found this interesting bit of information that I thought I'd share........................
Wanna fit some aftermarket seats in your ride? Read this first…
Fitting aftermarket seats is an easy way to upgrade the look of your car’s interior while giving you some extra support for performance driving. There are two basic routes you can go with seats: either fixed-back race seats (ones that have no reclining function), which are more suited for competition use; or recliners, which are generally sports-styled seats suitable for road cars. There are plenty of options out there but as with anything, all seats are not created equal.
Over the past couple of years there has been an influx of cheap seats on the market; generally speaking you’re going to get what you pay for. Do your homework and find out about the seats you intend to buy before you hand your hard-earned wedge over. Where are they made? What sort of warranty do they come with? Have they been built to any quality standards? What materials are they manufactured from? Are they the real deal and not a nasty knock-off? These are all important questions.
One of the biggest problems most people face with aftermarket seats is fitting them, and the price of building custom brackets to meet LTNZ standards can end up costing more than the seats themselves. That said, many of the bigger aftermarket seat manufacturers out there include a line of bolt-in brackets made for specific models, and that makes the job a whole lot easier. In that case you simply remove your standard runners and bolt in replacement ones with your new seat on top.
From a legal perspective, fitting aftermarket seats in your car is relatively straightforward. However, there is a correct way of going about things. Here are some answers to frequently asked questions.
Do I need a cert if I replace my front seats with racing buckets?
Technically speaking, no. As long as the seats and the way they are mounted meet the following standards they will not require LVV certification:
– the seat is either an OE (original equipment — that is, factory) seat from another vehicle, or of a known and reputable aftermarket brand; and
– the seat is fitted to unmodified OE seat anchorages; and
– the anchorage or operation of seatbelts is not affected; and
– the relationship between seat, seat occupant and location of the seatbelt anchorages is not affected; and
– the vehicle is not fitted with airbags in that seating position.
If they don’t meet all of these standards, however, the vehicle will require LVV certification.
Can I fit two fixed-back bucket seats in my two-door car, or does one of the seats need to be able to be tilted forward so that back seat passengers can get out?
A vehicle that has a permanent or fixed roof structure and more than one row of seats must incorporate a ready means of entry and exit by the most direct path practicable for all rear-seat passengers. This means that there must be either:
– one or more doors adjacent to each row of seating; or
– an aisle space of a width of not less than 300mm from each row of seating to one or more doors; or
– one or more seats within each row of seating, other than the rear-most seating row, that folds or tilts forward.
Simply put, back seat passengers need to be able to get out of the car easily. With two fixed-back bucket seats it’s going to be almost impossible, so the best options are to either fit one recliner or re-register the car as a two-seater. In the latter instance you won’t legally be able to carry any backseat passengers.
Can I mount my seats lower than the factory seats were?
The seats can only be mounted lower if, when mounted, the positions of the seatbelt anchorages still fall within the permitted area as stated in the LVV Seatbelt Anchorages Standard 175-00(01); and if the vehicle is fitted with an airbag then it has to meet the following requirements from the LVV Seat and Seat Anchorage Standard 185-00:
– A low-volume vehicle that was provided by the vehicle manufacturer with airbags must maintain the same relative position between the top of the seat cushion of the original seat, and the top of the seat cushion of the retro-fitted seat.
If I modify the standard rails with aftermarket rails to fit a seat, do they need to be modified to any standard or can I just weld away? If I modify rails do I then need a cert?
This is a tricky one to answer because there are many variables. Modifications or the construction of seat rails do require LVV Certification and the rails will need to be constructed to meet the relative loading requirements for the particular type of seat being fitted. If you’re planning to have your seat rails modified it definitely pays to talk to an LVV certifier before you start. The loading requirements are stated in the LVV Standard Seats and Seat Anchorage 185-00 Section 2.
(source: LVVTA)