Torfab BMW bracket issue...any advice?

[Stoshu]

Hey guys,

I recently got a set of Torfab's BMW seat brackets for my 7/1986 FJ60. The driver's seat install went smooth as butter, the passenger's side....not so good.

The issue I'm having is with clearance of the rear bracket and the factory rear heater unit. I've placed the bracket near the mounting holes and there is no way possible that it's going to bolt up with the heater there. I've searched every thread I could find on these brackets, including Tor's original one here:
https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/fj60-62-bmw-seat-brackets.767560/#post-8769820

I can find no reference to the rear heater needing to be removed or relocated, and there is no information on his website in this regard either. Instructions don't mention it either.

Anyone out there that has installed these run into the same issue? Sorry for no pics, I was in a hurry when I left the shop and forgot to snap a few.

Thanks,
Stosh

 

[Major Nelson]

I had installed mine after doing the rear heater...but as i recall I didn't think there would be any way for it (the heater) with the brackets installed. Figured my kids don't need heat anyway - they need to toughen up.

 

[Stoshu]

I hear you on that Major. I have no objection to doing a heaterectomy, just didn't want to go through with it if it isn't needed. I'm stumped that this isn't mentioned anywhere at all. I figured Tor would have a blurb about it somewhere on the website or in the instructions. Seems like it would be good information to have before embarking on the job...IMHO.

 

[lcwizard]

Figured my kids don't need heat anyway - they need to toughen up.

Hilarious!...... You know you can also roll down the rear windows and then remove the cranks.............

 

[Elbert]

I was either told (by email) or it has the info on his order page....the rear heater has to go. I got the brackets but have not yet purchased some seats.

 

[Stoshu]

Thanks Elbert. This was my suspicion, but I don't recall seeing it anywhere. At any rate, it looks like the heater is on it's way out today. Now I need to figure out where to get a patch for the big hole in the carpeting!

Thanks.

 

[torfab]

Sorry that it wasn't clear, but as you found the rear heater needs to be yanked. We get FJ62 heaters sometimes and put them under the center console if you have to have it. The seats get pushed as low as possible so our tall friends can be comfortable.

 

[Stoshu]

Sorry that it wasn't clear, but as you found the rear heater needs to be yanked. We get FJ62 heaters sometimes and put them under the center console if you have to have it. The seats get pushed as low as possible so our tall friends can be comfortable.

Thanks for the confirmation Tor. I figured that was going to be the case after setting the seat in there without the rear bracket. I'm in the process of pulling the rear heater out now and installing the passenger side. These brackets are beautiful and bolt right up with absolutely no hassle (sans the heater problem). High quality and very professional looking. Everything looks as it would from the factory when bolted up. I'll post up some pics when completed.

 

[Stoshu]

As promised, here are a few pictures of the installed seats. The brackets fit like they were a factory part. If anyone has any questions, feel free to PM me.

 

[Elbert]

uh oh..I got to get off my @$$...now that you posted this... specific details on the seats.... what year and model of BMW did those come from?
I read somewhere that there is a BMW salvage yard north of Atlanta...or that this place handles a lot of used BMW parts...etc.

My old factory seats have to go...and I've got to move on getting the new seats installed.

Assume you bolted the brackets to the seats first and then installed into the truck or did you install the brackets first to the truck and then the seats to them.. (I've not done anything on this at all yet).

**Edited the logic flow**

 

[Stoshu]

Elbert,

Seats are out of a 2003 325i sedan. They are a very rare color brown, I think it is called Naturbraun it is BMW interior color code N6NG. Wasn't fond of the color match of the BMW black, gray, or even the light tan seats in my rig. I could only find one set of these within 300 miles of me, but felt it was the nicest match for the brown factory interior so I traveled to get them.

I actually bolted the brackets to the floor first, and kept the bolts loose, then positioned the seat on them, hand tightened the hardware and then tightened the brackets to the floor. Then I hooked up the wiring harness and moved the seat forward and aft to tighten the seat frame bolts to the frame. Used M10 10.9 hardness hardware for the seat frame to bracket mounts.

Hope this helps you out. I could not be happier with the look and fit. I'm currently waiting for an aftermarket seat heater kit to hook up the BMW seat heaters. Really only need the harness, relay and switches from the kit. I don't plan on utilizing the heating elements in the kit. Will post up some install pictures of that when it comes in too.

 

[Dynosoar]

How is the seating position? Specifically does it feel like you sit (higher or lower) than the stock seat? By how much (in inches(?

Thanks

Dyno

 

[Major Nelson]

with the BMW seats you have a huge range on the height of the seat.....If I put it all the way down it's almost too low for my liking (I'm 6'1")....these brackets are killer. If you can't get comfortable after installing these things you probably need to go see a Dr. - there's probably something wrong.

