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Installing Adjustable Height Drivers Seat


Fman

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Does anyone have an idea of what seat mechanism Supra boats are using to for there automatic height adjustment? This is a great option and seeing as the VLX seat in my opinion is too low, it would be great to able to adjust up and down at the touch of a switch. I have tried to search on the internet but have found nothing. I am hoping this might be able to be adapted to the Malibu seat base. If anyone has any information on this please let me know.... thanks.

Here is a short video of the seat adjustment in action in there Launch 242 boat.

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I have looked in to this. Supra wants a few houndred bucks and then you have to start cutting and drilling. A few of us on here are doing this for much cheaper its a 6" lift. It matches the bolster hight. Much cheaper and quicker in my opinion.

post-3478-0-99486500-1327854661_thumb.jp

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I don't know the answer but this was my biggest beef with my VLX. Too Low. Its a great idea....

Too low for us vertically challenged folks u mean!

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I have looked in to this. Supra wants a few houndred bucks and then you have to start cutting and drilling. A few of us on here are doing this for much cheaper its a 6" lift. It matches the bolster hight. Much cheaper and quicker in my opinion.

post-3478-0-99486500-1327854661_thumb.jp

I would like it to be adjustable and not permanently be that high, it raises the seat 5" which is about perfect for my needs.... who did you talk with at Skiers Choice about the seat mechanism? You mentioned a few hundred bucks, $3-4-500??? It would be worth the cost for me, and having it adjustable is even better. Assuming this is an electric mechanism that raises and lowers the seat? not air activated.

Edited by Fman
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The whole seat base and all the goodies were quoted over $400. Then you have to modify it. I didn't get numbers on that but my guess would be some were around 2-3 houndred more. For that price you can get already made units. Look at west marine or boarded world. They are common in bass boats and big cruisers. The problem with most of those is there small ones are to big. Let me know if you come up with something.

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The whole seat base and all the goodies were quoted over $400. Then you have to modify it. I didn't get numbers on that but my guess would be some were around 2-3 houndred more. For that price you can get already made units. Look at west marine or boarded world. They are common in bass boats and big cruisers. The problem with most of those is there small ones are to big. Let me know if you come up with something.

No luck here, I have tried to search for electric seat pedestals/automatic seat pedestals with google or westmarine, overtons, wholesale marine, etc... they are all hydraulic. Looks like I will have to give Skiers Choice a call tomorrow to see if they can get me the product information. I dont think adapting the mechanism to the seat basin will be too difficult, but I will have a better idea when I can actually see what the mechanism looks like under the rubber boot covering it.

Edited by Fman
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The whole seat base and all the goodies were quoted over $400. Then you have to modify it. I didn't get numbers on that but my guess would be some were around 2-3 houndred more. For that price you can get already made units. Look at west marine or boarded world. They are common in bass boats and big cruisers. The problem with most of those is there small ones are to big. Let me know if you come up with something.

Sounds like another project for Paul!

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I did get contact Skiers Choice today, they sell the electric seat pedestal for a bargain price of $2,150 or you can downgrade to the hydraulic for $1,750. Garelick is the company who produces the pedestal for them, although I still cant find anything like this on there website. I have contacted Garelick via landline to see if there are any other options for a reduced cost. Needless to say for $2k, this project will not be happening :( .... thats a lot of $$$ to be sitting on!

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Wow.. way more than what I was quoted. Sure you don't want a fixed hight and use your bolster seat. I had the bracket above done for a lot less. You could spec what ever fixed hieght you want.

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@scott_fx - Thats definitely an idea, but I need 5-6" of lift from the stock height. I had added 2" rubber spacers inbetween the seat and bracket, this has definitely helped but coming up another 4" would be ideal. I looked at hydraulic pedestals, the problem I see if they sit at minimum 14" high, and go up to 20". It would have to mounted on the subfloor under the elevated basin the seat currently sits on. Having a manual hydraulic lift would be also be very nice and easy to adjust up and down. I am still trying to figure something out.

@liljohn - I was very surprised at price, even the dealer was price shocked. I have a call into Garelick, hoping they call me back in the next couple days to ask them about the mechanism. It is nowhere to be found on there website. I doubt they are making it exclusively for Skiers Choice, but maybe they are? How much was the bracket? and who did that for you?

@Ronnie - I have it 2" higher than stock right now, it works better but would like to be another 4" higher. The Malibu bolster IMO does not seem to really boost you up much, on my last boat it made a significant difference when you flipped up the bolster, the Malibu is about half of the distance.

Edited by Fman
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maybe something like this retrofitted. you could put some of that rubber surround like in the supra video and hide the ugly

http://www.ebay.com/...=item2a18969bfc

That's a great idea. I did some looking around to see what kind of rise you could get off a universal car 6-way power seat base with controller. Looks like about 1.5" is the average height change. Cry.gif Heck...most of them go 10 inches front to back. Can we have 5 of them for vertical adjustment. :Doh:

Wonder of you could mount the seat on an office chair gas cylinder?

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Baron Scissor Lift Jack 41100036

Full Height 8 3/4" Lowered 3 1/2". 14" Deep and 12" Wide.

Lifts up to 1,000 lbs.

http://www.amazon.co...R/dp/B002LEYHIO

installal a geared dc motor on that thing and you'd be good to go :)

I dig that idea! Heck, you could install a nice size knob on that worm gear and probably be able to run in by hand. Thumbup.gif I might have to try one of those.

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i wonder if you'd have to reinforce the fiberglass where you mount it too... or at least a full metal plate to distribute the weight and the torque from the higher seat?

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i wonder if you'd have to reinforce the fiberglass where you mount it too... or at least a full metal plate to distribute the weight and the torque from the higher seat?

On the seat or the floor? My floor is pretty tough synthetic material. The seat base is a thick ploy plastic. Right now mine is mounted on a universal seat slider that allows it to adjust front to rear. I would just replace the slider with one of those. I just need to wait until spring so I can measure my seat base and make sure it's at least 12" X 14". Thumbup.gif

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Lots of people have lifted there seats up to 4" with out issues. I'm loveing the dissidents lift idea. I wonder if harbor freight has one I could put my hands on for a little R&D. Hmmm.

Do it and report back. Rockon.gif

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