Attaching the pad to the pan?

[twistekeys]

So I'm trying to pull together this project. But I can't figure out how to get the seat pad to attach to the actual steel pan? If that isn't bad enough, I don't even know how to make the seat pad...

Any videos or threads on this?? I have the materials, just not the basic know how.

 

[Hoosier Daddy]

Honestly, have you tried here? http://www.dotheton.com/forum/index.php?action=search so many hundreds of seat builds it's staggering.

Is your pad foamed and covered all ready? I have seen anything from flathead bolts from undeneath, pop rivets, to velcro.
If it's not covered yet, I have used these "T" nuts from the back side.... available at the local hardware store.

If it's already covered, ever seen these? you can cut a keyhole shaped slot adjasent to a bolt hole on the under side of the pad and slide it in

"Rivnuts" are made here in one of our local factories, but it takes a special installer similar to a pop rivet gun.

 

[cqyqte]

Without seeing pictures of the seat pan it is difficult to visualize your problem. If the seat pan is attached to the frame then cut a wooden pan slightly smaller than the seat pan from mahoganny underlay insert a couple of tee nuts into the wooden pan and cover it with a wrap of fiberglass. This will waterproof and prevent rot, acquire foam from whatever source you like and using latex contact cement glue the foam to the glassed wooden pan. Shape the foam using a grinder and a flap wheel until the desired shape is achieved. Get yourself some thin foam sheet (1/8 - 1/4" thick) to lay over your shaped foam form and take your cover material (leather, leatherette or suede whatever) and using a pin stapler attach the cove material to the underside of your wooden pan then stretch it tightly over the foam and tack the cover to the underside.

Cut some more cover material to the shape of the bottom of your wood pan and using latex contact cement glue this cover over the stapleside to hide the staples and the tucked material. Now you can find the teenuts through this covered underside and drill holes through your metal seat pan in the appropriate spots and bolt the foam/wood pan to the metal pan from below, and ride your ass off!!!

 

[speedfourjoe]

Here is another way to do it. Cut some scrap sheet metal and drill holes for bolts. The smaller holes are for aluminum pop rivets to secure these brackets to the pan. The bolt heads then are tack welded in place (so they don't spin when tightening or loosening the nuts), and then a quick coat of paint on the brackets.


The brackets in place in the aluminum pan. Not shown here, but next is drill holes around the edge of the pan for aluminum pop rivets to attach the upholstery.


The seat foam being shaped here. I use a hot glue gun to attach it to the pan since it sets in a few seconds, and can be removed without much trouble if you need to take it back off for some reason. The foam is closed cell floor padding tiles, which come in a pack big enough for a couple small seats for about $8. I got the foam at Menards, same as the aluminum for the pan. After first doing a rough cut an angle grinder with a flapper wheel makes shaping the foam very easy, but you need to use a very light touch as it removes the material almost instantly. To protect the upholstery it is a good idea to use an edging around the pan, which can either be bought at an auto parts store, or cut some small diameter tubing down lengthwise to use as edging.


Painted and upholstered. I had the upholstery done at a shop.


The front three pan mounting bolts also attach the seat base to the frame. The bolts just need to be slug, not very tight, so nylon lock nuts or blue loctite work good.

 

[Scruffy]

Carpet tape. My seat pan is off an exercise machine, so is the softer foam layer. 2 layers of blue camping pad, then the soft foam, then a fiber overlay. Cover is vinyl, stitched to the factory rubber seat cover, with welting along the seam where I split the cover to add more foam. Worked fine as was, but decided to add some stitched ribbing on the seat and while it was open added an extra 3/4" of hard ensolite.

Foam is carpet taped to the steel pan and each layer is taped to each other layer. The cover and related mess is held to the pan with boat trailer wiring harness clips. Came that way, worked, reusing them.

Seat assembly secured via the pan's factory carriage bolts and some tabs added to the frame of the bike.

Seat off the exercise machine was just tossed on for shits and giggles, a minute after this photo was snapped I found it it fits the mc frame like it had been tailor made for it...... I should have been taking photos as I went, but, oh well...

 

[SONICJK]

Here is another way to do it. Cut some scrap sheet metal and drill holes for bolts. The smaller holes are for aluminum pop rivets to secure these brackets to the pan. The bolt heads then are tack welded in place (so they don't spin when tightening or loosening the nuts), and then a quick coat of paint on the brackets.


The brackets in place in the aluminum pan. Not shown here, but next is drill holes around the edge of the pan for aluminum pop rivets to attach the upholstery.


The seat foam being shaped here. I use a hot glue gun to attach it to the pan since it sets in a few seconds, and can be removed without much trouble if you need to take it back off for some reason. The foam is closed cell floor padding tiles, which come in a pack big enough for a couple small seats for about $8. I got the foam at Menards, same as the aluminum for the pan. After first doing a rough cut an angle grinder with a flapper wheel makes shaping the foam very easy, but you need to use a very light touch as it removes the material almost instantly. To protect the upholstery it is a good idea to use an edging around the pan, which can either be bought at an auto parts store, or cut some small diameter tubing down lengthwise to use as edging.


Painted and upholstered. I had the upholstery done at a shop.


The front three pan mounting bolts also attach the seat base to the frame. The bolts just need to be slug, not very tight, so nylon lock nuts or blue loctite work good.

This is how I usually do it. Although I made my last seat pan from sheet steel, so I just welded the nuts directly to that and Ill use nylock wing nuts to hold it on so its easy to remove.

 

[Yamaki]

I'm using an aluminium seat pan where i just drilled two 6mm holes. Then im going to put bolts through that and use lock nuts on the bottom of the pan.
Bolts goes through two holes in the frame and will be held on by 2 6mm lock nuts. I used fuel line for the edge.

This method requires that you have clearance for the nut protruding from the bottom of the seat pan.

Pic is without bolts mounted.

Can take more pics tomorrow to show you what i mean if this post doesnt make any sense.

 

[twistekeys]

Thanks for the replies guys, it helps. But I may come back to this when I get to that point, doesn't make much sense right now.

 

[teddpage]

If its just the seat foam to the seat pan, then use velcro. Light weight and easily removable

Sent from my GT-P5113 using Tapatalk 2

 

[twistekeys]

If its just the seat foam to the seat pan, then use velcro. Light weight and easily removable

Sent from my GT-P5113 using Tapatalk 2

Actually I was just about to post and say that's probably what I'll do lol... I'm a cheapass.

 

[o1marc]

Good velcro takes 80psi to pull apart so it isn't going anywhere on its own. I use a 2" wide strip of it to hold my pad down. The upholsterer got all fancy on mine and made a bend metal "clip" the slides up into the opening at the back and rivited the velcro to the pan. All that was unnecessary because the sticky side of the velcro is stronger than the 80psi needed to pull it apart and I had planned on putting velcro around the opening to hold the back anyways. I will remove the clip he made.