How to remove your seat back covers to repair the bolster
Posted: Sun May 29, 2016 10:20 am
How do I remove the Seat Back cover to Replace the Broken bolster foam?
Take the Seat out of the car, that is undo the rear seat rail and remove it by popping the clip and slid it to the rear to remove.
Scoot the seat forward and remove the Acorn nut.
Now push the seat out and remove it from the car.
Place it on a table or bench.
Remove the Side covers by pushing the pins (3) out then angle it up as it is hooked at the top edge.
Remove the Seat Adjust knob by unscrewing the phillips screw.
Now remove that side cover.
Remove the 2 clips that hold the Seat back to the Seat bottom one each side.
Fold the seat, and pry the side frames off the seat bottom pivot.
Separate the back from the bottom.
ry the 2 clips that hold the head rest. Start by looking for the side with the 2 wires, insert a flat blade and push to start the clips.
I Usually support the Seat off the Ground then force it down to “pop” the head rest off the car.
Bend the Fingers that hold the back and front together.
Lift the cover off the fingers for the front, and for the rear.
You will see that the Center folds up and out of the way
Remove the seat latch handle and cover plate, on the 90’s it is screwed at the bottom.
The Covers for the latches are different between the early 90’s and the 89 and before.
Physically the 89 will fit a 90, but a 90 will not fit the 89 with out modification.
Just to show the real differences between a 90 and a 89 frame.
90:
89:
On the front of the seat, the Side bolster covers are he’d in with Wires, and Hog rings.
Clip or remove the Hog rings, then Pry the steel rod out of the locking bar.
Now that the Front is Partially free the top of the front is held by another wire.
Now that the front cover and side bolster covers are loose you can remove or slide the cover some what.
Removing the Head Rest Buttons is a bit tricky.
You can barely see the fingers of the things at the Very top, there are 4 fingers that have to be released.
How I do it is to take a 13mm 1/4 in drive deep well socket on and extension and a spinner for hand support.
You place the socket on all 4 fingers edges it will catch all 4 you may have to work it to get all 4.
The Push Hard and the socket will collapse all the fingers equally and pop the head rest button off the frame.
You can now safely remove the cover off to get to the Bolster.
Repairing the Bolster is the same as the seat bottom.
see: http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.p ... lster-foam
If yours is really chewed then you can go to a junk yard and get a Passenger seat bolster foam.
I had a Spare set of good seat bolsters, so I chose to replace.
Again Cut a Length of foam about 6 inches wide, and Spray the inside of the bolster slot and the Foam. Wait about 3 minutes, and fold the foam in half and insert into the slot. Trim it to the contours.
While you have your frame Stripped bare.
Take time to repair and oil it.
Here the side wires are broken from the separation bar (ok it is foam).
What I have found is that Zip ties work great jut be sure to connect the zip ties then tighten them together to get the proper spacing.
Oil all the pivots for the cable release
Work oil in to the finger catches the Back Tilt bar I run it from the inside of the frame to the bar on both sides.
Before I attach the Front cover back I take a piece of foam about 15X14 inches and pad the wire
for the front cover. Place the cover back on, then Hog ring and reset the bars…. Now place the foam and tuck and hog ring it at the top and bottom.
Take the Seat out of the car, that is undo the rear seat rail and remove it by popping the clip and slid it to the rear to remove.
Scoot the seat forward and remove the Acorn nut.
Now push the seat out and remove it from the car.
Place it on a table or bench.
Remove the Side covers by pushing the pins (3) out then angle it up as it is hooked at the top edge.
Remove the Seat Adjust knob by unscrewing the phillips screw.
Now remove that side cover.
Remove the 2 clips that hold the Seat back to the Seat bottom one each side.
Fold the seat, and pry the side frames off the seat bottom pivot.
Separate the back from the bottom.
ry the 2 clips that hold the head rest. Start by looking for the side with the 2 wires, insert a flat blade and push to start the clips.
I Usually support the Seat off the Ground then force it down to “pop” the head rest off the car.
Bend the Fingers that hold the back and front together.
Lift the cover off the fingers for the front, and for the rear.
You will see that the Center folds up and out of the way
Remove the seat latch handle and cover plate, on the 90’s it is screwed at the bottom.
The Covers for the latches are different between the early 90’s and the 89 and before.
Physically the 89 will fit a 90, but a 90 will not fit the 89 with out modification.
Just to show the real differences between a 90 and a 89 frame.
90:
89:
On the front of the seat, the Side bolster covers are he’d in with Wires, and Hog rings.
Clip or remove the Hog rings, then Pry the steel rod out of the locking bar.
Now that the Front is Partially free the top of the front is held by another wire.
Now that the front cover and side bolster covers are loose you can remove or slide the cover some what.
Removing the Head Rest Buttons is a bit tricky.
You can barely see the fingers of the things at the Very top, there are 4 fingers that have to be released.
How I do it is to take a 13mm 1/4 in drive deep well socket on and extension and a spinner for hand support.
You place the socket on all 4 fingers edges it will catch all 4 you may have to work it to get all 4.
The Push Hard and the socket will collapse all the fingers equally and pop the head rest button off the frame.
You can now safely remove the cover off to get to the Bolster.
Repairing the Bolster is the same as the seat bottom.
see: http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.p ... lster-foam
If yours is really chewed then you can go to a junk yard and get a Passenger seat bolster foam.
I had a Spare set of good seat bolsters, so I chose to replace.
Again Cut a Length of foam about 6 inches wide, and Spray the inside of the bolster slot and the Foam. Wait about 3 minutes, and fold the foam in half and insert into the slot. Trim it to the contours.
While you have your frame Stripped bare.
Take time to repair and oil it.
Here the side wires are broken from the separation bar (ok it is foam).
What I have found is that Zip ties work great jut be sure to connect the zip ties then tighten them together to get the proper spacing.
Oil all the pivots for the cable release
Work oil in to the finger catches the Back Tilt bar I run it from the inside of the frame to the bar on both sides.
Before I attach the Front cover back I take a piece of foam about 15X14 inches and pad the wire
for the front cover. Place the cover back on, then Hog ring and reset the bars…. Now place the foam and tuck and hog ring it at the top and bottom.
