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Re-Build Front Seats
- Thread starter rol607
- Start date
There are factory parts and instructions for seat repair, so WIS and EPC may be a good place to start.
Generally the horsehair pads get mushy and pushed down with age and use. It's also quite common for the seats to break a spring or two on the bottom side. Resist the temptation of the Benzworld-types to jury-rig it by stuffing a couple of pieces of pool noodle in there. Just get a new seat spring mechanism from MB if you find that a spring is broken. A good interior shop that is MB-knowledgeable can also help you out with options.
Some related info is here:
http://www.500eboard.com/forums/showthread.php?3253-Seat-heaters-needed
New "horsehair" pads, new wire spring frames, and new foam inserts should bring them back to new. At that point you may want to consider new leather as well. It's a LOT of work to disassemble & reassemble the seats, btw. I know someone who had the work done by a shop recently, they underquoted at like 2 hours, it ended up being 5 hours at a professional upholstery shop for two front seats. YMMV, etc.
http://www.500eboard.com/forums/showthread.php?3253-Seat-heaters-needed
New "horsehair" pads, new wire spring frames, and new foam inserts should bring them back to new. At that point you may want to consider new leather as well. It's a LOT of work to disassemble & reassemble the seats, btw. I know someone who had the work done by a shop recently, they underquoted at like 2 hours, it ended up being 5 hours at a professional upholstery shop for two front seats. YMMV, etc.
I've never done a 500e seat... but I've done W123 and W124 seats.
It's a good bit of work on a W124 seat. I should say last weekend- I did a new pad for my wife's 420e. NOTE, part number didn't change, but the pad construction did. Thickness is thinner and stiffer.. you had to cutout and re-use the old retaining wire. Lucky I had a full set of retainer clips which were black to replace the white ones which were too short w new pad. Probably needed to add foam layer to the edges so it would fit a little nicer. But it's smooth..and comfy.
There are a the side pads which give lateral restain. If you look on the floor under the seat- is there loose horsehair dust/crumbs? I can tell a difference.. as they get soft with age or big bottoms.
Michael
It's a good bit of work on a W124 seat. I should say last weekend- I did a new pad for my wife's 420e. NOTE, part number didn't change, but the pad construction did. Thickness is thinner and stiffer.. you had to cutout and re-use the old retaining wire. Lucky I had a full set of retainer clips which were black to replace the white ones which were too short w new pad. Probably needed to add foam layer to the edges so it would fit a little nicer. But it's smooth..and comfy.
There are a the side pads which give lateral restain. If you look on the floor under the seat- is there loose horsehair dust/crumbs? I can tell a difference.. as they get soft with age or big bottoms.
Michael
I re-built mine on the E420. Got new horsehair pad and the two foam inserts from Germany (cheaper than in Sweden) and did most of the work myself.
A very straightforward albeit a bit fiddly work. I left my leather and new horsehair pad to a professional upholstering business in town to get it perfectly done, then reassembled, came back like this:
Reassembled the seat, and boy what a difference. Unfortunately the springs are NLA as reported before, mine was not broken but they are probably a bit tired after 30k kms. But had to leave the old one in for now.
A proud seat, no longer sagging:
A very straightforward albeit a bit fiddly work. I left my leather and new horsehair pad to a professional upholstering business in town to get it perfectly done, then reassembled, came back like this:
Reassembled the seat, and boy what a difference. Unfortunately the springs are NLA as reported before, mine was not broken but they are probably a bit tired after 30k kms. But had to leave the old one in for now.
A proud seat, no longer sagging:
