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'72 K5 - Greg's @MightAsWellK5 Build

This is the build description. I will improve this later. (GB)
Overview Gallery Discussion
I don't think you be able to get a "stock" appearing seats that are really suspension seats. The shape of frame is going to be the shape of the seats.
I think the closest the suspension seat manufacturer could do is a pattern of the factory seats.
You should give them a call first before you get too deep with those door bars.
 
JDNobodi said:
I don't think you be able to get a "stock" appearing seats that are really suspension seats. The shape of frame is going to be the shape of the seats.
I think the closest the suspension seat manufacturer could do is a pattern of the factory seats.
You should give them a call first before you get too deep with those door bars.
Click to expand...

Have you ever come across photos of what a suspension seat really looks like inside? :dunno:

I think that would be really helpful. I'm not opposed to reworking the frames a little bit (MAW™) but I don't want to lose the squared-off upper corners of the seats or the taper that they have on the seat backs. Seems like most of the suspension seats I've seen are REALLY deeply bolstered in the seat pan area.... and I'm not sure I'm willing to go for a look like that.


-G
 
Apparently, this a Bread sporter, but I checked their website and didn't see it. I would think this seat with factory pleating is close as you can get.
images.jpg
 
JDNobodi said:
Apparently, this a Bread sporter, but I checked their website and didn't see it. I would think this seat with factory pleating is close as you can get.
View attachment 202570
Click to expand...


Yeah.... that's not all that close. A little bit too rounded across the top and the lower seat bolsters are kind of weird too.

I guess my fallback position (if I can't come up with a solution that I like) is to just get the stock seats professional reupholstered the way I want and design a "quick disconnect" mounting system that allows me to swap out the stock seats for a set of suspension seats using identical mounts to the seat cradle tubing that I'm working on... Not SUPER convenient, but if I just couldn't stand the comfort of the stock seats on long wheeling trips it would be an option.


-G
 
Greg72 said:
Have you ever come across photos of what a suspension seat really looks like inside? :dunno:

I think that would be really helpful. I'm not opposed to reworking the frames a little bit (MAW™) but I don't want to lose the squared-off upper corners of the seats or the taper that they have on the seat backs. Seems like most of the suspension seats I've seen are REALLY deeply bolstered in the seat pan area.... and I'm not sure I'm willing to go for a look like that.
-G
Click to expand...

I'm probably not after as an authentic appearance as it sounds like you are but the low backs I got from PRP are a little closer than the option posted above here. The metal frame is just a tubular hoop structure and there is a series of elastic rope spider webbed to some tarp like materiel using grommets like you'd see on a tarp. That rope/tarp material is what does all the "support" of your back side. They add a little bit of foam on top of that to add some shape to the sides and back but I think it's mostly cosmetic.

The stock seats have an enormous cushion with springs under the cushion. It might be tough to exactly reproduce the stock seats, but I'm not sure how much of a suspension seat will be left functionally.

I can say driving in the suspension seat is a lot more comfortable than the stock seats were even after I reupolstered them. I think lots of that comfort is the extra side bolster on the new seat though.
 
bp71k5 said:
The metal frame is just a tubular hoop structure and there is a series of elastic rope spider webbed to some tarp like materiel using grommets like you'd see on a tarp. That rope/tarp material is what does all the "support" of your back side. They add a little bit of foam on top of that to add some shape to the sides and back but I think it's mostly cosmetic.
Click to expand...

So do you think the canvas has any "spring effect" or is the suspension literally just the shock cord itself? I assume that shock cord is available in different strength / spring rates. (I think I saw on one site it was allegedly 750lb rated in the PRP seats). I wonder how PRP gets a consistent tension on the cord.... It looks like they just tie it into a knot.... So maybe it's just "pull it tight through all those grommets and then tie it off to lock in the necessary tension". :thinking: :dunno:


-G
 
I talked to a guy at PRP about how the seats are built. It's actually pretty simple. The suspension part is the webbing and paracord. Covers are simple.

The foam IMHOis the hard bit. First it's expensive. Second for low bolsters your pretty much gonna have to make your own frame. The frames are wide and support the foam bolsters. So your foam is gonna have to be custom cut.

The cover is the easy part.

