2001 Challenger seat removal?

[wayneh]

My seat bottoms are starting to show cracks in the upholstery and so I thought I'd start working on fixing them as an after-season project. I gave them a firm tug from the back, up and towards the front. They didn't move much and seemed to be connected to the side pieces as well. I thought from what I'd read that they would just pop out individually.

Any advice on this?

 

[mjs]

If they are anything like my seats on my Islandia, the only seat without a storage compartment under it was the one on the engine cover. It was held in place with pop rivets. Or it could be like the backs, with nuts and a fender washer.

 

[wayneh]

If they are anything like my seats on my Islandia, the only seat without a storage compartment under it was the one on the engine cover. It was held in place with pop rivets. Or it could be like the backs, with nuts and a fender washer.

Here's what the parts diagram shows. It looks like there's a fastener up under the seat somehow. I can't imagine it's very easy to get to.

 

[jts32]

The seat bottom is held in by 4 bolts and 4 plastic darts. You have to remove the bolts from the engine compartment above the fuel tank, they are a pain to get to. The 3 small center cushions, are held in place by rivets to the bench seat base

 

[wayneh]

The 3 small center cushions, are held in place by rivets to the bench seat base

So to be clear, the entire seat bottom must be removed as you described, to get at the rivets to remove the center cushions? I was afraid of that.

 

[jts32]

Yep, unfortunately the whole seat bottom has to come out

 

[mjs]

If the rivets where like mine, I couldn't find replacements that were long enough. So I used molly screws. It was still a pain.

 

[rsatina2002]

I just re-upholstered my challenger 2000 last May 2019 and bolts are above the fuel tank and you need to crawl it under to remove it and remove the darts and watch for the nuts and bolts...

 

[jts32]

Nothing special about the rivets. 3/16 X 5/8" aluminum rivets will do the trick. You will need a rivet gun with a longer snout than most generic guns have. I use a neumatic gun and it works great.

 

[wayneh]

I don't relish crawling around the engine compartment and the usual standing on my head.

I may wait a year or two until my grandson is old enough to turn a wrench, and send him in there.