Aftermarket seats

3rd July 2016, 13:59

Hi,
I need lower front seats for my saxo since the stock ones give me a really tall driving position. I am considering buying a pair of sparco sprint, does anyone know if they are lower then stock seats even if they are on rails.
I need to keep the rear seats, so i need to have rails to people get in.
Can i mount the seats on the stock saxo rails or I will need aftermarket rails, subframes, etc?
Should i mount the driver seat without rails to keep them lower and the passenger seat on rails?
Can someone explain me what would be the best way to solve this situation, and if u have any other suggestions feel free to share.
(ps: Recliner seats are usually to expensive and to bulky for my taste).

Thanks

4th July 2016, 09:06

buy seats --then make need subframe that still uses orginal mtg points --but the cross tubing you fit the seat to you make run across the floor nice and tight --that will gain you 2-3"
its what i did with my car
if it has side mountings then make new side plates up etc and you can drill multiple holes to allow for adjustment -- you won,t get it perfect first fit -
I dumped sliding subframe which gives you even more height adjustment when using the side mount holes --
then you will want to drop column to match --1" spacers under it works fine

If you insist on mounting on floor then you have to use cross bars --or it wil be too flexible and will crack eventually

final test if mountings are good enough
sit in seat tighten up belt tight and get someone to pull back of seat --if it moves and belt slackens --the your mounts are not good enough

when mansell hit the bridge at donnigton --they recorded 20g+ at impact --so think on -- you could suddenly weight 10 -20 times more if you hit something solid

and if you can reach forward and close the door when strapped in --your belt ain,t tight enough --fit a pull strap on door

if this for road use then compromises may have to be made as no doubt you won,t be using 5 point harness

4th July 2016, 10:42

Thanks for the reply, I will buy the seats and probably go with side mount/ slider combo. Will this be lower than a stock seat configuration? Because I hit with my knees on the steering wheel.
I will definitely check out if my seat belts are tight since I will be using the stock ones.

4th July 2016, 11:39

I had OMP with Subframes and sliders and the position wasn't much lower but enough for me.

4th July 2016, 12:33

if using std inertia reel belts they won,t be tight unless you hit something and then you will move a few inches forward before they lock

not good if knees already close to column

sounds like you need an extended boss steering wheel as well so seat can be further back to clearance to knees

4th July 2016, 14:53

4th July 2016, 14:56

4th July 2016, 14:57

well apparently images dont upload, google the mr bean episode of him on top of his mini, it may be a solution to your problem

4th July 2016, 19:45

Lol, thanks for the mr. Bean solution xD.
I will get an extended boss kit eventually but i would still like to seat a bit lower, Is it a bad idea to install the seats for road use then? I hit the column because my oem seat does not hold itself in a certain degree ( It doesnt lock untill it is doing like a 110º between the legs and the back). In result of this problem i need to put my seat very close to the steering wheel so i can reach it, this causes my legs to hit the wheel. With a new seat i can position it further away from the steering wheel since my torso and legs will be doing a smaller angle than before.
I dont know if I am explaining myself properly but english isn't my first language xD

7th July 2016, 08:17

no -- racing seats are good -- for thin people -- not good for fat people and not as comfortable as std seats unless you pay a lot for them for a long drive

go sit in one before buying

7th July 2016, 17:14

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CITROEN-SA...8AAOSwKtlWp4w6

7th July 2016, 20:34

Thanks for the replies, unfortunately the deal didn't happen because i didn't like the condition of the seats. I will keep on looking and something better will show up. I am considering some recaro recliners (from evo's or type r's) but they are a bit to expensive.

12th July 2016, 18:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mickswan

I had OMP with Subframes and sliders and the position wasn't much lower but enough for me.

+1. IIRC we have the same seats and they're pretty much standard height.

15th July 2016, 08:34

thats why you need to make new subframes to get extra height.
I had drivers seat in custom made subframe and passengers on omp frame --difference was over 3 " or 75mm

15th July 2016, 11:13

Thanks for the replies, I will definitely take a look at getting custom subframes. Should I modify omp subframes or build them from scratch?