CLOSED GB - Recaro seat adapters for stock rails

[BimmerDan]

Payment sent, thanks for putting this together!

[SlickDizzy]

Everybody,

Please make sure to specify what type of fasteners you need when you send your payment!!!

Fasteners are included. Please add in the Paypal note your fasteners requirement (as well as your forum nickname to help the process).

Per seat
Four 8mm bolts
Six 6mm bolts

[bshi]

Payment sent

[rmiddendorf]

Can we get both sets of fasteners? How much extra $$ should I add if yes.

[SlickDizzy]

Can we get both sets of fasteners? How much extra $$ should I add if yes.

I just sent Lee an e-mail asking if this is a possibility, he should hopefully chime in with an answer soon.

EDIT:

I am using high grade cylinder head cap screws. Not cheap. So if you want BOTH kinds of hardware add $10.00cad extra for both seats ($5.00cad per seat) and put a note in the Paypal payment.

[rmiddendorf]

$$ sent- thank you!!!

[Lee]

Letting you know that whenever I receive a payment, I forward the Paypal confirmation to SlickDizzy. That way there's no ambiguity with sent payments. That way, SlickDizzy can build the update list.

[SlickDizzy]

Letting you know that whenever I receive a payment, I forward the Paypal confirmation to SlickDizzy. That way there's no ambiguity with sent payments. That way, SlickDizzy can build the update list.

Yep! I have sent all members who requested a set a in update/request for payment via PM, and e-mails to those who specifically wanted them. I'm keeping the thread updated in nearly real-time and so far we're making good progress. If we can get everybody paid by the end of the week, that would be wonderful.

[Lee]

Allow me another precision. When asked to specify wether 8mm OR 6mm fasteners are required, that means that one of the two option must be picked. That's what $120.00cad gets you. Those who want BOTH sizes of fasteners (8mm as well as 6mm) can also have them but there will be a small surchage of $5.00cad per seat. Or $10.00cad for both.

[p2592b]

Paypal sent, thanks guys!

[Swaggery]

Payment sent. Thanks everyone

[528elover]

Pyament sent for both sets. Thanks! - Vic B.

[whelton25]

payment sent for both seats both sets of hardware 155cad

thanks

[Foonfer]

Payment sent for both seats and both sizes of fasteners. 155 CAD. Thanks!

[Lee]

Good news. The adapters are done. Now waiting for my order of 12.9 graded cap screws.
I shall start shipping early next week.

Thanks everyone for this "quick and dirty" GB. It went smooth...

Lee

-- Added 02 Nov 2016 23:42 --

Hi gang.

All adapters have been shipped this afternoon. Expect them in 4 (business days).

These adapters will fit any bottom mounted Recaro seats that follows Recaro's bolt pattern. Old style. New style.

All fasteners are graded 12.9 and come from a reputable manufacturer.

Expecting to send tracking numbers to each of you by this evening. if you don't receive one, then most likely my email is in your spam box

Thanks everyone

Lee

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Confirming that all tracking numbers have been sent.

PS The aluminum adapters have been bead blasted. This is a great surface preparation if you want to paint them with a spray can. Paint will better stick. People preferring a polished raw alu finish, can simply wet sand them with some 400 or 600 grit.

Those who are anal with torque values could follow these specs : M8 - 25lbs.ft while M6 is 13lbs.ft

[Swaggery]

Ended up having to use the e21 adapters for my recaro helios seats. Learned that the hard way. If anyone who didn't get a set still wants a chance PM me.

[Lee]

Hi Swagger

Your "helios" seats look like L seats. Don't they follow the standard bolt pattern? VW had Trophy seats and those had the four 8mm bolt pattern. Can you take measures?

VolksWagen Helios





If you want to sell the adapters, I know somebody who's looking for a set.

-- Added 14 Nov 2016 14:52 --

I did a little research on those VW Helios seats and it seems they come in two flavors. The ones with an electric adjustment base which is detachable, offering the standard Recaro mounting pattern. And the seats with mechanical adjustments which has a welded base at the bottom and doesn't have the Recaro standard mounting points.

[SlickDizzy]

I actually put Helios seats in my car and they went in with little incident. Turned out my assessment of the needed hardware was incorrect (mine had a 6x8mm mounting scheme) and had to shave the seat adjustment trim a little bit, along with very slightly modifying the passenger side seat track (likely because I have a Euro car with a non-tilting passenger slider), but otherwise mine went right together as expected.

