installing new harnesses

[yellowss7]

I now see why they say that if you are having one knee replaced, do them both at the same time, because you won't want to do the second one after having done the first.

 

My harnesses expired on both of my Caterhams last year. I had the ones in the Orange car replaced when it went in for the preseason service.

 

The yellow car is waiting for a starter rebuild so I decided to replace the harnesses this morning. Shoulder harnesses are a breeze obviously, then i started on the lap belts and crotch belts.

 

I have the stock cloth seats in the Yellow car and after removing the bottom cushion, it's apparent that the seat tracks and back need to come out to get at the lap belts bolts. Sounds simple but on my car the bolts holding the seat tracks down, would spin when I tried to undo the nyloc nuts from underneath the car.

 

I needed to wedge a screwdriver between the track and bolt to keep them from spinning. Bad news was that my arms aren't long enough to hold the screwdriver and wrench at the same time. And that was just for the front bolts. The rear track bolts need to have the seat back pushed forward and then again reach down with the screwdriver. Physically impossible to do.

 

Seat and tracks had to come out because the seat track on the driver's left side belt is too close to allow the bolt to be removed or reinserted. For the sake of a half inch they could have eliminated all that. Damn English!!!

 

So i called a neighbor over and after a few curses, the seat came out and belts in, then seat back in.

 

Passenger seat will have to wait until all my cuts and bruises heal. ( I left the car on the lift which limited my space between the car and the lift when trying to get to the nuts under the car. And the side exhaust is on the drivers side which limited me even more.)

 

Thanks for letting me vent. Anyone have an easier solution to spinning bolt issue?

 

Tom

 

 

[Croc]

I adapted long breaker bar with a swivel head mounting a very tall socket and a long handle torque wrench at the other end to extend my arms last time i did it. I left copious amounts of skin and blood under the car - those U shaped seat track rails are quite vicious. I then learned that it was better to pay someone else to do it.

 

Another idea, instead of a screwdriver, could you wedge vice grips and some solid material against the nut and stop the spinning.

 

Or do you have a chat with a nut called Steve?

[Brightonuk]

I tried this (and it worked)

Go to the depot a buy these pan head bolts, the heads should be bigger than the seat tracks

 

http://www.usa7s.net/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=15361&stc=1

 

 

 

File down two sides of the bolt (I used a dremel to cut them) so it drops into the track now the bold will not spin

Secure them with a dab of JB weld (to stop them pushing up when attach the nuts from the underside)

Or weld a couple of nuts to the track and bolt up from the underside

[wemtd]

I feel your pain: last year my car was squeaking. I was told "just polish and anti-seize the bushings..." no prob I though: I assembled my car shouldn't be too bad... One winter later :banghead: completely disassembling my car... it doesn't squeak any more :driving:

 

If the rivnuts are spinning, can you tighten them? I've done this with a long bolt, washer and nut: thread the nut onto the bolt, then secure the bolt threads into the rivnut: hold the bolt stationary and tighten the nut to further compress the rivnut.

[xcarguy]

thanks for letting me vent . . . Spinning bolt issue?

tom

 

I get it.

[The Stig]

I replaced my standard bolts with capheads last time the seats were out. Now using an Allen key makes this job much easier.

[Black Hole]

My car was built by George Alderman (Mid-Atlantic Caterham) and he tack welded the bolts to the seat runners. It made if very easy to remove the seats (though I think one or more of the tacks is now broken).