98 v70 cloth seat split seam

Post by **98v70dad** » 26 Dec 2015, 09:49

My v70 has the seam split at the back seam on the seating surface. It's no big deal and it adds to the old car coolness, but I would sort of like to fix it. The seats are beige cloth.

So, my question is this. Is it worth it to try to fix these by either resewing the seam myself or getting them done by a pro? Taking the covers off looks fairly labor intensive based on some of the videos I watched. I am worried that I'll get these repaired and they will split again right away because the fabric may be slightly dry rotted.

Another thought: My back seat door lock actuator hasn't been working and I put off fixing it due to the trouble required to get to it and the fact that nobody uses the back seat much. Then IT HEALED ITSELF! It been working for months now. Maybe the seats will heal themselves...maybe.

Post by **cuhfs** » 26 Dec 2015, 11:27

Have a tailor or shoe maker sew in a backing piece behind fabric seem for extra strength.

Post by **dosbricks** » 26 Dec 2015, 13:15

The fabric is nylon and incredibly strong--far outwears leather as far as rips and tears. My wife's driver's seat also separated at a seam. She was on it early and is crafty enough to sew it so the stitches were hidden. That was quite a number of years ago and it is still holding.

My suggestion is to get someone who really knows how to sew, and fix it for the cost of the tread plus gratuity.

Post by **98v70dad** » 26 Dec 2015, 14:07

My plan was to remove the covers myself and then determine how hard it would be to sew myself. I have a good sewing machine but it's not heavy duty. I have had the seats out before and for me it was a giant chore because they are much heavier than you would guess and very difficult to lug around.

If the fabric holds up after the repair it would be worth the effort. I also thought of putting a reinforcing strip on the back side of the fabric at the repaired seam. The seat removal would have to be carefully coordinated in order to be able to keep driving the car without missing a day.

Post by **dosbricks** » 26 Dec 2015, 16:24

Sounds like you have a good plan. I've also had the seats out of both our cars--refurbishing the foam on the S70 and replacing the leather on the 850. It was an asset to have some help maneuvering the driver's side in and out because, as you point out, it weighs about 75 lbs.

If you are only removing the bottom cover then it's easier. If you are removing the back cover, peal it back on itself, and replace it in the opposite manner. Get a hog-ring kit at an upholstery supplier. They don't cost much and it will come with the special little pliers. That will speed things up because with a good set of side cutters you can just cut off the existing rings and replace them. It's not worth trying to spread the old ones and reuse them. You probably know it, but don't turn on the ignition while a seat is removed--it will set an SRS code.

dos

Post by **bmdubya1198** » 26 Dec 2015, 16:33

The seat covers aren't terribly hard to take off. Just be careful to remove the rings on the metal frame underneath the cover, you might tear up some foam with it.
If you do it yourself, I'd make sure to put some kind of reinforcement on the seam. I watched RobertDIY's video on how to re-sew the leather seat cover, and it didn't look too hard. Obviously, with the cloth, it would be a little easier.
I've taken out my driver's seat before, and it's definitely heavy. With the shape and size, it's very hard to go between doors trying to wiggle it out of the car. I think it was easier going back in, even though I scratched the rocker panel.