[gaulfinger]

I got my new Bolt EV LT yesterday after a lot of testing of the front seats. While I found that raising the seat height helps shift weight forward and somewhat off the ridges towards the back, I couldn't find an adjustment point that was totally satisfying.

This youtube video with a fix may be posted somewhere on ChevyBolt.org, but just in case... here you go. These directions are great!

What's not covered in the video is how much and what shaped of foam to use. I have photos of what we just did.

We purchased a roll of high density cushion foam at Joann Fabrics. It was 1 inch thick. 24x36 inch is plenty, though our roll was six feet, in case we experimented too much

As noted in the video, heated seats have a cable to avoid, so we came up with the following pattern. It was easy to slide in left and right halves, plus a little extra across the back. This provides a wonderful boost to seat cushiness above the ridges.

This worked with a cloth seat for us. The original youtuber, robertlmathews, upgraded leather seats, so I assume that can work either way.

 

[Bazinga]

The heating element is just a cable that goes through the middle? Always thought it was a maze of them under the foam.

 

[jostafew]

The heating element is just a cable that goes through the middle? Always thought it was a maze of them under the foam.

Yes, there's a pattern of wire on the foam surface which makes up the element, but the OP is referring to the main wires connecting the element to the vehicle's wiring harness. This main connection wire is in the middle of the cushion. Check out the photos I posted here: http://www.chevybolt.org/forum/11-exterior-interior/12098-seat-swap-project-has-begun-4.html

 

[vicks]

I got my new Bolt EV LT yesterday after a lot of testing of the front seats. While I found that raising the seat height helps shift weight forward and somewhat off the ridges towards the back, I couldn't find an adjustment point that was totally satisfying.

This youtube video with a fix may be posted somewhere on ChevyBolt.org, but just in case... here you go. These directions are great!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dgxWTOnVn8

What's not covered in the video is how much and what shaped of foam to use. I have photos of what we just did.

We purchased a roll of high density cushion foam at Joann Fabrics. It was 1 inch thick. 24x36 inch is plenty, though our roll was six feet, in case we experimented too much

As noted in the video, heated seats have a cable to avoid, so we came up with the following pattern. It was easy to slide in left and right halves, plus a little extra across the back. This provides a wonderful boost to seat cushiness above the ridges.

This worked with a cloth seat for us. The original youtuber, robertlmathews, upgraded leather seats, so I assume that can work either way.

I am planning to add foam to front seat and this is extremely helpful, thanks for sharing that picture with measurements!! Do you know exact item name/number that you got from Joann? Also will going for thicker foam like 1.5 or 2 inches would mean even more comfort?

 

[gaulfinger]

The 1 inch thickness fit nicely toward the front of the seat and I was able to add 2 inches at the back of the cushion. It may take 2 inches across the whole area, but I bet it would be more challenging to get in there. It would probably make the upholstery rather taut. With the 2nd strip I added across the back, the side retainer clips were already putting up resistance to clip on.

The foam was generically stacked on shelves. They had several densities and chose the stiffest one.

 

[Puregsr]

I also got some cheap 1 inch foam off amazon and cut them into 7.5" x 10". Stack 3 up and shoved them in, turned out to be too much, bulging too much, took out 1 layer and it's been great.

 

[moombolt]

any tips on adding foam to the seat 'back' ? like in the lumbar area ?

 

[gaulfinger]

My wife and I are pondering the same thing, maybe adding a 1/2 inch? We haven't figured out how to open up the seat yet. There's an airbag in there, so it demands even more caution than the heater...

If we come with anything, I'll be sure to post it here.

 

[jostafew]

My wife and I are pondering the same thing, maybe adding a 1/2 inch? We haven't figured out how to open up the seat yet. There's an airbag in there, so it demands even more caution than the heater...

If we come with anything, I'll be sure to post it here.

Don't worry about the airbag, it's completely enclosed in a hard plastic case. Just try not to destroy any wiring.

I've had the seat completely apart as part of my seat swap project but I'm having a hard time remembering how the bottom of the cover is held in place. I know there are two tabs of fabric that wrap around the bottom and get pinned on the back side beneath the plastic cover, can't remember if there's anything else. Will have to go look tomorrow (the passenger seat is still half disassembled).

ps if you want some pics of the inside of the seats, look in the interior section for my seat swap project, pics posted there.

 

[Fabian Lamaestra]

Here you go: http://www.mychevybolt.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=6157&start=30#p19979

 

[gaulfinger]

This weekend my wife and I finished the back upgrades. I have some photos and hope to put together a guide. But for some highlights...

There is a thick plastic band around the entire outer edge of the seat. You can pull and twist to get it out of the groove in the back panel that it fits in. I started at the top and worked my way down the sides. The bottom edge along the back of the seat -- all work can be done top down.

Once the top fabric is loose, remove the headrest. The plastic rings around the chrome metal supports twist and lift. Then under the fabric, there's a large silver circlip on each pole ... they weren't too hard to pry out, but I found them a challenge to put back in when putting everything back together.

