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MG MGF Technical - Lowering seats

Sometimes I feel that if I could lower the seats in my F I would get a more confortable driving position. Do any of you people know if there is any easy way to get the job done?
Mike
JM Vega-P.

Mike, I am quite tall and to drop my seat in my race car so that I would be the required 50mm under the roll cage, I removed the seat riser which is welded in position to the floor and upon which the seat runners were mounted. This dropped me around 55mm. It was quite a lot of work however and some structural modifications had to be made to ensure that it did not lose structural integrity. It was done on the MG Cup Cars and is detailed in the preparation manual for those cars.

David
d mottram

Mike

There is a lowering kit available for the F - new springs for underneath. I suspect the difference is not huge but could make a difference.

Or, have you tried a TF yet? The seats are a slightly different shape and are a bit lower (probably thinner really). I changed from an F to a TF and found it a bit more comforatable.

I'm not suggesting you change the car but you may be able to source some TF seats?
JohnP

Mike

The only other way is to change the springs around the edge of the seat squab for a softer set. This will allow the squab to settle about an 2cm lower under your weight. I can't remember who sold the springs but lots on this mod in the archive.

Chris
Christopher Marshall

Browns and Gammons do the sets that Chris is talking about.
I bought some a few years back, but never fitted them because I read on the archive that this stretches the base of the seat over time and looks saggy.

Neil H

hi,
I too found the "f" a bit short in leg room and bought a set of "newton" seat lowering springs for my car.
I was very sceptical when they arrived,as all they were was 4 short springs for Ģ13.00!!
I fitted them and was amazed at the extra legroom!!.
I only did the drivers seat so I have a spare set if your interested?(e-mail me)
bob.
e.r. hobbs

hi
doh!!! just seen your in south america!!!!
try mgcar club or mgowners club.
bob
e.r. hobbs

I have also fitted the Newton Commercial kit and it does make a definite difference to legroom around the steering wheel and headroom. However after 30,000mls with the kit in place the leather is looking a little wrinkled around the seams on the seat base.
Mike

Seat lowering springs are a Newton Commercial product, and are sold directly from them, and also through Brown and Gammons.

They replace the 4 wire clips that support the webbing frame the seat base foam sits on, allowing the base to sag a bit when the seat is sat on. Note, the original design has no springs at all, only rigid wire clips.

Over time, because the seat fabric isn't designed to cope with the extra sag, you can get some stretch marks in the fabric. The other concern is that if you are quite heavy, then the seat will sag further, and this can foul the seatbelt pretensioner wire.

SF
Scarlet Fever

Thanks indeed. At 1,85 my head is very near the hood and the upper part of the windscreen frame slightly interferes my vision. Any other possibility which would not involve modifying the structural integrity?. Possible to change the wire clips for longer ones perhaps?. Mike.
JM Vega-P.

Jim I am also 1.85 (six feet one inch) and have no problems as long as I adopt a 'long driving position' - mind you as the *F* is now almost nine years old the seats are sagging a little.

Ted
Ted Newman

Mike

Maybe, after the XMAS break, I could get a lowering kit from B&G and post it over to you? In exchange, you could buy me a drink if I'm ever in your part of the world.

Let me know what yoy think

John
JohnP

JohnP, grateful indeed. May you visit us all the drinks will be on me of course!
Mike
JM Vega-P.

>changing the wire clips for longer ones>
May be a good idea. I have not actually seen the mentioned wire clips that support the seat frame, but if replacement for longer ones -letīs say one inch longer- is possible, a difference might be perceptible.
Brian Bond

There is currently a set on Ebay

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=30172&item=7944620053&rd=1

Chris Catchpole

This thread was discussed between 19/12/2004 and 30/12/2004

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