Build your own seat extenders

Check out cycledrum's posts.. I believe he had a local welder make something for his extension.

PriusChat Forums - View Profile: cycledrum

 

I think there are two basic ways to extend the rearward travel of the Gen II Prius.

1. Weld on an extension of the seat rails as nyprius got a modifier of cars for the handicapped to do (nyprius used New England Wheels, Billerica, MA (about 20 miles NW of Boston) who extended both front seats for around $300).

Here's my post explaining and showing what New England Wheels did for nyprius:

2. Get pre-made seat rail extenders made by ExtendMySeat.com:

PriusChat Shop : Toyota Prius Drivers Seat Extension - ExtendMySeat [ExtendMySeat] - $195.00

Check out detailed reviews in this thread; and note that the original ExtendMySeat rail extenders had a design flaw which could lead to the extenders snapping; this supposedly was fixed with a redesign of the extenders in October 2009:

http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...view-extendmyseat-drivers-seat-extenders.html

Good luck.

 

www.extendmyseat.com , if holding up well would be much easier than fabbing, setting and welding braces and mounts on. These came out 2 months after doing my seat remount mod. Murphy's Law

That said, after being on the extender braces (I had fabbed) for over a year, they are holding up well ( I'm 180lbs).

I used a metal shop in Hayward, CA that was willing to fabricate 2 braces from 12 gage steel. They asked for $45 for fab and welding them all mounts to the seat/rails.

Should be TIG welded (what's used for nice stuff like bicycle frames), not MIG.

You might be able to use a slightly thicker steel, be careful seat will clear when sliding forward.

Each is 5" long, 1.5" wide.

To get the seat rail in the same plane as 'stock', there are 2 slight bends in each brace since the brace attaches under the seat rail, then lays over the mount foot.

So, at 1 3/4" there is a slight bend for 1 inch, then another bend such that the bottom of the front part of brace is flush with top of back part of brace. Gave shop basic mechanical drawing.

Each sliding click is about 5/8" and I found 4 extra clicks plenty, so 2.5" remount of seat plenty for me (the 1 3/4" + 1" = 2.75" allows moving rails 2.5" from stock).

Best to find a shop willing to TIG weld the braces onto the seat rails.

It's best to bolt the braces and mount feet onto the rails, and attach the rear mounts (I used some epoxy) in the exact place in the car. Once it's set, then they are welded all around. Or you could have it tack welded, recheck fit, fully weld.

Easier if welding is done with no upholstery on lower or any part of seat.

You will need to sand, paint and relube rails after welding.

BTW, the shop only wanted $45 for making the braces and welding. I gave them $80.

Some shops will not do this work for liability reasons. I found one I like. Of course, there was no papertrail for this job, and I'm fine with that.

Here's the relocation and weld on the rear mounts -







Maybe an easier way (like waiting to buy a 3rd Gen Prius which is still better than where mine's at now) but that's what I did. No telescopic wheel means no matching 3rd Gen Prius.

Looking for good pic of front braces ...

 

Closest pic of front brace.





May find your screw tire jack to come in very handy for setting, installing and removing the seat once the left rear bolt is permanently sandwiched between rail and mount.

Will need a 14mm flat wrench too ... see post #10 here

http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...153-drivers-seat-remount-home-2-5-8-back.html

extendmyseat brackets, if holding up well would be an easier way to go. They came out a month or two after the mod above. My first mod was to slide seat back further. Still couldn't see well, but reused the braces when building height adjustable seat.

Good luck.

 

I think it would take sophisticated equipment and knowledge to properly engineer a set of extension brackets - Pro E tools, AutoCad, something like that. Having them fabbed might cost quite a bit with setup costs.

I think $200 is reasonable for the extendmyseats, if they are sturdy.

 

It's a good thing that the people that designed everything before the 1980s didn't know that.

 

Ok alright, there's tape measure, calipers, pen and paper too.

 

Ah .. 67_tele ... where'd you go?