stock brackets, and that's a big NO-NO. FIA approval is very specific.

And yes, seat mounting is a HUGE pain in the ass. Takes hours and hours because every seat is different, cages are different, customer size and shapes are different, etc. That is the most dreaded part of car building - mounting the seat. Sometimes customers demand sliders even though I highly discourage them, and that's when it gets REALLY fun. The side mounts NEVER mount completely flat to the floor due to variances in the seat manufacture, and it causes binding once all the mounts are completely bolted tight.

And one last thing, its "voila", meaning "There it is" in French, not "walla".

It is the imperative form of (you) see there. (tu) vois là, which is shortened to voilà.

Having used both the VAC and Evosport mounts, I got them to work (preferred the Evosport slightly in my E36). But I had on hand 4 different types of side mount brackets: 2 sets of Sparcos and 2 Recaros. And NONE of them worked with any of the floor mounts without slotting the seat brackets. Does "universal" in this case mean "universally wrong?" In every case the front-to-back hole spacing was off by about 1/2 a bolt diameter. I'd also like to see a steel nutsert or something in the mount for thread strength and to eliminate galling between the hardware and the mount, but I realize that would be difficult given the tight spacing of the holes in the floor mounts.

On the plus side, the Evosport brackets allowed me to get perfectly aligned with the steering wheel. This was with a Recaro Profi SPG in a sedan; the Sparco Evo I'm running on the passenger side also fit there but is very tight to the B-pillar. Fitting a wide seat (Cobra GT, Evo L, etc.) would be very difficult in a sedan, and as a rather short driver (5'10" on a good day) I don't have the seat that far back.

Which brings us to another frequent discussion: Coupe or Sedan? For most drivers, seat mounting is an issue that could drive that decision.

-tammer

Having used both the VAC and Evosport mounts, I got them to work (preferred the Evosport slightly in my E36). But I had on hand 4 different types of side mount brackets: 2 sets of Sparcos and 2 Recaros. And NONE of them worked with any of the floor mounts without slotting the seat brackets. Does "universal" in this case mean "universally wrong?" In every case the front-to-back hole spacing was off by about 1/2 a bolt diameter

I call that one size fits none. :-)

Carlos.

1/8" aluminum would never fly in a tech inspection. Aluminum is a POOR choice for seat mount material. I don't even like the aluminum side mounts from Recaro and Sparco - they come pre-stress-cracked due to the tight bends.
Good point - now that you mention this, I do remember seeing cracking at the tighter bends on some aluminum side mounts from Sparco. We just got 3 sets in steel which I weighed because they felt like boat anchors, but I guess its "good weight". Steel is such a great, forgiving material; we use it in a lot of places where some just blindly go with aluminum. Never gave much thought to the seat manufacturer supplied sidemount material, though. Now I will!

And yes, seat mounting is a HUGE pain in the ass. Takes hours and hours because every seat is different, cages are different, customer size and shapes are different, etc. That is the most dreaded part of car building - mounting the seat. Sometimes customers demand sliders even though I highly discourage them, and that's when it gets REALLY fun. The side mounts NEVER mount completely flat to the floor due to variances in the seat manufacture, and it causes binding once all the mounts are completely bolted tight.
OK, so I wasn't totally wasting time when I spent 10 hours (ok, probably 15) getting two seats mounted (2 sets of brackets with 1 slider). Felt like the worst fabrication job ever for something so seemingly simple. Getting the seat to clear the trans tunnel and the door panel while sliding through the full range of motion was the trickiest part. Getting the height right for 3 driver positions, getting the tilt angle right, many driver test fits, etc. Yes, I think that qualifies as a huge PITA!

We've got two more E36s about to get Sparcos, but I think I'll stick with fixed mounts and save the time/headaches/safety hassles of custom sliders. I was dreading that. Thanks for talking me out of the Slider Nightmare. :)

The biggest issue in my mind is how you will get a normal 3 pt stock seatbelt to work with a "race" seat. I ordered VAC floor mounts with a special bracket to mount a seat belt receptacle (the stock receptical was mounted to the seat itself in my E36 M3).


The E30 seat belt receptacle works with the E36 belts. The E30 doesn't have pre-tensioning so it is not a bulky.

For people that drive with race seats on the street...what do you do for a headrest? On the OE seats, there is a soft cushy headrest that the back of your head will hit if you get into an accident. With race seats, your head will be hitting a hard surface that only has a thin fabric covering. Sounds painful. Obviously not a concern when racing as you will be wearing a helmet.

here are the pictures
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h251/fishforlife/DSC02529.jpg
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h251/fishforlife/DSC02526.jpg

Fishforlife, I would definitely replace those. Those will not hold up to the forces of a crash.

Just as a side note, I've got Cobra Suzuka GT's with the Cobra side mounts(aluminum) and VAC base plates. In order to get the bolts on the base plate to line up with the side mounts I had to flip the inner(tranny tunnel) mount so the threaded holes were towards the transmission. This required some griding on the base plate on the tranny tunnel side in order for it to fit. The seats now line up, although taking them in/out is a timely process. With the inner mount facing away from the tranny tunnel(as originally designed) there is no way the seat would mount because the seat is so wide and the bolt holes are too narrow.

Fishforlife, I would definitely replace those. Those will not hold up to the forces of a crash.


I think it's kinda hard to tell how stiff it is just from the pictures. I agree that my first thought was 'whoa, that looks flimsy' but without actually looking at them in person it's hard to tell. I'd be most worried about the outside mount myself.

