Seat Back retaining rods
 

Hi Folks, I've searched everywhere for help with refitting the two retaining rods at the bottom of the seat backs. After much swearing, cut and scuffed hands I'm no further to getting the rods and seat ends secured into the 'U'channel at the bottom of the seat back. Any hacks gratefully received.

Assuming we are talking about the same thing my final solution was to source some thick scrap leather and use that between the rods/cover and a large blunt screwdriver to force them over and myback in.
There was a tipping point past which as the rods pulled back into the channel the tension lessened.
Important to have the covered located correctly and I compressed the foam to assist.
My sears had 2 different thicknesses of rods so did the thicker first.

Jim

Ive just done this at the weekend, very fiddly and like you say plenty of swearing! This is how I did it in the end, might not be the perfect way but it worked, a million times easier if you can have someone to help.

1. Start with the seat upside down standing on its top. (This is where a second person really helps, tried doing it without and gave up after half an hour!)

2. Put the whole run of seat back bottom part deep into the U channel first and put the large rod in most the way leaving a few inches out the end so you can press the back section down and out the way into the channel when putting the seat front side and rod in.

3. Now pressing the seat back rod down and away try and feed 2 or 3 inches of the bottom of the seat front deep into the U channel at the start of the run, I used a little bit of fairy liquid to help it slide in easier. Insert the thinner rod an inch or so.

4. Use a little bit of fairy liquid and start pressing and feeding the seat front Into the channel a couple of inches at a time from the start (don’t try doing the whole thing at once!), it’s a pretty tight fit so try to be patient. I used a plastic trim tool so I wouldn’t damage the upholstery.

5. Each time you press a couple of inches deep into the channel use the thinner rod to help leverage it down and push that rod along each time. It’s very fiddly and probably took about 10 mins to do that run gently and carefully. Each time remember to press down and away with the thicker rod to help create a little bit of space for the thinner rod.

6. Once in press both rods completely in, clean off any excess fairly liquid you’ve used to help ease the upholstery in the U channel for the whole run of the seat base and you’re done!

Hope that helps and best of luck!
Ben