Seat rails

[114015]

Dear fellow oners,

Currently I am trying to improve (among other things) my car's seats.
Among these are the seat rails which go heavy and hardly move.
Of course grease, WD-40 etc. will do the job.

However, I am planning to disassemble the seat rails since those are heavily rusty. I would like to have them zinc-plated again.
The problem is I cannot figure out whether the rail assemblies (the movable parts) under the seats can be taken appart. I am just lost here.

Would love to have the rust removed properly. And not just give it a restoration out of the spray can.

Enclosed a pic from a restoration facility in Hungary. Found that on the net. Don't have their contact info anymore.

Has any of you done that before?


Any idea, any advice??

Thanks a lot in advance. Any help & hint appreciated.

Best,

Achim

[dirks1408]

Hi Achim,
your Inbox is full

Dirk

[114015]

Sorry, Dirk!

Done! Cleaned that mess up.

I am awaiting your response ... how to get these stupid rails apart...

Best,

Achim

[hkollan]

Achim,

From what I recall, I don't think you can take the rails further apart than what your photo shows.
The sliding part in the rail will not come out due to rivets/nails that acts as stops for the slider.
Full dissassembly would require drilling/grinding out/off the rivets.
Zinc plating without properly.taking everything apart will not work well, an alternative would be to remove all
accessible rust before applying good zinc or zinc/alu spray.

Regards,

Hans

[dirks1408]

Hi Achim,
your box seems still to be full

regards
Dirk

[Peter van Es]

Please reply on the forum to a question posed on the forum. That way all of us benefit.

[114015]

From what I recall, I don't think you can take the rails further apart than what your photo shows.
The sliding part in the rail will not come out due to rivets/nails that acts as stops for the slider.
Full dissassembly would require drilling/grinding out/off the rivets.
Zinc plating without properly.taking everything apart will not work well, an alternative would be to remove all
accessible rust before applying good zinc or zinc/alu spray.

Hello Hans,

Very wisely spoken ....; thanks a lot for your thoughtful advice.
Yes, I will take it; it's too complicated for me for the time being to pry/force open the heavy gauge metal rails in order too loose these tiny balls in there.
Maybe later with one of my other set of seats ...

Thanks a lot.


Dirk,
kein Problem, habe Dich angeschrieben.


Peter,
Sometimes there are issues to be discussed between members which are just top secret for the others ....
So, don't be too inquisitorial here...; I'll let everybody know if it is of common interest for the Group.

 

All best & thanks to All,

Achim
(only MB 230ies)

[114015]

Zinc plating without properly.taking everything apart will not work well, an alternative would be to remove all
accessible rust before applying good zinc or zinc/alu spray.

Gents,

I am a happy man now.

Yes, I did follow the general advice and did not take everything apart (upper and lower halves of the sliding rails) ...
but instead brought them to my zink shop as they are.
He, the shop owner (Micky) said, yes, let's give it a try.

What shall I say ...?
They came out beautiful, look like brand new. 
The zink plating even went at least partly into the rails.

Will wash out the remaining internal debris/dirt with 'farmers degreaser' (Diesel) and give it a good lube job.
Although I have to get this special grease (Renolit) first that Dirk (secretly) recommended to me.

I am a happy guy now ...!


Happy Ascension Day


Achim
(zink-plated parts collector)

[Benz Dr.]

'' Farmer's degeaser. '' What do you have against farmers? 

[114015]

'' Farmer's degeaser. '' What do you have against farmers?

Hehehe  

Hi Dan,

Absolutely no humiliation here  
since I am a farmer's son myself - and love it.
Do not ever want to have a different ancestry than that !

The opposite is the case:
Farmers often (or always) have to help themselves with a limited array of tools and helpful advice.
No special equipment and/or fancy liquids or tricks but instead easy advice often helps to solve ++ 90% of all mechanical problems on a farm with their/our machinery.
Instead of using high profile "cold cleaning solvents or degreaser", Diesel does do the job as well.  
And there's usually plenty of that stuff around on farms ...

All the best,

Achim

[johndillman]

I look at the photos of that disassembled seat and am astounded.  To go to that much trouble for parts that can never be seen makes me feel like a real slacker.  I am really impressed, but not as much so as if I had seen the bill . . ..

John