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MG MG Y Type - front seat angles

i have just offered my front seats in the car,and surprised at the angle of the back rests. I have had both seats apart for upholstery and refitted loose rivets that connected the backrests to the frames.All rivets were put in the original holes and both seats have the same rake. They look, and feel, to me to be leaning too far to the rear. A measurement taken vertically from the floor to the highest point of the backrest is 24" or 610mm. Any comparison would be appreciated. Thanks
mike burden

Mike

It may help initially to have a look at the drawings that were made on the back of the sales brochure for distances etc. Another copy of this can be found on the <Reprinted Articles> page under <Reprints and Collectibles> at www.mgytypes.org (second file - Autocar 9 May 1947). This measurement I beleive will be either fully back, or half way. You will be able to gauge this when you have 7 inches between the back seat squab front and the back of the seat in a horizontal line. At that time, the distance from the bottom of the steering wheel to the middle of the back seat is 15 inches. You can also see the rake of the seat in this picture too.

I will also measure the hight as you have later when I go out to the workshop and report back to you too.

Regards

Paul
Paul Barrow

Did you keep the parts seperated? The left and right seats are not symetrical. Maybe if you managed to fit the left backrest to the right(=wrong) underframe the rake would be altered?
Willem van der Veer

On my way to a UCONN B-ball game, but will check in the AM. I have a YB, but I assume (a dangerous thing to do) that both are the same.

Did the screws arrive Paul?

Go Huskies

Safety Fast

Paul
Paul

Mike

Seat measurement on my YA is 675mm, measured vertically from floor to top edge of seatback. The angle between the rear of the seatback and the floor is approx. 75 degrees. Both seats are identical.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Bill
Bill Bennett

Mike

Apologies - I failed miserably to record the info, but Bill is right (and YB seats are the same so no worries Paul - that was a safe one). Hopefully this will give you the info you need (675mm = 26.6 inches). If you need more - please add to the thread.

Paul
Paul Barrow

Thank you all for your feedback,it's very helpfull. It seems for some strange reason that my seat back rake is totally wrong, i am at a loss to see how though. I shall take the seats apart again at the weekend and modify to suit above measurements. It will mean taking out the large rivets , tilting the backrest to correct position, refit the rivets, remove excess backrest steel at the sides and refit upholstery, sounds easy doesn't it? I will let you know how I get on, thanks again, Mike
mike burden

Mike

Send me a picture of the seat before you take it apart in the next few days and I will see if there is another reason why this is.

Paul
Paul Barrow

My seats lean to the outside which I have been told is proper, but it's annoying! Some day I plan to "fix" this "feature" of the car.
Steve Simmons

Steve

I am not sure why they do - mine are straight (least I havent noticed a lean). What about you others?

One thing you could do is swap the passenger seat and driver seat (you may need to move the seat adjuster over so that it is on the outside rail of the seat) then you can lean onto your passenger - COSY!!

Paul
Paul Barrow

Paul-

Have always said, "You can't ride in an MG, with someone you don't like."

Paul
Paul

My seats were switched left and right when I bought the car. Because of the switch the tops of the seatbacks were rubbing, and when I switched them back there was the normal clearance you see in pictures of other cars.

That why I say the seats are handed and NOT symetrical. So yes Steve, that means the seats lean outward, which I don't think will be easy to fix?.

Maybe others can try switching the seats this weekend just to make sure this is normal?
Willem van der Veer

For some time I've been meaning to take out the seats to attend to a minor problem with the handbrake lever, but hadn't got round to it. However, the 'asymmetric seat puzzle' has motivated me to get on and do it.

It's difficult to see with the seats in the car, but with them side by side on the garage floor it seems that Willem is right - the backrests do lean outwards slightly.

The Y Type interior is rather narrow, and the sideways positioning of the seat bases between the transmission tunnel and the doors is more or less fixed. With no outward lean on the backrests, passengers would have been rubbing shoulders, so my guess is MG put in the lean deliberately to give the illusion of more interior space.

Handbrake problem now fixed, but does anyone need any more seat info, before I put them back?

Cheers ,

Bill.
Bill Bennett

Thanks Bill - very informative and interesting!

Paul
Paul Barrow

I know its drastic but I have taken the seats apart and removed 22mm from the extreme ends of lower backrests, refitted the upholstery, and all now matches suggested measurement of 675 at vertical. Looks much better and feels correct, well worth the days labour. Thank you all for your help, not too much more to do now to get it back on the road after 33 years. Mike
mike burden

This thread was discussed between 01/11/2005 and 05/11/2005

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