e36 m3 Vader Seat cushion/leather swap and side bolster mod!

[Chris]

I created this howto years ago, and figured I'd post it up here. Should be a nice improvement for some aging e36s.

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After 60k miles, I got fed up noticing the huge difference in wear between my driver and passenger vader. I knew the seat leather/cushions could be swapped, I just couldn't find any concise information on it. Here you go!



Tools and supplies:

3/8" Ratchet with torx sockets
Medium sized standard screwdriver
Vacuum cleaner (optional)
Simple Green wipes, or similar (optional)
Leather Cleaner and Conditioner - I used 3m with much success

Read through all of these before starting!



I did this project with the seats in the car. You will read in a little while why this may not have been the best idea. You may want to remove the seats first. If you do, disconnect your battery and wait 10 minutes to allow the SRS system to discharge. If you don't do this, your SRS light will come on, and the dealer needs to clear it (unless you have a nifty SRS reset light) You also risk airbags popping out. As I said before, I did this with the seats in the car, and I am happy.

1. Remove the headrest. You may need to angle it near the top to get it all the way out.

2. This is the hardest part. Pull reeealllly hard on the seat back lever. It will come out, I promise! I started with the passenger seat. Don't forget, there are two levers on the passenger's seat, and one on the driver's seat. Again, pull hard.



3. Remove the seat back lever surround. I used a standard screwdriver, and pried the bottom out first. There is a small opening on each side of the bottom that a standard screwdriver tip fits neatly into. I then pulled the top out gently. Use some cardboard to protect the top of the surround.



4. Take out your ratchet and t51 torx socket. there are 4 torx screws that you need to remove. Two are on the seat back, all the way in the bottom corners. Two are under the seat bottom, in the front corners (right below the thigh bolsters). Use the seat controls to give yourself the most possible room to work. You may need to feel around for the front two screws. Keep them in a safe place.



5. The seatback will now pull off. Mine had melded itself with the cushion, just pull gently around the edges.

6. You can now see how the leather attaches. You will need to pull all of these off. Just pull the edge of the leather away from the clasp.



7. Once you get them all off, you can maneuver the entire seat back cushion and leather off of the seat itself.





Is this some kind of m cloth inside my seat?

8. Now comes the part where it might have been a good idea to remove the seat. There are two fasteners near the hinge of the seat that hold the seat bottom on. I've read that these are similar to the "pushpin" type fasteners used on the front bumper lip and other locations, but I could not get them off. I ended up giving them a sharp yank, and they pulled out. I could not get them back in. This does not appear to pose a problem, but do this at your own risk.

9. The seat bottom will now pull up from the rear. Do this slowly, as you still have to remote 4 bolts that hold the extendable thigh support to the seat bottom. You need another Torx socket, I think a T21. After you remove these 4 bolts, the seat bottom will pull free. Take a moment to restock your change holder with your newfound slew of coins.



10. I Did this to both seats first. I then thoroughly vacuumed everywhere, wiped the seat frame down with simple green, and cleaned and conditioned the leather.

11. Now if you choose to do so, you can bend the side bolsters in for more support. I did this, and I am very pleased with the results. It takes a lot of effort to bend this metal, I put my full body weight into it. Do this gradually, and place the cushion back on the frame periodically to make sure you don't bend too far.

12. Once it is to your liking, line the seat cushion up correctly, make sure you pull the white padding over the headrest holes, and start reattaching the leather to the frame.

13. Now place the seat bottom on the frame, and reattach the 4 torx bolts. Then place the cushion on the frame, making sure to cover the bottom flap of the seat back.

14. Screw in the front torx screws to the seat bottom.

15. Place the seat back on the frame, lining up the seat back lever holes, and the headrest holes. Make sure no leather is sticking out

16. Screw the seat back screws back in. It can be a little tricky to line up, there is no easy way. Play around with it until you get it.

17. Pop the seat back lever surrounds in. Follow the marks to make sure you have the right surround, and that it is going the right way.

18. Pop the levers back in.

11. Enjoy newfound sense of accomplishment. Call a fellow e36 m3 enthusiast to complain that you're "stuck" in your vader. This mod put off my need for Recaros for at least a few months!

Edit - I ended up with SRDs years later anyway, but the vaders are still great!

[BaNzAi RaCeR-91]

Awsome write up! How long did this process take you? Also, what made you want to leave the seats bolted in prior to starting?

I'd like to do this as well, but I'm a bit timid in doing so. I also know the seats have some kind of locking mechanism that is triggerd by a cable attached to the bottom, which is why I'm unsure of removing the seats. What was the most difficult part with the swap process with the seats bolted in?

[Chris]

I didn't feel like dealing with potential SRS light issues after removing the seats...

I don't remember running into too many issues leaving the seats in the car. Overall it was a fairly straightforward mod.

Chris