Lowering Seat

[SMac92]

Hey Everyone,

I am about 6 feet tall and my head is a little too tall for my Honda Civic the way I have my seat. With my helmet on, my head is about level with the bottom or center of the top bars of my cage. I have an OMP seat (I think it's the cheapest FIA one)and it's on sliders. I'm thinking my options are as follows:
1- Take the seat off the sliders and mount it to the stock mounting points.
2- Mount the seat to the floor and remove the original mounting points so the seat can get to the floor (I'm sure there is structural/legality issues to this option.


I don't have enough money for the new seat so I'm looking for other options. I know there are some pretty tall guys that can fit in these cars so I'm looking for any advice and other options I have.

Thanks,
Steven

[Greg Amy]

2- Mount the seat to the floor and remove the original mounting points so the seat can get to the floor (I'm sure there is structural/legality issues to this option.

That's what I do. I'm sure this will generate significant debate, but in my mind, while it's not specifically called out there is reasonable implication for allowance of modification of stock components in order to install required safety equipment. - GA

[DavidM]

I don't think I'd want to mount it directly to floor. The sheet metal on most floors is very thin. I think at a minimum I'd have a couple pieces of square tubing welded in between the rocker panel and center tunnel for bolting the seat on to. When I had the cage for the new car built they made a frame for the seat that is welded to the cage. The frame sits right on the floor, but is part of the cage. That may be more than you can do.

Make sure you test fit the seat before permanently affixing it no matter what you do.

David

[Chip42]

option 2, with the caveat that you use mounitng plates liek those sold by momo. if the seat you have is the T-RS (steel tube frame with bottom and sdie mounts) you can mount it directly through the floor as it is lower mount homologated.

use BIG load spreaders when you bolt through the floor, with brackets or directly to the seat. if you go this route - I prefer heavy steel sheet strips (1/8" plate is overkill but works well) of ~1-2" running the width of the seat between the front and rear mounting bolts. better yet, sandwich the floor between such sheets, bolting it through to keep everything tight.

and you can remove factory mounting brackets that are in your way (GCR 9.1.3.D.9.a)

[SMac92]

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll take a better look tomorrow and weight my options. I don't want to mount it to the floor so I'll see how much height I can save by mounting it straight to the factory mounts instead of on the sliders. It seems like it would be about half an inch which would make a good difference. If there is anything else I can do to lower the seat please let me know.

Thanks,
Steven

[ITEGT]

Does the bottom of the seat sit down flush on the sliders? My Kirkey seat was bolted onto the floor mount with some flat aluminum on each side of the seat. I drilled new holes through the aluminum and lowered the seat down to where it sat flush on the mount. I gained 3/4" of an inch but ultimately had to build a new lower profile floor mount. Hope this helps, being tall and fitting in a race car is a challenge.

[S2_ITBVW]

I'm working on the very same issue and plan on removing the stock mounts then having two 3-4 inch wide steel mounting plates welded from the cage, across the floor, ending at and welded to the center tunnel. I have purchased the aluminum seat brackets sold by Ioport racing (less than $50) to mount the seat to these welded mounting plates. The aluminum seat brackets allow for sdjusting the seat up/down, forward/back, and to tilt. This solution will distribute the load of the seat (with me in it!) across lots of really strong stuff while also allowing me to get my head away from the top of the car. This solution is also legal per the GCR:

The following is from section 9.3.41 -

"Mounting structures for racing seats may attach to the floor, cage and or center tunnel. Seat mounting points forward of the main hoop, between the center line of the car and the driver’s side door bar and rearward of the front edge of the seat bottom are not considered cage attachment points in classes with limitations on the number of attachments."

Good luck!

[SMac92]

Thanks for the ideas Dave and ITEGT. I'm not a fan of using aluminum since it can bend, but I do like the idea. My plan as of now is to take the seat off the sliders and move it behind the stock mounting points which is a raised piece of the floor. My seat will be directly behind this so my legs will easily go over it. Then, I'll bolt the seat to the floor using Grade 8 bolts with 1/8th inch thick by 1/2inch wide steel strips on the inside of the car on the floor and on the outside of the car. Each Strap will attach to 2 bolts to make a square. I'm fairly sure this will be strong enough in an accident (if it is not, please give me a heads up so I can make plans)Then I may have the rear mounting point on the seat welded to the cage if I have the cashola.

If anybody is going through the same thing like Dave and I, I'd like to hear your ideas.

Steven

[Flyinglizard]

Please dont mount the seat to the floor of a Honda. Use side mount plates attached to the sill or cage base points. The seat should crash with the cage, not the water repellant floor.
A bent 1.5in. floor tube, can usually fit under the front edge of the seat. Sitting the rear of the seat directly on the floor , with a front tube, would be OK and that is what I will do the Miata/ 6ft2 kid driver.
Finish with a strong back support.
MM

[S2_ITBVW]

Sounds pretty good to me, but I do think it is important to integrate the seat mount with the roll cage if at all possible.

DE

[Chip42]

Sounds pretty good to me, but I do think it is important to integrate the seat mount with the roll cage if at all possible.

DE

when it comes to fitting tall guys in small cars, cage mounitng is often NOT possible. but it is certainly preferred.

[DavidM]

I was able to do a cage mount in the new car like I described. I'm 6'5", though I have long legs. The seat frame is on the floor behind the stock seat mounting floor "brace". Tubes attach the seat frame to the cage. The seat frame is angle up a touch so that the seat clears the stock brace. I have a good 2in above my head with my helmet on. I'm using a Kirkey seat and it may lend itself to this type of mounting easier as I'm bolting straight through the bottom of the seat. Dunno.

I'm putting in a new harness and will try to take some pictures if I think about it.

David