How to : Upholster Your Seats Vinyl
Heres quick tutorial i am making on how to upholstery seats. As i am typing this tutorial as i go, it may not be in full detail ASAP but i will post as i move along. Any questions feel free to post here, and or PM myself or Zobgel
Tips:
1. Use two tools at once to crimp the new hog ties quickly. Needle Noes Pliers and Pliers
2.Constantly stretch the new fabric to be sure its a tight fit.
3. Use a Permanent marker to draw a line where the origional crimps were located so you are sure that you A: Use enough and B: the material is tight
4. Becarefull, i slipped when using the needle nose plyers and it decided to go through one of my fingers, OUCH :-p
5. Armoral the New seats for safety from scratches, dirt ect.
6. Last and most important TAKE YOUR TIME!
Tools:
You will also need a ratchet with a 12mm and 14mm socket
Diagonal Cutters
12mm and 14mm Socket
Plyers
Needle Nose Pliars
100(ish) Hog Rings (those little half oval metal hooks that you will crimp)
http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/7315/dscn0188j.jpg
First Step: Removing the Seat
Under the bottom of the seat there are two tabs, on of each side, simply pull them and the bottom will come out. For the back of the seat, there are 4 12mm bolts where the bottom seat was, you will see them lined up with prongs. Use your ratchet to take them out. Pull the backseat out, do not yank on the seat belts as you do this.
Now your Seat is Out:
http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/6002/dscn0180.jpg
Second Step: Uncrimping
The small metal rings pictured above are used to pull the "leather" close to the seat by hooking onto various steel and wooden bars. They are located throughout the seat and you must take EVERY one out in order to pull change your material. To uncrimp use your pliers to break the crimp. DO NOT BREAK THE WOOD BARS IT IS VERRRYYY EASY TO
OEM Hog Rings (i think Zobgel called them that? lol):
http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/8338/dscn0181.jpg
Wooden Bars:
http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/5446/dscn0186.jpg
When taking off the center area of the back seat, there is the trunk lock mechanism, simply pull around the edges of it and it will come off with ease. On the bottom the seat there is a metal bar that allows the seat to fold down, this bar is holding the material on so it cant be pulled. Turn the plastic piece and pull it off, the seat will now slide off of the bar and you dont need to cut the material to get it off. If you arn't planning on selling the upholstery you can cut it, which i dont recommend.
http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/3946/dscn0184m.jpg
Third Step: Attaching Material to your Naked Seat
Once you have taken all the old material off, whether its leather or cloth seats, simply slide the new material over and pull on the corners to be sure its tight. I started with the small pull down section of my back seat. In the old material there are metal rods that feed through that help the material stay tight in the mid section. Pull those out and feed through them through your new seats in the same section. Not all of the rods will be used.
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/4899/12181806.jpg
Middle Section of the seat to pull it to the foam and make it a snug fit
Now feed the Hog ties through the Material where you put the metal rod in. make sure the hog ties are above the rod because that needs to be crimped tightly to the seat. Use the Needle Nose pliers to pull the tie under the wooden bar and crimp securing it tightly. Use 3-4 hog ties in the same spots where the OEM seats were held.
http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/3184/dscn0189d.jpg
continue for the rest of the seat.
TO BE CONTINUED
~Gabe
