Sport seats rubbing against roll bar - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

Javi Cooper · 06-04-2022, 07:18 PM

I asked this question in the FB forums and got the most douchebag answers ever.
My car didn't come with sport seats originally. Since I added them, the seat backs have become pretty trashed from rubbing against the rollbar. It's pretty bad - it will take some filler before painting them to fix them right. I don't even drive with the seats all the way back (wish I could!)

I find it hard to believe that Porsche offered these pretty and expensive seats (some of them painted to match the exterior) that could be scratched to crap the day you drove the car off the lot. My guess is that maybe cars equipped with sport seats had a different roll bar design with more seat clearance? Or maybe they had some padding? Porsche doesn't simply add an option and calls it a day - they go out of their way to change parts around it to make it work and look good. Just look at the aerokit 1 rear spoiler.

Does anyone else with sport seats have this problem? I can't be the only one, but a quick search turns up nothing. TIA!

Starter986 · 06-05-2022, 05:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Javi Cooper

I asked this question in the FB forums and got the most douchebag answers ever.
My car didn't come with sport seats originally. Since I added them, the seat backs have become pretty trashed from rubbing against the rollbar. It's pretty bad - it will take some filler before painting them to fix them right. I don't even drive with the seats all the way back (wish I could!)

I find it hard to believe that Porsche offered these pretty expensive seats (some of them painted to match the exterior) that could be scratched to crap the day you drove the car off the lot. My guess is that maybe cars equipped with sport seats had a different roll bar design with more seat clearance? Or maybe they had some padding? Porsche doesn't simply add an option and calls it a day - they go out of their way to change parts around it to make it work and look good. Just look at the aerokit 1 rear spoiler.

Does anyone else with sport seats have this problem? I can't be the only one, but a quick search turns up nothing. TIA!

Yup. That's why I quit FB two years ago. Nothing but a bunch of douches. Haven't seen any douches upon this forum... but I bet there's a few.

paulofto · 06-05-2022, 05:59 AM

I have sports seats in my 03 S and have not had an issue with rubbing. I don’t think the roll bars are any different than other Boxster. My wife has her seat up quite high and all the way back. (She has air bag fears) while my seat is considerably lower and almost all the way back.

Stl-986 · 06-05-2022, 06:17 AM

pictures?

very much doubt that the roll bar needs any filler. How did you rub through steel tubing with a leather seat?

Did you install 986 sport seats or 987 sport seats?

rick3000 · 06-05-2022, 09:19 AM

There are not two roll bar designs, and that's a pretty major part to change for seats. While Porsche designs are pretty great in general, they aren't always perfect (see: original clip on cupholders and replacement dash mount cupholders). My guess, and it's a guess, is that the sport seats may have had an extra stop on the seat rail.

Not sure if it's relevant, but my normal leather seats are 100% touching the roll bar when back as far as possible.

Javi Cooper · 06-05-2022, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stl-986

pictures?

very much doubt that the roll bar needs any filler. How did you rub through steel tubing with a leather seat?

Did you install 986 sport seats or 987 sport seats?

It's the other way around. The roll bar is chewing through the sport seats' plastic backs. Here's what I mean:

Here's where it's rubbing on the roll bar:

The seats came out of a junkyard 986.

I would love to paint my seat backs to match the car's black exterior but not if they're going to get scratched right away. Someone on FB (one of the good guys

) suggested a wrap. I might go that way.

bg305 · 06-05-2022, 05:45 PM

I don't have the issue, there are some marks (mostly on my roll bar's sport design paint which seems very prone to scratches) but nothing new since I have owned it that I am aware of and I have noticed no issues. I have never heard of the roll bar being different for the seats either, but I have included some pictures so you can see what mine looks like everything you see is stock on this car (except possibly the stereo if it in the shot). The last image shows my seats regular position when I am driving.

If the seat is not all the way back can't imagine how it would happen. You mentioned you replaced the seats, perhaps there is something about the way they were put in??

bg305 · 06-05-2022, 05:47 PM

Javi Cooper · 06-06-2022, 06:41 PM

Thanks for the photos. Most sport seats I've seen don't seem to rub. I can't figure out why mine does. And it's not just a little. I could totally jam the seats into the roll bar if I wanted to.

Starter986 · 06-07-2022, 12:55 AM

Not trying to be a smartazz here... in spite of it being 151 in the morning.

Are you 7 feet tall? That's the only reason I can imagine if your seats are rubbing like that. Well, that reason AND that likely... highly probable... highly suspect.. um, move the damn seat forward a bit. Wear shoes with smaller soles. Upon my third review of your photos... you're absent the honeycomb wind whateverthehells. That's what keeps me from reclining my seats so far back, and rubbing all over the bar. It's not a secret to me: Lean back too far... seats gunna rub. Don't have seat back so far, seat's not gonna rub. You might consider the latter.

Have you considered moving the seat forward a bit? Maybe less reclined? Not wearing shoes when driving, so save an inch? I bet that's the problem right there. Just thinking out loud.

OK, maybe a little smartazz.

Stl-986 · 06-07-2022, 06:57 AM

I'm wondering you have the bolts tightened down on the seat rails. All the way back it may touch, but you are getting a lot of side to side & up/down rubbing. Seat shouldn't be moving at all once you are in it, even if all the way back & touching.

I have 987 seats that sit a little high cause of the airbag sensors in the rails so I physically can't get them to go back & hit the lower bar, but the top does hit the top of the loop depending on the reclining. Pass side doesn't have this issue though.

Stl-986 · 06-07-2022, 06:59 AM

Looking at the pictures again, it looks like the top of the lower plastic on the roll bar has scratches/rubs on it. Only way I can see that happening is if you have the seat forward but the back reclined.....ALOT. Just dont see how you can get the rubbing you are getting with those pictures.

tommy583 · 06-07-2022, 12:24 PM

To me it looks like your roll bars have extra padding under the hoops. Maybe i'm just seeing things though.

ike84 · 06-07-2022, 09:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Starter986

Not trying to be a smartazz here... in spite of it being 151 in the morning.

Are you 7 feet tall? That's the only reason I can imagine if your seats are rubbing like that. Well, that reason AND that likely... highly probable... highly suspect.. um, move the damn seat forward a bit. Wear shoes with smaller soles. Upon my third review of your photos... you're absent the honeycomb wind whateverthehells. That's what keeps me from reclining my seats so far back, and rubbing all over the bar. It's not a secret to me: Lean back too far... seats gunna rub. Don't have seat back so far, seat's not gonna rub. You might consider the latter.

Have you considered moving the seat forward a bit? Maybe less reclined? Not wearing shoes when driving, so save an inch? I bet that's the problem right there. Just thinking out loud.

OK, maybe a little smartazz.

Starter, go to sleep!

Yes, they call me kettle...

Sent from my SM-G970U1 using Tapatalk

Starter986 · 06-08-2022, 04:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ike84

Starter, go to sleep!

Yes, they call me kettle...

Sent from my SM-G970U1 using Tapatalk

Hey, Kettle Dude!

Woke at 130A, again. "Stay off the forum. Stay off the forum". I lasted until 430. All good.

Hope OP gets that seat thing figured out. Those seatbacks look gnarly.

Good luck, OP.

pilut2 · 06-08-2022, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Javi Cooper

The seats came out of a junkyard 986.

The photo posted by BG305 seems to show a sort of "stand off" that appears to be limiting the travel so the sport seats don't contact the roll bar. Is it possible that since your seats are not stock, that your car is missing this piece?