Help/Welding Advice on broken seat back release/catch

[eastsidebimmer]

My awesome donor seats have a little flaw....the driver's seat cushion has been apart in the past for vinyl replacment and it looks like the seat back catch/release had been broken and replaced. After my recent trip, it broke again. I noticed that the width of this part is much smaller than that of the other side, the passenger seat or my spare/parts passenger seat as pictured below. I think I'll take the opportunity to have my local upholstery shop add some extra padding and take the seat apart but my question is: should I have them weld this obviously too narrow piece back on or cut a larger tab off of my donor seat and have it welded on? I also could swap the seat cushion frame but it was from the passenger side and I don't know if it's interchangeable. If anyone has done this or has an option, please render! Thank you! -Ben

[Mike Self]

'73 back about 1980!

The only real way to properly fix it is to separate the cushion from the back, then remove all the upholstery and padding from the frame and have the bracket welded back on. Give it a quick squirt of black paint and reassemble.

You really want that piece to be firmly attached to the frame, as in an accident if it fails, the seat back will either pitch forward (in a rear end crash) or suddenly recline (in a front end crash). Neither are good.

Cheers

Mike

[jgerock]

I have the same issue on the driver's side seat on the '69.