Topic: Seat back too short

So we managed to score a lightly used corbeau seat for $60 but we set it in the car and had people sit in it wearing my motorcycle helmet (we don't have our safety gear yet) and the seat back didn't come up to halfway for any of us unless we deliberately sat forward in the seat. The seat back doesn't seem adjustable and cutting/welding the seat seems like it might not fly... Are we doomed? Are there any teams with really short drivers who have a seat to trade? One team member suggested trying to remove some of the springs/padding from the bottom of the seat so we could sit lower, but IDK if that would fly in tech either.

'Dis not gonna be cheap...

Re: Seat back too short

What model of seat is this? The combination of such a low back and a significant amount of springs/padding doesn't inspire much confidence that it's Lemons-legal, but knowing the precise model would help answer your question about being doomed. If the model isn't indicated, a photo might be enough.

1982 MG Metro 1300: IOE 2015 Pacific Northworst GP, Longest Distance 2010 Cd'L Box Wine Country Classic
1980 KV Mini 1: Worst of Show and Fright Pig Supremo 2009 Concours d'Lemons
1978 H Special: Second-Round Elimination 2010 Lemons Pinewood Derby at Sears Pointless
1967 SAAB 96: IOE 2012 Pacific Northworst GP, Organizer's Choice 2022 Hell on Wheels California Rally

Re: Seat back too short

Yeah, not familiar with a race seat with springs in it.  Also note that Corbeau's are commonly knocked off.  You should post a picture of the seat with someone sitting in it.

1990 RX7 "Mazdarita"  1964 Sunbeam Imp (IOE 2013 Sears Pointless) 2002 Jaguar x-type (Winner C-Class 2021 Sears Pointless)
Gone bye-bye
1994 Jaguar XJ12 (Winner C-Class 2013 Sears Pointless)  1980 Rover SD1 (I Got Screwed 2014 Return of Lemonites)

Re: Seat back too short

https://cdn.imgpaste.net/2021/03/09/PbDGY.png
https://cdn.imgpaste.net/2021/03/09/Pbm3B.png
https://cdn.imgpaste.net/2021/03/09/Pbe95.png

I can't find any pictures of someone in the seat but can take one if that's really important. I wouldn't say it has an exceptionally low back, I'm the shortest prospective driver and over 6'.

'Dis not gonna be cheap...

Re: Seat back too short

Ok, that's a tube framed seat.  Not optimum but I understand the $60 part.  Really the final arbiter in all this is the head of tech.  Put your shortest and tallest in the seat and send both pix to pagel@24hoursoflemons.com  That's not a containment seat so don't expect that anyone's head will not stick up above the seatback.  As far as I know, the only acceptable seat that has an adjustable seatback is the Kirkey Series 65.  Depending on your car, your next biggest worry is passing the 2" rule.  Basically if you lay a broomstick across the top of the rollcage, the helmet of your tallest driver can't be within 2" of that broomstick.  That can be a struggle in a lot of cars so make sure your cage is tucked up tight to the roof.

I'm the shortest prospective driver and over 6'.

It's a weird feeling isn't it?  I'm 6'2" In college I shared a 4 bedroom house and was the shortest person.  By 2".  None were on basketball team.

1990 RX7 "Mazdarita"  1964 Sunbeam Imp (IOE 2013 Sears Pointless) 2002 Jaguar x-type (Winner C-Class 2021 Sears Pointless)
Gone bye-bye
1994 Jaguar XJ12 (Winner C-Class 2013 Sears Pointless)  1980 Rover SD1 (I Got Screwed 2014 Return of Lemonites)

Re: Seat back too short

One other issue: I'm pretty sure tech won't be happy with the missing insert for the pass-through for the left shoulder belt. That leaves the unfinished internal edges exposed, greatly increasing the chances of cutting or abrading the belt webbing.

1982 MG Metro 1300: IOE 2015 Pacific Northworst GP, Longest Distance 2010 Cd'L Box Wine Country Classic
1980 KV Mini 1: Worst of Show and Fright Pig Supremo 2009 Concours d'Lemons
1978 H Special: Second-Round Elimination 2010 Lemons Pinewood Derby at Sears Pointless
1967 SAAB 96: IOE 2012 Pacific Northworst GP, Organizer's Choice 2022 Hell on Wheels California Rally

Re: Seat back too short

mharrell wrote:

One other issue: I'm pretty sure tech won't be happy with the missing insert for the pass-through for the left shoulder belt. That leaves the unfinished internal edges exposed, greatly increasing the chances of cutting or abrading the belt webbing.

Yeah I had noticed that but it seems like it shouldn't be too hard to either find a new insert or get something else in there (maybe some old door gasket or something).

'Dis not gonna be cheap...

Re: Seat back too short

I've run that exact model seat in multiple cars before. we've pulled the bottom seat pad out and stuck something thinner in there to get a taller driver lower. Note that with that particular seat, you'll find yourself "settling in" quite a bit over the course of your stint so make sure your initial belt tightening is to the point of ludicrous tight. Overzet likes to punch seated drives in the gut and and sneak another cinch of the belts.

That might be "ok" for your first seat, but keep an eye out for a better used seat. As people go to full containment seats, you may find some more availability for kirkey road race seats or some padded fiberglass shell seats.

Also of note: Make sure the slots for the shoulder belts are a reasonable proximity for the tops of the drivers' shoulders whle keeping the belts at 0-degrees to neg 15degrees angle. I've seen people with a harness bar that is higher than the belt slots and then drivers who are another few inches above the slots causing the belts to dip down to feed through the seat and then angle back up to get over the driver shoulders.... not good.

Re: Seat back too short

Also not good, when the belts contact the seat before the driver because the driver is small.. There are only so many pillows before the driver is sitting on pillows and not a seat.

That guy

10

Re: Seat back too short

As someone with a 97" tall torso, I assume if the seat back is too short the harness slots are too, especially since the picture has super thin harness slots. Just get an OMP HTE-R XL like me and be done with it. It's literally the only seat that fits my torso and helmet height without going to a custom $2,000 Kirkey. The "gigantic" Sparco Ergo has more head rest but the shoulder slots are too low, and it has a "European" width.

The various seat manufacturers have dimensions on their websites. Some are better than others, buy from the betters.