[Lee]

Ended up having to use the e21 adapters for my recaro helios seats.

I am puzzled. If you've been using successfully some e21 adapters, then those alu units should fit as they include the e21 pattern. Can you please explain what was wrong? I've been using successfully that same bolt pattern for 6 years for the e30 market. Anyway, I PM'd you the email addy of somebody interested by the adapters.

Lee

-- Added 14 Nov 2016 16:36 --

@ Desmond

More photos ?

[SlickDizzy]

@ Desmond

More photos ?

Soon! It's tough to get good lighting in my garage and my battery decided it was suddenly too cold to function anymore with our recent cold snap

Overall very happy though. Gained a considerable amount of headroom and am more comfortable to boot, plus they went together easily aside from the slight mods I had to make to the passenger side rails.

[SASI]

I am looking for Recaro seat adapter for stock rails e28

[Swaggery]

After going back over the original ad I believe this to be the problem.
"But please take note that some Recaro seats made specifically for a car manufacturer's base system might not work as it may have a different bolt pattern. Sometimes they may even have welded brackets on them"

They are recaro helios seats from a VW Gli
The six bolt pattern shown is very similar to mine but after closer inspection the bolt holes are reversed with 2 in the front and one in the rear 6 total as well as being m8. After trying every configuration of the brackets it either resulted with being too narrow to mount to the floor or the bracket would conflict with the adjustment. I believe the e21 adapter solves the issue by elevating it and bringing the mounting points inward. If the brackets are on correctly its too wide for the seat base, if they're on reversed conflicts with back and forward adjustment arm.

Use the E21 recaro adaptors and manual e28 bases and the seats bolt into the car without a problem.

If I'm just doing something incorrect someone please inform me.

[SlickDizzy]

Your mounting pattern sounds exactly the same as my Helios seats, which are also from a VW. I only used four of the six bolt holes on the adapters but they all lined up. The four M8 bolts should be perfectly adequate as that is what newer Recaros use. I was able to make it all work, but it took tweaking on the non-tilt passenger side. The driver's side should pose no real issues provided it is a tilt base, although IMO button-head screws are more suitable for clearance.

To anyone who has trouble, this is what I ran into and what I did:

-On the passenger side the bracket interfered with the adjustment with my Helios seats as you describe, so I bent the eyelet/tab that connects the inboard adjuster linkage to the outboard one, tweaked the linkage a bit, and it all went together fine and works as intended. I believe Lee may have made these on the assumption that the driver's/passenger's brackets are mirrored as they are on other BMWs, which is not the case on my Euro E28. The other alternative would be to either space the brackets upward to allow clearance for the adjustment linkage, OR find an RHD driver's seat base with tilt, which IS a mirror of the US-spec driver's seat tilt base, in which case everything should bolt together without incident.

-On the driver's side it went together with zero issues, although I had to loosely fasten the seat to the adapters and then fasten the adapters to the seat base, torquing it all down once everything was lined up. If the brackets were attached to the base first I did not have clearance to get the front seat screws in. I also went and purchased button-head screws for the front holes instead of cap-head as they allowed for extra clearance in this area.

So basically, I believe the reason the E21 adapters worked for Swaggery and Lee's did not are because the E21 adapters have a raised upper section with a channel to clear the passenger adjustment linkage, while Lee's adapters are flat and interfere with this linkage. Note that this only applies to NON-TILT bases. Tilt bases should go straight together and accept the adapters with no issues.

[Swaggery]

Glad someone else ran into the same issue this was driving me nuts. Ive only attempted the passenger seat so far after i ran into this issue. If i can still use Lee's brackets I'd rather not have to order the copy e21 adapters from turkey. I Pm'd you

[Lee]

Yeah. The adapters were designed for those tiltable bases.



Without resorting to bending anything, I suggest that perpaps some aluminum spacers can be used between the adapters and rail to clear that "hook". How much is needed? I don't know. Can anyone chime in?

Thanks

Lee

[SlickDizzy]

Something in the realm of 2-3cm seemed like it would have made the difference to me, but I'm unable to say now as my setup has since been modified! Maybe someone else can contribute.

Sometime this week I will pull my passenger seat out and take pics of what I did to the linkage to make it function so that everybody has that resource as well, in the event that you are unafraid to do a little work with a hammer and pair of pliers

[Boston7]

I can't believe I missed this GB. I've been trying for 2 years to get a set of these adapters for my Recaro LS's! Please let me know if there's enough demand for another GB. Thank you!