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Just got my front seats redone with a legendary kit and now my head is hitting the ceiling.
I always thought these seats sat up kinda high when I put them in 15 years ago(original bench was long gone.)
But now the new padding is really high...can't imagine what it will be like with a helmet.
I had the same problem... I sat so high I was looking through the dark tint on the windshield. But with a wagon, my head didn't hit. I finally figured out the foam was too stiff. I got different foam and problem solved.
The good foam was made by ACI; American Cushion Industries was stenciled on the foam.
I did my seats last weekend with legendary / opgi foam. im 6ft2 and it seems fine in a hard top.
The seats before were deteriorated/ lower though but not by mutch
...you took out the seats, disassembled them and then reassembled with new foam inserts?...
Yes, I did. However I found that once the seat covers have been installed for a while, it is easier to persuade them to stretch in the correct directions.
It still took me a long day to accomplish. An upholstery specialist would make much shorter work of that job.
Now I sit at about the same height as with the original seat foam. And there is more of a bucket effect to keep you from sliding around in corners. With the stiff foam I sat on top of a mound.
No matter who you buy foam from, ask them if it is stenciled American Cushion Industries. If they don't know, buy from someone else.
Apparently you got the aftermarket kits with the taller bolsters on these seats. Of course you will sit higher. There's no easy way to lower the stock tracks, so unless you plan to custom fabricate seat tracks, there isn't much room for adjustment downward.
You can get a little more tilt in the seatback. Tilt the seatback forward and note the two oval bumpers that the seatback stops against. You can remove these or cut them down. This will recline the seatback a little and provide some headroom.
You can get a little more tilt in the seatback. Tilt the seatback forward and note the two oval bumpers that the seatback stops against. You can remove these or cut them down. This will recline the seatback a little and provide some headroom
My seat is already RIGHT up against the cross bar on my roll bar.
Thanks Joe.
Must be a common issue. After redoing my bench seat I sit high in the saddle. It sure takes getting use to. One day, I will get around to correcting it?
The Legendary Rallye Buns are stiffer and thicker than OEM- therefore you will sit up higher.
Restoring the seats with stock style covers and American Cushion industry (ACI) buns is the only way to ensure they will sit properly when they are done.
If you used reproduction seat spring assemblies when the seats were redone, then thats insult to injury as they are overly stiff as well. If you did that, you'd likey have trouble even getting behind the wheel.
Cheapest and easiest way to fix those? cut & section & weld the seat track feet to be 1" lower.
A lot easier and cheaper than taking the seats apart again.
If you want to take the seats apart again, then its an "easy" fix... drill holes in the center section of each bun about 3/4" - 1" in diameter. Drill a bunch of them evenly in each center section. This will allow the foam to compress more. THe original buns actually had holes like this molded into the backs of them for this same reason.
Drilling the holes will accomplish the same thing- and won't be visible once the covers are on.
I have yet to try this in practice as none of my customers were willing to let me "experiment" with their brand new buns before we installed the covers when i warned them, and they didn't want to pay and wait to take them apart again after the fact. All have either cut and welded their tracks, or they have just learned to live with it.
Of course none of the ones i have done have been on repop spring assemblies. I avoid those like the plague.
Must be a common issue. After redoing my bench seat I sit high in the saddle. It sure takes getting use to. One day, I will get around to correcting it?
It all depends what was done to the seat when they re-did it.
Did they mess with your springs? if so what did they do exactly.
What did they use for padding, foam? cotton?
I've taken seats apart before that have had broken springs "repaired" with a 2x4 stuck between the frame and the top. Not exactly ergonomic.
Only way to know why they are overly high is to disassemble and inspect.
Luckily, bench seat lower cushions are about as easy as they come.. So when you are ready to tackle it- don't sweat it- taking it apart and putting the lower cover on is no biggie.
My springs were in good shape so they weren't replaced.
I've adjusted my stance in the seat and it's tolerable...I guess.
