HOW TO: re-bolster your seats.

[vxspax]

If you have a seat that the bolster has gone, and no longer want to keep that great shape and leather or cloth trim is still in good nick, its time you saved yourself some money and DIY new bolsters.

I am a refrigeration Tec not an auto trimmer, but had a go, and thought I would show how I performed it. No responsibility taken if you stuff your seats!!!!

Car: HSV senator
Passenger seat bolster collapsed, but leather is still fine!
Tools: basic socket set and hand tools, knife.

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TASK:

1st remove your seat from the car, and pull it too bits, it’s a bit of a task, just be mindful these are heavy and please watch rails on plastic trimming.
Remove the backs of the chairs, and all plastic trimming and electronic switches, where applicable.

Get your base of your seats and start the fiddle task of removing leather seat covers, and remove the 1st bull pin so that you can expose the bolster like so…….

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Cut out a nice section of solid seat foam so you remove all the brittle and collapsed part away, so that new foam can have something solid to form to.

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Go down to your local Clark rubber store and get the 2nd hard grade of foam, its pink in colour, I got an off cut for 3 bux. And cut yourself off a piece that is roughly the same size you cut out, always make it bigger so that you can trim off excess.

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Now start cutting and forming, when a section is removed the bolster will tend to draw apart, so take your time in cutting and forming. More time taken the better the result! When you are happy get some weak adhesive glue, you don’t want super glue or anything like that, you want to feel natural foam not hard bits. And then work it together and form a nice new bolster, not be too worried about the look it does look a bit turd, but remember the seat cover.

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Work the seat cover back on, take your time little bit by little bit so that you can get the clips back on,

Then clean the leather with lux pure soap and water, and then treat all your leather with conditioner!

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And admire your 3 dollar bolster fix and how you have saved yourself 100’s, and look at your leather glow, and look kinda good for a 12 year old car.

While you are at it, remove all the old dusty and solidified grease on your rails, and pack some more on there, and clean all the chips and old KFC crispy bits from the side and under the chair.

Fit your seat, and be crack open a can, you deserve it!!!

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[s_ikari2015]

nice how-to... I'm gonna give it a go when I've got a weekend off

[vxexec350]

Fantastic job mate

[50LTRv8]

Is it possible to have new leather sections replaced on a leather seat? The section nearest the door and the front section under the legs both need replacing on mine but the rest is fine. Nice job.

[vxcalais_01]

Is it possible to have new leather sections replaced on a leather seat? The section nearest the door and the front section under the legs both need replacing on mine but the rest is fine. Nice job.

Cheaper to get someone to spray it, a leather doctor will for for around $100. Unless its ripped or torn right through ? If its cracked on surface they will sand it etc and respray. Excellent HOw to by the way.........no pics of the crispy bits ???

[dans1981]

awesome write up. Knowing a couple of trimmers all they do is glue the repair bit on in say a rectangle let dry and cut roughly into shape with some thing like a bread knife then fine tune shape with a speed file with some course paper on it in long one directional strokes till desired out come of shaping.

[50LTRv8]

Cheaper to get someone to spray it, a leather doctor will for for around $100. Unless its ripped or torn right through ? If its cracked on surface they will sand it etc and respray. Excellent HOw to by the way.........no pics of the crispy bits ???

Yeah I have a cut in one of the sections and the front of the seat

[vxspax]

50ltr, i have now replaced all the pannels in my drivers seat, and left the middle bit, because they could not match that, but matched the leather perfect, and seat looks great with the pannels replaced. a price guide for you i had the foam redone and leather pannels replaced, all but middle, 350 dollars!

[lildavo]

this is a good write up, i dunno if need to do it mine, one of the sides of my seats is alot lower than the other and kinda allways leaning to one side when im sitting in it

[50LTRv8]

50ltr, i have now replaced all the pannels in my drivers seat, and left the middle bit, because they could not match that, but matched the leather perfect, and seat looks great with the pannels replaced. a price guide for you i had the foam redone and leather pannels replaced, all but middle, 350 dollars!

Sorry I didn't see this reply before, thanks for the heads up