Also, to keep the FIA/SFI certification, I thought you had to use the manufacturers side mounts.

I think it's kinda hard to tell how stiff it is just from the pictures. I agree that my first thought was 'whoa, that looks flimsy' but without actually looking at them in person it's hard to tell. I'd be most worried about the outside mount myself.


They definitely look weak. One I'd be worried about the thickness of the material, two if indeed it is proper (min ~2.5-3.0mm) then I would add reinforcements. Three if that's not possible then put beads into them to add some strength.

Carlos.

fishforlife,

that is a nice looking fabrication job but I agree with others that 1/8" aluminum is not nearly strong enough. I fabricated bottom brackets for my race car out of 3/4" x 3" 6061 aluminum, much like the one's from VAC. With my Cobra Suzuka seat and Cobra aluminum side mounts I was able to get the perfect seat position. Yes, it was a huge PITA but worth the peace of mind.

im sure im not thinking rationaly so can someone take some time and help clarify some things for me. i was thinking that the brackets would have to be strong enough to prevent the seat with the occupant from clopasing. all other weight bearing concerns rest with the harnesses. i thank all for your input thus far and look forward to my flawed thinking being corrected. thanks again.

I'm not a crash engineer so my thinking is probably flawed also, but I see it this way: you're mostly right in the event of a head-on, where the harnesses catch you and stretch, and the seat/mounts just have to stay in place (i.e., the seat mounts just have to retain the seat in position). But if you spin and back into a wall, or get T-boned, or slide into a wall sideways, all of the force of your body (however many Gs you generate) will be going into the seat and, therefore, the mounts. Look at the grade of hardware spec'd for seat mounting in stock applications to get an idea of the kind of forces the mounting interface must withstand. It would be a shame if your bolts hold (and they will), but the aluminum bracket bends or tears and sends you and your seat flying backwards into something (like a rollcage).

-tammer

i was thinking that the brackets would have to be strong enough to prevent the seat with the occupant from clopasing. all other weight bearing concerns rest with the harnesses.
Think about what happens if you get t-boned or back into a wall.

I'm not a crash engineer so my thinking is probably flawed also, but I see it this way: you're mostly right in the event of a head-on, where the harnesses catch you and stretch, and the seat/mounts just have to stay in place (i.e., the seat mounts just have to retain the seat in position). But if you spin and back into a wall, or get T-boned, or slide into a wall sideways, all of the force of your body (however many Gs you generate) will be going into the seat and, therefore, the mounts. Look at the grade of hardware spec'd for seat mounting in stock applications to get an idea of the kind of forces the mounting interface must withstand. It would be a shame if your bolts hold (and they will), but the aluminum bracket bends or tears and sends you and your seat flying backwards into something (like a rollcage).

-tammer

Think about what happens if you get t-boned or back into a wall.

i did think of this and now that i see how much larger of a concern it is to you guys i will consider ways to improve this set up. ill add some gusets to the big flange with the 1 90 degree bend and also get some larger washers where all harware is located to help distribute the load incase something happens. and ill continue to think of another way to upgrade. thanks guys.

Think about what happens if you get t-boned or back into a wall.

I've thought of this too... I have all sparco parts, steel side mounts... however I would suspect the side bolts that pass through the side mounts into the steel lined threads in the seat itself would rip out or crack apart from the fiber glass if the seat is bearing the majority of load in an impact... but that is just a guess... I have no real evidence to support that line of thinking.

Brad,

I'll definitely order the Evosport mounts after the summer (I am not planning to do any events for a couple months) as long as you are confident they will bring my Sparco Evo seat closer to the tunnel than under my current setup which is the Sparco base + Sparco steel side mounts.

You can see the misalignment in my sig pic (although it is not a straight on shot... see the top of the steering wheel in relation to my nose).

Between the Evosport floor mount's and a slotted side mount (like the VAC universal) you should have all your bases covered. This is true for both standard and GT width seats.

Semi-interesting data point: I weighed a new Sparco EVO, EVO2 (L) and EVO3 (XL) last night. All three were 18.5 pounds (+/- 0.1lb scale), but all were different widths. Weird.

So in this rare case, "size doesn't matter". :D

Back to your regularly scheduled broadcast...

Semi-interesting data point: I weighed a new Sparco EVO, EVO2 (L) and EVO3 (XL) last night. All three were 18.5 pounds (+/- 0.1lb scale), but all were different widths. Weird.

So in this rare case, "size doesn't matter". :D

Back to your regularly scheduled broadcast...

Interesting... wonder if they use the same amount of fiberglass in molding all three seat sizes...

Brad,

I'll definitely order the Evosport mounts after the summer (I am not planning to do any events for a couple months) as long as you are confident they will bring my Sparco Evo seat closer to the tunnel than under my current setup which is the Sparco base + Sparco steel side mounts.

You can see the misalignment in my sig pic (although it is not a straight on shot... see the top of the steering wheel in relation to my nose).
yep, 100% will get you as close to the tunnel as possible. Sparco also has some new side mounts that they made for PRODrive that are now available to us mortals!

Corbeau makes a slider for the seat, and it will direct-fit into the E36.

A double locking slider runs for $99+ shipping. Feel free to email me directly if you're interested. alkendesign @ gmail . com

Ken




Ken, which of these would I need for a 97 M3 coupe?

318is 92-97 or 325i CONVERTIBLE/SEDAN 92-95

Those are the two options I see listed on the Corbeau website.

Thanks!