Just annoying.
Might write Legendary just to let them know.
The covers are great. The cushions...not so much.
-pete
Good thread for me since I have the same problem with redone "Rallye"seats from Legendary. Seats look great but are not functional for me. I am 6'3" and was able to fit into the original seats with no problem. I put on track extenders and I have the drivers' power seat option. I can get in and out with the seat all the way back and tilted a certain way. But not really the fix I wanted.
I am thinking of going back to stock seat bottoms instead of the Rallye seat. What makes the ACI seat bottom foam different than Legendary or others?
Good thread for me since I have the same problem with redone "Rallye"seats from Legendary. Seats look great but are not functional for me. I am 6'3" and was able to fit into the original seats with no problem. I put on track extenders and I have the drivers' power seat option. I can get in and out with the seat all the way back and tilted a certain way. But not really the fix I wanted.
I am thinking of going back to stock seat bottoms instead of the Rallye seat. What makes the ACI seat bottom foam different than Legendary or others?
Thanks for all the posts.
Before you spend more money, i would do what i suggested. Take the drivers seat bottom cushion apart and drill a grid of 1" holes in the bottom center section, then reassemble and see what it feels like. It should allow it to compress enough to be comfortable. That will probably be enough to make it comfortable to drive.
The difference between the American Cushion buns and all of the others is they are SOFTER.
The factory buns were SOFT. The springs in these old seats are a compression design, meaning they do all the support.
In newer seats, the springs (if there are any) just hold the bun in place and the buns do it all, so they have to be stiff.
All the repop buns are made like modern car seat buns, STIFF & DENSE.
ACI makes theirs soft which properly replicates the originals.
Since i do seats, i have had the ability to do side to side tests of these-
If you take your open palms and then try to press them together with a seat bun between them... Originals and ACIs compress & give.
Do the same test on a PUI, TMI, Legendary Rallye, etc etc and you will not be able to compress it at all. Like a brick.
yes you can stick your finger in... but if you use open palms spreading the load they are dense as HELL.
The other problem with the TMI Sport seat & Legendary Rallye buns is, they advertise additional side support from teh bolsters- but those bolsters do NOTHING if the spring structure underneath is not fixed or beefed up.
The side support springs that are sold in the aftermarket are all 11ga, which is smaller and weaker than OEM were. (66-68 were 9ga front + 11ga rear & 69-72 were all 10ga front, no rear)
When i redo seats i use 9ga spring for the side supports and make my own this significantly improves the side to side support without affecting the seating height.
Essentially you don't need the big *** bolsters if your seat is built right- and if its NOT (or if its broken and just had new buns and covers slapped on it) they are not going to do anything other than look pretty for you anyway!
I'm going to be re-doing the seats in my 66 442 in the near future, and am curious as to the hole spacing in the grid you suggest on bottom section?
If you are going to redo them (assuming new materials) then just buy the good ACI buns, then you don't need to do anything to them.
If you already have redone seats using the legendary rallye buns & the matching big bolster covers and are unhappy with them, then drilling the holes is my suggestion on how to make it feel better w/o throwing it all in the trash.
If you have already redone seats with stock style covers, but you used the cheap hard buns... just throw the buns away and buy the good ones, your covers will still fit fine.
For drilling the holes, i would suggest evenly spacing them in the lower cushion center area. a couple inches from the front and back, and a couple inches from each of the listing channels... then mark a grid with a hole every couple inches
The OEM buns actually had this molded into the backs of them (though thy didn't go all the way through since they were part of the mold)
I'll see if i can dig up a picture of an original one. i've got them saved.
anwyay.. As i mentioned this is only a suggestion for someone who is ready to replace it all because they are extremely unhappy with the current results.
I have not actually done this yet- but i'm confident it will work to soften the seat area up.
If you don't drill the holes in a symmetrical fashion it may feel lumpy, so its important to drill them out in a matching pattern so it will compress evenly.