Once the headrest is off, you can peel the fabric from the top down. A retaining strip is a plastic vee that snags under tabs protruding in an alternating pattern from the back plastic panel to the front-side shell of the seat. It runs the length of the seam between the center panel and the surrounding bolsters. Work your way down to a roughly 8 inch wide retaining strip across where the stitching across the center panel is. I was able to pry the strip out using a putty knife. Once it's out, the rest of the front peels out fairly easily with the help the putty knife.

The seat heater element is glued over top of 1/2 inch thick gray foam, which is in turn held by double sided tape along its sides, plus a thick strip of tape across the lumbar area. I used the putty knife to scrape off the tape and lift the heating element+foam away.

The exposed plastic shell forms a natural pattern to cut squares of foam. I used 1 inch high density foam in the center two squares -- 1/2 - 3/4 would probably be a better fit. This was a lot of foam to compress when getting it all back together. Anyway, I tried fresh double-sided tape to hold the new foam in place; it worked so-so.

We got 1/2 inch low density foam (Foamology 1/2 inch x 24 x 72 inch roll from Joann Fabric, about $20) and traced it along the side bolsters. Since the double-sided tape was barely holding things in place, I used spray adhesive here with better results.

Finally, layer the original foam/heating element over the top and begin re-assembly.

Secure the 8 inch mid-line retainer back in. This took two people with +1 inch underneath -- it's under that much stress. I do believe the stress long term might cause that clip to rip -- it's that tight. After that, zip up the clip that goes around the center section from bottom to top. Re-attach the headrest and work your way around the outer "zipper" finally being shoved into the retaining track in the back plastic panel.

I love the improvement in the back -- I don't feel like my back is falling into a bowl.

 

[vicks]

The 1 inch thickness fit nicely toward the front of the seat and I was able to add 2 inches at the back of the cushion. It may take 2 inches across the whole area, but I bet it would be more challenging to get in there. It would probably make the upholstery rather taut. With the 2nd strip I added across the back, the side retainer clips were already putting up resistance to clip on.

The foam was generically stacked on shelves. They had several densities and chose the stiffest one.

Quick clarification. You said 4 trapezoids of 13 by 5.5-6.5 each. Does it mean you had put 2 of these one over the other on the seat on either side? And then on top of that 5 inch wide piece at the back side of the seat, making around 3 inches of total foam along the back, and 2 inches on rest of the seating area?

 

[gaulfinger]

The trapezoids are side-by-side; the split is to clear the heated seat wire harness. That's layer one. The second layer is on top, across the back edge and should be clear or nearly clear of that harness.

 

[vicks]

The trapezoids are side-by-side; the split is to clear the heated seat wire harness. That's layer one. The second layer is on top, across the back edge and should be clear or nearly clear of that harness.

So only two trapezoids needed, one each side by side? Your image said four so wanted to confirm...

 

[vicks]

So only two trapezoids needed, one each side by side? Your image said four so wanted to confirm...

Answering my own question here! I realized the quantities you specified were for both front seats, driver and passenger. That is why 4 trapezoids and 2 rectangles. Please ignore my above past

 

[1Kleanbolt]

Do you have pictures of the seats now?

 

[masters]

Might try this.. Anyone?

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ozark-Trail-Seat-Cushion/49332908

 

[gaulfinger]

The video is done! I posted it to my Facebook account:

https://www.facebook.com/gary.aulfinger/videos/10211934025045075/?hc_ref=ARTiJSYXEo4lS5MtR41qxZHI_-YvxK3zZ4cV57WK5rZIARNdHYRwsXx_tvMgeza-bVk

 

[Allelectric]

Thanks for the video. I would do this for sure, plus the seat base fix, but I am worried about warranty issues. My car goes into the dealership today for the seat side gaping and the seat back knocking when I lean back on it. I think the seat knocking is what you have solved with the Faron inserted at the top edge. The service manager thought it was something broken (but that was without taking the seat apart, and it was the first Bolt he had seen when I initially took it in). I am also wondering if the seat side gaping is now just a matter of the black plastic seat cover retaining edge coming free from what ever it clips to. I have seen several posts of the same gaping that I have around the airbag and above and below (as mine is). The fix by the dealers has been to replace the entire seat back cover. This is what the service manager at my dealer has already said will be done to mine. I have been waiting while the new cover came in.
My seat is so uncomfortable for both me and my wife. I think I'm at the point where once I get the car back from the dealer I will do the seat alterations if the knocking is not a broken seat issue and is just a bad design.
Thanks again for the video

 

[gaulfinger]

I tried to do my mods without anything irreversible, so hopefully warranty wouldn't be effected. But I am no expect on that matter.

As way of update, my wife just did some more experimenting on the seat -- make a good thing better. She just unclipped the long retainer strips to make the upholstery less tense. They look more stock and feel softer now... We're taking it for an extended drive tonight to see if we like this (version 4?) of our mods better.