I have talked about this at length with a friend who is a really good upholstery guy. It always comes down to sculpting the foam and making sure it's properly suppirted. The frame and " suspension" is easy. Well not easy but doable with enough time. It might be best to talk to seat companies.
 
blazinzuk said:
I talked to a guy at PRP about how the seats are built. It's actually pretty simple. The suspension part is the webbing and paracord. Covers are simple.

The foam IMHOis the hard bit. First it's expensive. Second for low bolsters your pretty much gonna have to make your own frame. The frames are wide and support the foam bolsters. So your foam is gonna have to be custom cut.

The cover is the easy part.

I have talked about this at length with a friend who is a really good upholstery guy. It always comes down to sculpting the foam and making sure it's properly suppirted. The frame and " suspension" is easy. Well not easy but doable with enough time. It might be best to talk to seat companies.
Click to expand...


Sounds like all I need to do is just keep you talking.....!!! :)


-G
 
Greg72 said:
So do you think the canvas has any "spring effect" or is the suspension literally just the shock cord itself? I assume that shock cord is available in different strength / spring rates. (I think I saw on one site it was allegedly 750lb rated in the PRP seats). I wonder how PRP gets a consistent tension on the cord.... It looks like they just tie it into a knot.... So maybe it's just "pull it tight through all those grommets and then tie it off to lock in the necessary tension". :thinking: :dunno:


-G
Click to expand...

Yea, it looks like they're just pulled tight and knoted. There isn't much "bounce" in the seat cushion. Maybe their higher end versions are more "cushy", not sure though.
 
Greg72 said:
Sounds like all I need to do is just keep you talking.....!!! :)


-G
Click to expand...

When you know an upholstery guy you start getting interesting ideas. We were actually talking about a bench seat, made into a suspension seat with slight bolsters.

The one thing I can't stress enough is high quality, high density upholstery foam. It's not normal foam. Dense enough you can use a DA sander on it without risking much.
 
Check another item off the LOOOOOONG list of items that still need doing.....

"Build Driver's Side Door Bar" <CHECK!!>

Bent, notched and fitted....

IMG_9486.jpg



View from side. I put the steering wheel in just for fun to test the comfort of the seating position, etc. Also note my new patented "Foot Warmer" technology!!! :haha:

IMG_9488.jpg



An attempt to show both door bars at the same time. Not easy.... but it looks cool in person! (You'll have to trust me on that one)

IMG_9490.jpg



Next step is coming up with a better method for mounting the seats. Obviously, I'm just using the factory floor holes and hardware now, but I need to get them tied-in to the cagework before too much longer.

A couple of things that I have been pondering:

1. The Passenger seat has never been adjustable, even from the factory. As I build the new floors to cover the exhaust headers and upper link bracketry the factory floor will get a bit higher and the angled footwell section will move a bit further inward. To improve legroom, I should probably shift the seat back another inch or two. It will line up better visually with my preferred driver's seat setting (which is ALL the way back, plus a bit more!) :)

2. The passenger seat has a goofy "flip forward" feature which basically just smashes the seat into the dashboard without creating much ACTUAL room to climb into the backseat area. I know that Jeeps use a trickier system that allows the entire passenger seat to lift straight up.....then move forward (some kind of shackle-type system?) so that the entire seat gets a lot closer to the dash. This seems like it would provide MUCH better access through the passenger door for people to climb into the back area. :thinking:

3. Drivers seat is currently mounted about 2" further back than the factory brackets allow, and the factory system (while retro and cool looking) is a twisted, sloppy mess of levers, locking plates and bent rods/hooks that make the sliders unlock and work. Certainly there should be a better system out there that doesn't look horribly modern or bulky?? :dunno:

4. Because the entire engine/transfercase setup is SO much higher than stock, I can't run a traditional set of lateral cage bars across the floor as the basis for my seat mounts. The Atlas barely fits underneath the passenger seat, and it's going to need some clever sheetmetal work to seal up the interior around that spot.



Good news is that my local machinist should be starting on my convoluted cage plates TODAY..... so if I know him the way I think I do, he'll be calling me this afternoon with a "sample set" for me to do some test-fitting with so that we can fine tune the design for the remaining sets. :waytogo:



-G
 
Looking forward to seeing what you come up with for moving the passenger seat forward for back seat access. I've been mulling over finding a better way to do it myself for quite awhile too.
 
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