Aftermarket Seat Install Tips

[3002 tii]

So as some of you may know, I recently installed a pair of Recaro Pole Positions in my coupe. Although the installation is pretty straightforward, the process can be quite frustrating because there's a lot of trial & error involved. I would easily set aside 3 hours per side and have a friend lend a hand. I relied mainly on the EAS DIY writeup here:

So couple things to note:

1. Do your research and take the time to visit a local race shop and try out different seats. What looks cool online may or may not work out for you. You want to find something that fits your build.

2. Take measurements of the seat, specifically the width from one shoulder to the other. There's a chance your seats may be too wide and will rub against the door panels. I knew in advance my PP's would fit based on others' experiences but I think there's a thread here that gives the max width measurements.

3. Different seats will work with different hardware. I know a lot of us haven't put in aftermarket seats so I'd rely on the E46 crowd since their floor mounts are same as ours. Find out what combination of hardware they used for their specific install (ie VAC floor mounts vs Macht Schnell, or Recaro side mounts vs Brey Krause, etc.)

For my Recaro PP's, I ended up using Macht Schnell floor mounts and receptacle spacer. The receptacle spacer allows you to retain the factory seat belt receptacle. I also purchased Recaro branded sliders and side mounts, both of which are "universal." I note the last part because there are Pole Position specific side mounts as well.

4. The occupancy sensor changed over to 06-08 models. I believe in 03-05 models, you could easily remove the sensor (black box underneath seat) but newer models have the senor built into the cushion of the factory seat. If you don't want to bother ripping them open, you will need an emulator. See here. Keep in mind, although this will prevent the airbag light from triggering, it will always assume the seat is occupied so you run the risk of the airbag deploying on that side even if you don't need it. And remember to disconnect the battery before you unplug any seat harness!

5. Do I need a slider? This is where things get tricky. If you don't use a slider, you will sit VERY low. If you're tall enough, maybe it won't be a problem but at 5'9" I found that it was too low for me. However, even if you think you're tall enough to get away with it, keep in mind certain side mounts limit HOW FAR BACK you can position the seat. The Recaro universal side mounts don't let you go very far so I needed the slider anyway to gain the additional leg room.

Also another benefit of the slider is that it provides an extra inch of clearance. This comes in handy because it is imperative you get the seat CLOSEST to the trans tunnel on the driver side. If not, chances are you'll be too far left and OFF-CENTERED with the steering wheel. The extra inch of clearance from the slider positions the seat above the widest part of the trans tunnel base, and thus you move further in.

6. Despite what vendors and manufacturers claim, BE PREPARED to modify your hardware. It doesn't help all the hardware is made of steel neither so you'll need a bur set handy to bore out any holes. My sliders didn't entirely line up with the floor mounts so drilling was necessary.

7. Prior to bolting up any hardware to the seat, first line up the individual hardware pieces together to see if any drilling is even necessary. I learned this the hard way after bolting up the side mounts to the seat, only to find out nothing lined up and I had to take everything apart.

8. Be prepared to have extra bolts handy. I've read in some instances that the bolts provided by Recaro don't fit. For my Recaro I had extra M8x1.25 bolts, with varying lengths (16mm, 20mm, and 25mm). Just to be safe, I'd get grade 10.9 or higher. Also, have a small bottle of both red and blue loctite. Red for anything on the seat belt receptacle. Blue for everything else.

9. Last thing you want to do is complete your install ONLY to find out you don't like the angle of the seat. Bolt up side mounts and play with the height adjustments. Lay the seat on the floor mount, doesn't need to be bolted down but try to get a feel for what's comfortable. I found having the front angled up slightly felt best.

I can't think of anything else, but I hope you guys find this helpful. The DIY for our cars isn't much different from the E90 writeup by EAS but I do think these extra tips will help with your install. Hopefully if all goes well it'll look like this:

[Gt4]

What is the clearence between the shoulder and door panel with your PP?

Nice thread BTW!

[Gt4]

Recaro PP are 580mm wide and my Status Ring GT are 600mm, do you have 10mm of clearence?

[Finnegan]

Great thread!

[3002 tii]

Originally Posted by Gtfour

Recaro PP are 580mm wide and my Status Ring GT are 600mm, do you have 10mm of clearence?

Seems like there's about 3/4th of an inch gap

[Gt4]

Thanks, now I am sure they fit.

[3002 tii]

Originally Posted by Gtfour

Thanks, now I am sure they fit.

Just keep in mind the fit is contingent upon the floor mounts but I think you'll be good.

[ZStig]

Originally Posted by Gtfour

Recaro PP are 580mm wide and my Status Ring GT are 600mm, do you have 10mm of clearence?

did you post pics of your Status seats yet? if not, plz make a thread about them

[Gt4]

Finally, I sold my Status seats. But I bought a Recaro Pole Position Black vinyl/grey suede instead. Love this seat. I just finished the install. It's really tight with the door card. And the OEM seat belt is really squeeze between the seat and tunnel.

Here are some pics:

[3002 tii]

^ nice, I'm assuming you didn't use the inner most set of holes on the floor mount, that's why it's so tight?

[Gt4]

Actually, I used the inner holes/row on the Macht Schnell floor mounts... I bought everything from an E46 M3 and adjust it for my car and my size (6'2").

I will look what I did wrong this weekend. It seems correct but it's way too close to the door card for my taste.

What kind of spacer do you have between the side mounts and seats? Same size on both size?

[3002 tii]

Originally Posted by Gtfour

Actually, I used the inner holes/row on the Macht Schnell floor mounts... I bought everything from an E46 M3 and adjust it for my car and my size (6'2").

I will look what I did wrong this weekend. It seems correct but it's way too close to the door card for my taste.

What kind of spacer do you have between the side mounts and seats? Same size on both size?

No spacers needed but that's probably why yours are so wide. Pole Position specific mounts flare up wider requiring spacers. I used generic Recaro side mounts which are narrower and don't need spacers. The downside to the universal one is that you need to then use a slider else you're too close up to the wheel. The PP specific mounts go back further than universal so you can get away without sliders.

[beta]

Originally Posted by Gtfour

Finally, I sold my Status seats. But I bought a Recaro Pole Position Black vinyl/grey suede instead. Love this seat. I just finished the install. It's really tight with the door card. And the OEM seat belt is really squeeze between the seat and tunnel.

PP looks amazing with the black and gray.