The difference with these is amazing. One of the best upgrades you can do.

 

[Stoshu]

I agree with @Major Nelson, the improvement over the stock seats is truly amazing.

That being said...seating is a very subjective matter. I have not yet spent a long road trip in these, but can tell you that I really enjoy the BMW seating platform. My wife had a 5 series that I absolutely loved to spend time in. Lots of guys also tout the Volvo seats on this forum, but personally, I'm not a fan (wife currently has an XC90 R-Design). They seem a bit too confining for my liking and appear very bulky when installed in the 60's. The thing I like about the non-sport 3 series sedan seats is that they are fairly flat and don't have really obtrusive side bolsters (unlike the M3's). I've never been a big fan of heavily bolstered race car type seats in street vehicles because they're just not practical for everyday use IMHO.

Dyno - to answer your question about height, I'd say that in the lowest seat position the BMW / Torfab bracketed seat is about 1.5" - 2" higher than the stockers. Now, the thing to consider is that my seats were 30 years old and clocked 145,000 miles worth of A$$ slides across them. So, considering most people looking at this swap will have roughly the same stock seating conditions, I'd say the guestimate would be fair. It is a very reasonable seating position and allows for lots of head room. I'm 6'1" with a fairly long torso and have no complaints about the room they provide. The added benefit is you gain probably 2" of leg room in the farthest position back with the new set up. I can barely reach the pedals when the seat is fully rearward. They also have a really decent range of motion and power recline as well.

Hope this helps out your decision. PM me if you have any specific questions or need specific pictures of any part of the set up.

 

[Dynosoar]

Thanks! Now I just need to find a pair of seats. Where did you find yours? All the ones on Craigslist and ebay look like s***!

What would be a fair price for a decent pair?

Dyno

 

[Stoshu]

I found several decent sets on Craigslist. One guy was parting out a few of the 3 series cars, that's where this set came from. Like I said, I traveled 3 hours to get them because of the color, otherwise I could have snagged a set in my back yard.

Price wise they seem to be pretty consistent. Most sets I saw were between $250 and $450 depending on condition, color and options. I paid $400 for this set, but they were by far the nicest set I have seen and came from a pristine low mileage wrecked car. I also got the guy to throw in the electrical pigtail from the chassis wiring that plugs into the seat bottom. This made it super easy to decipher the wiring and fab up a harness for the 60 that can be easily disconnected if I need to remove the seat...

 

[Major Nelson]

Thanks! Now I just need to find a pair of seats. Where did you find yours? All the ones on Craigslist and ebay look like ****!

What would be a fair price for a decent pair?

Dyno

Found mine on ebay....got them in SoCal (was down there picking up my FJ60....wife's family is down there, made it easy to justify the trip. I paid $300 for mine...fake leather and manual seats - but they were in incredible condition. Guy also had some leather electric ones for the same price, but they needed new covers.

If you're in LA you shouldn't have a problem finding some good ones...plenty of bad BMW drivers down there.

 

[Dynosoar]

Found mine on ebay....got them in SoCal (was down there picking up my FJ60....wife's family is down there, made it easy to justify the trip. I paid $300 for mine...fake leather and manual seats - but they were in incredible condition. Guy also had some leather electric ones for the same price, but they needed new covers.

If you're in LA you shouldn't have a problem finding some good ones...plenty of bad BMW drivers down there.

Indeed! There are a lot of crappy BMW drivers in LA.
Thanks

Dyno

 

[DFXR]

Dynosaur, you might want to double check with Torfab that these brackets work with an early cruiser like your 82. I'm pretty sure the floor mounts changed in late 85. My early 85 has bigger humps up front for the stock brackets to mount on, which means that these aftermarket brackets don't quite work. Too bad because they are a potentially great solution for not too much money.

I made some similar brackets myself and mounted some manual BMW seats. The raised humps mean that the new seats sit a little high, which is something to consider, but in the end not a big deal compared to the extra comfort. Even my low-end vinyl manual BMW seats ($150 on CL) are way more comfy than the 30 year old stock seats were.

And to the OP - those brown seats look awesome and probably feel even better. Defintely worth a drive.

 

[Stoshu]

Thanks @DFXR. They are a vast improvement over the stock ones. I'm still walking out to the garage every couple of hours to stare at them. Absolutely love the fit and color match. I'm actually going to pull the door panels and rear seat next. Taking them to an upholstery shop to have a color matched vinyl or leather sewn into where the ugly striped fabric is currently residing.

Dyno, DFXR is correct. These brackets will only work on May of 1986 or later 60 series trucks, for exactly the reason he mentioned.