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Seats don't recline properly


PeterCS

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If the seat backs have been apart--that is you or a PO removed the reclining mechanism from the seat back frame to reupholster, I'll bet they were reassembled incorrectly.  It's not intuitive--the two chrome-plated arms aren't supposed to be assembled on their torsion bar so they're parallel.  If you make 'em parallel, they seat back will look like your picture.  

 

If you don't find a broken cable per Esty's suggestion, PM me...I learned about this the hard way, and did a column on how to fix the problem.

 

cheers

mike

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'69 Nevada sunroof-Wolfgang-bought new
'73 Sahara sunroof-Ludwig-since '78
'91 Brillantrot 318is sunroof-Georg Friederich 
Fiat Topolini (Benito & Luigi), Renault 4CVs (Anatole, Lucky Pierre, Brigette) & Kermit, the Bugeye Sprite

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I posted this picture last week in the "What did you do to your 2002?", so sorry if it is a repeat. This Corona Virus thing is giving me a lot of "home time" ?

My seat would not tilt forward (for access to the rear seat). When I removed the back panel (3 screws) I found the cable had rusted and finally broke . I spliced a bicycle shift cable (stainless, non-rusting) to the good section of the existing steel cable near the pulley.

I didn't have a crimp splice, so I just used two crimp-on eye connectors and a small bolt. I did this without removing the seat. Use the adjuster to make sure both hooks release at the same time.

 

190803891_Seatbackcablewt.JPG.thumb.png.f43e89b8ea3de34bd81ff247a227a186.png

 

The problem Peter has appears to be with the seat back tilt adjustment, not the release mechanism.

Looks like the adjuster bar(?) runs  under the seat pad, and perhaps is disconnected from the inside hinge and ratchet.

 

1619363089_SeatTiltMechanismwt.thumb.png.0ba1101923ef087243661f1a4812633a.png

 

 

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I am in quarantine with 271 hours to go!  

Decided to take another shot at fixing the recline on my '02 seats - I need to do something!!!

I have taken the seats apart and mounted them on 2x4's to check the recline.

I then disassembled the hinges.

 

Are the hinges both supposed to be mounted at the same angle?  I would have thougtht so.

 

And the bar between the two hinges has always seemed to long when I go to re-assemble the seats. But the bar is fully inserted in the hinges.

 

John - you mentioned that the reassembly is counter intuitive. What am I missing.

 

Many thanks as always.

 

PeterCS

Oakville, Ontario

 

BMW Inka Seat Recline  2    3_20.png

BMW Inka Seat Recline 1   3_20.png

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  • 4 weeks later...

I am determined to fix this - I restored the entire car and was able to solve many other more complex problems than this.

 

Here is the issue - the seat does not fold forward in a parallel manner

 - I reinstall the hardware properly and the seat folds perfectly

- but as soon as recline the seat back into the normal driving position, it once again folds incorrectly.

 

I have attached 2 pics.

- the left side hinge holds its angle (approx 130 deg) after folding and folds correctly  

- BUT the other hinge changes its angle to 90 degree causing the seat to fold crooked

 

Desperate for help!

many thanks, PeterCS

BMW Inka Seat Recline Pic 2  18 4 20.png

BMW Inka Seat Recline Pic 1  18 4 20.png

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Peter - did you get a copy of Mike Self’s Roundel column on the fix?

 

Your March 22 pic shows you still lining up the hinges parallel (matched angles) to each other on the torsion bar. Mike mentioned they should be unmatched in their static position. Like the side that’s having the problem should be pre-clocked on the torsion bar so it’s un-parallel...

 

Tom-too

Where we goin’? … I’ll drive…
There are some who call me... Tom too         v i s i o n a u t i k s.com   

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I had this issue on some seats I bought last year. They were not the stock design exactly but the hinge mechanism was more or less the same. The issue actually ended up being that one of the springs was missing on the inside hinge and so it wouldn’t actuate the levers correctly. This caused the whole thing to flex unevenly when it was folded forward. I replaced the spring and after sitting on it a bit and folding it forward and backwards,  everything bent back into the right place and it’s been perfect ever since.

 

Might be a different issue but it looks exactly the same symptom-wise. The 2 springs can be seen in a photo posted by john76 above... Pull your cover and make sure there are no missing springs.

'74 Verona

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Guys - thanks for peservering with me here.

I think I get it that they should not be parallel.  The issue is now how to do it!

The inside hinge cannot be pre- clocked - it just rotates back.

But the door side hinge can be pre-clocked (I think).

 

Does that mean that I install the door side hinge last with a different angle than the other.

 

Again, many thanks.

PeterCS

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