Is there an alternative to the horsehair seat pads?

[deton8r]

I'm going to be finally installing my World Upholstery MB Tex kit.  My drivers seat is a little worn so I looked into getting some seat pads.     I can't believe what those cost!  Is there any foam alternative out there?

Also, I noticed on eBay there were some foam tubes you could put into the seat springs vertically to stiffen up the seats on a w126.  Will these also work on the w116?


Thanks in advance

[Papalangi]

The "special" foam tubes just might be pool noodles.  That's what is in my 450SEL seats.

mercedessource.com sells a book dealing with repairing the front seats.

http://mercedessource.com/node/314

Michael

[WGB]

Are your pads totally gone or can some extra padding be added to the top layers to pad it out?

The expectation also is that you will find  at least one broken spring in the base.

The left and right bases are interchangeable but you need to drill the rivets out that are attached to the hinge and swap them from side to side.

The spring base cannot be welded as far as I know but a common repair is to slip a tube over the cracked portion and then crimping it to the spring.  It doesn't allow the spring to act like a torsion bar at the break but it makes the base a bit firmer and stops it flapping around.

Pool noodles are often used crammed into the spring base to stiffen it but it can make it rather hard to sit on. My seat has triangles of foam wedged in and this is a little softer.

When you re-fit the M-B Tex to the seat you will find that it is held down each side of the top of the squab with wire ties(well leather faces are anyway). Use the same ties or buy a roll of the same size wire so that there is no rubbing from underneath. If not you will start to notice maks from above and will have to pull it all out and start again.

It's a S#*t of a job - best done once.

Bill

[deton8r]

It's a S#*t of a job - best done once.

This sounds more challenging than I originally thought.  My passanger front seat seems to be in pretty good shape so I may swap the springs to the drivers side.  I have a pretty good idea the current springs on the front right side of my drivers seat are shot.  I'm not sure how the pads look but I doubt they are in very good shape.  I'm having some trouble visualizing the wire ties but I'll keep that in mind when I take them apart.

I appreciate the tips, thanks!

[Papalangi]

I wonder if he means what I call hog rings.

http://www.eastwoodco.com/jump.jsp?itemID=21888&itemType=PRODUCT

Fabric upholstry is held on by a bit cardboard sewn in the hem and wedged in a flange on the seat base.

Michael

[WGB]

I have only replaced leather facings so cannot talk for M-B Tex or Fabric - but here is a precis of the recovery process.

1) Springs need to be sorted

2) Horsehair pads need to be in reasonable condition and if they are you will still probably need extra foam (1/2 inch is recommended on top to pad out the cover but don't "overstuff" either). They are just a slip fit over the springs.

3) The new cover has a linen backing with loops that take a pair of  wires that you swap from the old to the new and run fore and aft in the squab and vertically in the backrest.

4) The wires are then attached to the horsehair lengthwise and fit into grooves in the seat bottom and back and these are held by wire ties like 3 inch long U-shaped staples - their ends are turned over underneath the horsehair after poking them through and this is what holds the panel in position.
The diameter of the wire ties is critical as I tried to use wire that was too thick (it was all I had on a public holiday) and they caused a couple of pressure areas which if left would have rubbed through the drivers seat squab with prolonged use. I had to subsequently remove the seat and replace the ties as well as pad out the squab with a bit more foam.

5) the remaining linen backing is then stretched over the outer edges of the horse-hair and down the sides and this is then held with the Hog-ties you have shown in the previous post - carefully getting tension even.

5) Last of all the outer edges with the cardboard backing are fed into the channels in the seat base. This is the finger breaking hard work part and it helps to have someone sitting on the seat while you gently stretch and poke the fibre reinforced seam into the channel in the seat bottom.

6) Then you do it all again to get the bumps and creases out of it

7) Then you put the seat together and get it back in the car without damaging anything.

Pulling a seat apart slowly and gently will rapidly show you how it all works. I would rather use leather or fabric than M-B Tex unless the M-B Tex is soft. Leather was a real buggar and slowly stretches when put in tension - sure hope M-B Tex does the same.

You get very strong fingers out of it.



But the final result is amazing and truly beggars belief.

Subsequent to this photo the drivers seat (the one without the fire extinguisher) has been removed and the squab restuffed and now after 8 months both seats are ripple free.

Bill

[Papalangi]

I was watching one of those how they make it shows and was amazed at how simple it was to insert a foam cushion in a fabric covered seat.  They wrapped a very flimsy plastic bag around the foam, pulled a vacuum on the bag and slid it into the cover.  Let go of the vacuum and presto! you have a firm seat without wrinkles.  Always wondered how they got them so smooth.

Michael