Seats

[Brent Howard]

How do teams normally make their seat or do they purchase it? We are looking at some ideas for our 2004 seat right now, but I'd like to see what other teams do as well. In the past we have always made our own seat, however comfort has been a factor. Looking at purchased seats the only ones that appear even close to our ideal weight are go kart ones, the real ones are in excess of 12-20 lbs.

Brent

www.ucalgary.ca/fsae (http://www.ucalgary.ca/fsae)

[Brent Howard]

How do teams normally make their seat or do they purchase it? We are looking at some ideas for our 2004 seat right now, but I'd like to see what other teams do as well. In the past we have always made our own seat, however comfort has been a factor. Looking at purchased seats the only ones that appear even close to our ideal weight are go kart ones, the real ones are in excess of 12-20 lbs.

Brent

www.ucalgary.ca/fsae (http://www.ucalgary.ca/fsae)

[Akos]

Probably the best and cheapest way to make a seat is get yourself some 2 part foam. Most race shops sell the stuff, but you can normally get it cheaper from your local boating supply.

We normally made the seat in two parts (bottom and back half). You just mix the resin, pour it in a garbage bag and have one of the guys sit in. The ass used for the mold is very important since it will have to fit everybody, somebody tall and not too skinny works the best.

Clean up the bottom half of the seat before pouring the top. Pour the top half with the bottom in place.

Make sure the liquid gets into all the areas, othewise you'll end up with large voids that will have to be filled.

Tapeing the garbage bag before pouring to the tub will keep it from getting large folds in it (these will make the seat very weak). Also try to angle the car so the resin won't run all the way to one end of the bag.

After all the pieces cure take the bag off it (the foam doesn't bond the the normal black garbage gas, but will stick to anything else especially clothes), and cut out the holes for the seat belts.

If you want the seat to last it helps to lay up a single layer of fiberglass over the seat.

Car headliner material works great for covering the seat. This stuff has a thin layer of foam on the back so it will also cover most imperfections in the foam/fiberglass and give some padding for the driver.

Pay carefull attention to upper body and leg support. If its a good seat you should be able to drive the car without any seat belts and not move in ANY direction.

It helps to have a monocoque tub or a stressed AL skin rivited to the inside of a space frame. This will keep the seat fixed in place so you won't have to mount it down at all.

Cheers

Akos,

P.S. I have tried go-cart seats before. I found they are normally too wide, and sit the driver way too upright. This normally means you would have to design your car around it.

[Scott Wordley]

Make your own.

A good carbon seat will fit perfectly have cut outs for the belts and weight 1kg or less.

Regards,

Scott Wordley

http://www-personal.monash.edu.au/~fsae

[Big Daddy]

I will send you a pic of what I'm using as soon as our damn email gets back up. Don't you hate those uni emails they just seem to go out all the time especially when you would like to use them. http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif

"A woman is a lot like a beer, they look good, smell good, and you would run over your own mother to get one." Homer Simpson

Nobody is born with a steering wheel or a gear shift in his hand. It's something you choose to do or you don't.
Mario Andretti (1977)

[Brent Howard]

I was leaning towards making it too, just wanted to know what other people did. Ours last year was much too heavy but what can you expect from something we started 3 days before we left for Detroit??

Brent

www.ucalgary.ca/fsae (http://www.ucalgary.ca/fsae)

[Dave Riley]

Last year we used two part foam to make a one piece seat - and made one for each driver. Was able to change them within the three minute window quite comfortably - and they were really supportive given that each individual driver had their own.

This year we were going to do the same but found a small foam bottom section and a bit of rubber padding behind the drivers back (on the carbon chassis) works OK.

Cheers,
Dave

www.motorsport.uwa.edu.au (http://www.motorsport.uwa.edu.au)