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56D500boy

Posted 2017-11-13 9:53 PM (#552196)
Subject: Repairing a manual seat adjuster (??)

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Posts: 9895
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Location: Lower Mainland BC

Since purchasing my 56 Dodge in Sept. 2016, I have had trouble adjusting the position of the front seat. The issue seemed to be mostly on the passenger side.

There were two issues:

1. the lap belt retractor was in the wrong location preventing the seat from moving back enough. That is being solved by the removal of that retractor and the installation of a three-point seat belt with the retractor on the centerline of the B-pillar.

2. Even with the old retractor removed, there seemed to be a catch issue, i.e. the adjustment lever wasn't slotting in to one of eight (8) notches (1/2" apart) on the passenger side guide rail.

With the seat out of the car and staring at me for days in the basement, today, in the middle of a house project, I couldn't resist any longer. I removed the various cables and springs and used a 1/2" socket to remove the guide from the seat frame.

This is the basic diagram:

As I disassembled and investigated the passenger side guide, it didn't take long to spot the problem: The tooth on the catch is worn away on the critical corner and there isn't enough "meat" to consistently engage the slot on the guide. I'm going to have to get somebody (either my neighbour or the local muffler shop to TIG/MIG some more material on the tooth (that I will subsequently file square and flat). Fingers crossed.

Photos:

Edited by 56D500boy 2017-11-14 2:48 AM

(ManualSeatAdjusterPassengerSide.jpg)

(ManualSeatAdjusterPassengerSide_ShowingCatchAndSlot.jpg)

(ManualSeatAdjusterPassengerSide_ShowingCatchEngagedInSlot.jpg)

(ManualSeatAdjusterPassengerSide_ShowingCatchWear.jpg)

Attachments
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ManualSeatAdjusterPassengerSide.jpg (73KB - 145 downloads)
Attachments

ManualSeatAdjusterPassengerSide_ShowingCatchAndSlot.jpg (90KB - 146 downloads)
Attachments

ManualSeatAdjusterPassengerSide_ShowingCatchEngagedInSlot.jpg (122KB - 144 downloads)
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ManualSeatAdjusterPassengerSide_ShowingCatchWear.jpg (99KB - 153 downloads)

56D500boy

Posted 2017-11-14 11:59 AM (#552225 - in reply to #552196)
Subject: RE: Repairing a manual seat adjuster (??)

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Posts: 9895
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Location: Lower Mainland BC

Why I posted was to get feed back on whether my proposed solution (welding more material on the tooth) was going to work or not. Or whether there were other better solutions.

Edited by 56D500boy 2017-11-14 11:59 AM

mstrug

Posted 2017-11-14 12:41 PM (#552227 - in reply to #552196)
Subject: Re: Repairing a manual seat adjuster (??)

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Location: Newark, Texas (Fort Worth)

It's mild steel. Just T.I.G. weld and grind to desired shape.

LostDeere59

Posted 2017-11-14 12:49 PM (#552229 - in reply to #552225)
Subject: RE: Repairing a manual seat adjuster (??)

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Posts: 406
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Location: Hilltown, PA

Welding to build up/replace the missing material is what I would do. I would compare it to the drivers side to make sure that 1) the proper shape is actually the squarish profile you expect, and 2) the drivers side doesn't need a little help as well (they are the same age).

Also, having seen this on a few older cars over the years, when you re-assemble the seat pay attention to the crossover linkage/wire/cable. The reason the passenger side wears this way is because the linking components don't fully retract the lock form the rack, so it runs along the rack, essentially filing the lock tab down til it no longer engages correctly.

The root cause is the crossover link becomes functionally too long. A couple of things can contribute to this - wear in the holes where the link connects, stretching of the link wire/cable both along the cable and at the terminations, weakening of the over-ride spring (if equipped) allowing the spring to stretch before the pawl is fully retracted from the rack, and finally incorrect routing of the cable/wire under the seat - there are often simple clips that help guide the cable up over the transmission hump which can break, allowing the cable to ride on the floor (which it definitely should not), and removing that curve in the cables path makes it too long.

Gregg

56D500boy

Posted 2017-11-14 1:31 PM (#552232 - in reply to #552229)
Subject: RE: Repairing a manual seat adjuster (??)

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Posts: 9895
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Location: Lower Mainland BC

Thanks Marc for the TIG confirmation. Thanks Gregg for the detailed answer. I understand and agree regarding the wire that connects the driver's side adjuster and the passenger side (passive) adjuster pawl lever. I had posted about issues with that cable before and nobody replied:

http://www.forwardlook.net/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=66887&...

As I put my front seat back together, I am going to add tubular nylon cable guides where the cable is in "contact" with the seat frame. I will take photos.

I will also make sure that the seat adjusters are in sync before I reinstall the seat frame (hopefully the carpet will be back from ACC before I need to get the seat out of the laundry room before my wife gets home after a 3 wk+ trip)

Oh yeah, I checked the driver's side adjustment pawl and it is almost perfect and square, implying that the passenger side adjustment/pawl had problems for years, sliding around, grinding the corner off the pawl tooth. I guess nobody thought of trying to fix it. DUH.

Edited by 56D500boy 2017-11-14 1:32 PM

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