How to get another 1.5" of headroom, (with the Corbeau seats) Options

[John_D.]

Pictorial view. (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)




Shot of the brackets side by side. You're looking from the front.
Passenger on the left, driver on the right.

I cut off the L-shaped risers.

And I hammered the front straps flat for another 1/4-1/2" there.
The driver's side had more lift in the front than the passenger side.

Then there were some "tabs" sticking out in the back, to either side.
When I dropped the back, those tabs were into the rounded part of the carpet by the console and the rocker panel.
So I cut them off, and at a 45 degree angle, for better clearance.

(IMG:http://www.mtfba.org/forum/images/uploads/MTFBA%20Member%20Albums/John_D./544.jpg)




This just shows how much height change we're talking about.
Tape measure is on the floor. It's right at 1.5" difference.
The main difference is at the rear of the seat. A little at the front.
I'm centered right over that rear section of the bracket when the seat is mounted.
The back of the seat is quite a bit behind it.

(IMG:http://www.mtfba.org/forum/images/uploads/MTFBA%20Member%20Albums/John_D./545.jpg)




This shows why those L-shaped risers were there...
The right side seat track is directly over that bottom right stud.
(you can see the small holes in the front and rear of the bracket, that are in line with that stud.)

So I'm going to drill a new hole in the right side of the bracket
and a corresponding hole into the rail that's under the carpet,
for a new hold-down bolt for that right rear corner.

You can see the lift in the front too. the tabs in the front of the bracket.
Those got hammered down flat as part of this mod.

(IMG:http://www.mtfba.org/forum/images/uploads/MTFBA%20Member%20Albums/John_D./546.jpg)




Here is a view of the factory floor pan and the raised rail that the bracket sits on.
The stud is going away, and I've marked where the hole will go in the rail, over to the right of the stud.

(IMG:http://www.mtfba.org/forum/images/uploads/MTFBA%20Member%20Albums/John_D./547.jpg)




The stud is cut off. The new hole is drilled.
And I needed a slot under the hole, so I could stick the new bolt through there...
And so I could get a wrench on it when tightening everything back down.

(IMG:http://www.mtfba.org/forum/images/uploads/MTFBA%20Member%20Albums/John_D./548.jpg)




I would probably have done the passenger side too, but the cat hump is in the way.
The right side would clear it, but the left side is obstructed all the way.
Even if I beat down that left side some, the front is right on it too.
So if the passenger is tall, they'll just have to slide the seat back further and/or recline the seat a little more.
I couldn't do that on the driver's side and still reach the steering wheel though... (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

(IMG:http://www.mtfba.org/forum/images/uploads/MTFBA%20Member%20Albums/John_D./549.jpg)

[Tony99SS]

A picture is worth a thousand words! I modified my brackets in exactly this way a year or so ago. Several times, I have tried to describe them online in discussions about the Corbeau head room problem, and IMO failed every time. From now on I'll reference this thread with my endorsement.

The only catch is that bolting the assemblage together (at least with the carpet still installed) is pretty tedious. Worth it for those of us whose height is above average.

Tony

[John_D.]

Cool. I guess great minds do think alike... (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)


Hey, did you also do something to fix the location of the harness openings in the back?


They are a little low for me. When there is any tension on the harness, it pulls my shoulders down, because the top of the openings are about 2" or 3" below the top of my shoulders... I'm thinking about cutting new openings, but not sure where/how to get the plastic inserts for the new hole.

[Tony99SS]

I haven't found the harness slots to be a problem, but I'm used to them being worn REALLY tight anyway.

One word of advice on your seat's anti-submarine belt slot, if equipped: ANYTHING at all that you put in your lap - even for a second - will promptly find it';s way under your seat where there is allmost no hope of easily retrieving it. A week ago I managed to lose my car keys underneath there while BSing with my GF outside the restaurant. After trying nearly everything else I could think of, I finally used the radio antenna to poke/pull the keys into fingertip range. (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

Tony

[tjZ28]

Good info. John_D! If you don't mind my asking just how tall are you. I'm shopping seats now and just want to consider stuff like this.

-TJ

[mitchntx]

When I received those expensive mounts in the mail for my old Corbeau, I couldn't believe my eyes.

So, I sold them and made my own out of 1/8" x 2" flat stock I got at my local home center.

It looked like a Tic-Tac-Toe game board where the 2 front studs went though a horizontal strip and the bottom of the 2 vertical strips aligned over the studs for the rear mounts.

I heated and curved the strips to follow the contour of the floor.

I then put the sliders on the frame and the seat on the sliders ...

$20 worth of supplies and about 1/2 a day ...

[John_D.]

If you don't mind my asking just how tall are you. I'm shopping seats now and just want to consider stuff like this.

I'm right at 6' 0'.

I had the seats shaved 1/2" from the factory.

I don't see how a seat could be much lower...

It wasn't really a problem with no helmet, but with the helmet, all the head room was gone.

[John_D.]

It looked like a Tic-Tac-Toe game board where the 2 front studs went though a horizontal strip and the bottom of the 2 vertical strips aligned over the studs for the rear mounts.

I heated and curved the strips to follow the contour of the floor.

I then put the sliders on the frame and the seat on the sliders ...

Yeah I was going through some old receipts this weekend, and ran across the one with the brackets on it. It was pretty expensive for the pair of them...

So how did you clear that right rear stud? (driver's seat)
Did you move the slider more to the center of the seat? Or more toward the right side of the seat?

Because moving the slider to the right, would put it over the right front stud, since they're not "in line". And moving it toward the center of the seat, seems like the seat wouldn't be as well supported. (but maybe it didn't have to be moved that far, about an inch or so would probably do it)

[Tony99SS]

...If you don't mind my asking just how tall are you. I'm shopping seats now and just want to consider stuff like this.

-TJ

Almost 6'01" here, and although my helmet barely brushes the headliner, I never find this slight contact too distracting - in fact, I hardly notice it.

Tony

[mitchntx]

It looked like a Tic-Tac-Toe game board where the 2 front studs went though a horizontal strip and the bottom of the 2 vertical strips aligned over the studs for the rear mounts.

I heated and curved the strips to follow the contour of the floor.

I then put the sliders on the frame and the seat on the sliders ...

Yeah I was going through some old receipts this weekend, and ran across the one with the brackets on it. It was pretty expensive for the pair of them...

So how did you clear that right rear stud? (driver's seat)
Did you move the slider more to the center of the seat? Or more toward the right side of the seat?

Because moving the slider to the right, would put it over the right front stud, since they're not "in line". And moving it toward the center of the seat, seems like the seat wouldn't be as well supported. (but maybe it didn't have to be moved that far, about an inch or so would probably do it)

The mounting points of the sliders to the Corbeau seat were positioned such that it was VERY close (and tough to get a wrench on).

Because I was marking and placing the seat where I wanted. I moved it about 2" further back, which allowed the seat to sit even lower and lean it back some. I also turned it slightly so that my elbow didn't hit the side bolster when doing a 1-2, 3-4 and 3-2 shift.

I bought a set of ratcheting wrenches to accomplish the bolting and unbolting of the seat.

[trackbird]

http://home.columbus.rr.com/trackbirdz28/c...rbeau_seats.htm

My Corbeau experience (with pictures).

[trackbird]

Good info. John_D! If you don't mind my asking just how tall are you. I'm shopping seats now and just want to consider stuff like this.

-TJ

http://home.columbus.rr.com/trackbirdz28/c...rbeau_seats.htm

My Corbeau experience (with pictures).