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Seat Riser, Sportster, Offered (maybe...)


Dampsquid

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So my 2000 Sportster's seat is too low.  I have measured and designed a riser to fix this.  Now I'm looking around to get it manufactured. Unsurprisingly the economics are something like this: 1 off = $200. 2 off = $220... So, I'm wondering, anyone else interested in getting one of these in order to bring the price down for all?

Design goes between the existing slider and the seat. adds 6" of height and is made from 1/8" aluminium. About as simple as it comes...

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Measurements taken from my boat:

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59 minutes ago, oldjeep said:

Yep, I’ve seen these. The seller has a couple of different ones and seems to have been around a while too. But I don’t believe it will fit the sportster. It’s also 4”, I’m going for 6”. 

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Unless you are trying to start a business selling them, I'd contact him and see if he is interested in making them.  I worked with him on the one that fits the later boats when he came up with his original idea for those and needed some measurements.

 

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2 hours ago, oldjeep said:

Unless you are trying to start a business selling them, I'd contact him and see if he is interested in making them.  I worked with him on the one that fits the later boats when he came up with his original idea for those and needed some measurements.

 

I was thinking this is a good idea too - I'm not interested in making a business out of this... the 'offer' here was a not-for-profit attempt to get the unit cost to something sensible. Ideally I'd like it anodised or powder coated, but for a one-off that added way too much to the cost. Thanks for the input!

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15 minutes ago, Dampsquid said:

I was thinking this is a good idea too - I'm not interested in making a business out of this... the 'offer' here was a not-for-profit attempt to get the unit cost to something sensible. Ideally I'd like it anodised or powder coated, but for a one-off that added way too much to the cost. Thanks for the input!

If you want to contact him to ask - he is @tmsbilletparts on the forum

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On 6/7/2021 at 9:18 PM, justgary said:

1/8" aluminum is probably not nearly strong enough for that application.  I'd use 1/4"....

Curious - on what basis do you say this?  

I'd admit, my gut feel was 1/8" isn't thick enough... and I mean why an 1/8" when 1/4" will do?* Well, the computer says otherwise, with a x3 safety factor, 80% of the load on one corner and a lateral load added just for fun, there's still margin before 1/8" will yield...  So, do I trust my gut, or the computer model...?

(Answer: because online manufactures auto quote tools don't offer 1/4). 

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46 minutes ago, Dampsquid said:

Curious - on what basis do you say this?  

I'd admit, my gut feel was 1/8" isn't thick enough... and I mean why an 1/8" when 1/4" will do?* Well, the computer says otherwise, with a x3 safety factor, 80% of the load on one corner and a lateral load added just for fun, there's still margin before 1/8" will yield...  So, do I trust my gut, or the computer model...?

(Answer: because online manufactures auto quote tools don't offer 1/4). 

What load did you use?  I'd go with at least 300#, and probably 350# in the seat.  Then I'd add about 150# or so of lateral load to the seat.  Somebody falling over and pushing the seat with it occupied is easy to imagine.  If your design deflects at all (which I suspect it will), it will die an early death due to stress fractures.  Aluminum is not happy with repeated flexure.  7075 series is best for that, but you will eventually still have problems due to flexure.

You could easily add lateral boxing to strengthen it, and then it could be made out of 1/8" material.

Rather than bending one, I would probably use 1/4" sheet and drill/tap it for stainless fasteners to hold it together.  That's just me though, since I can easily work with flat pieces.

 

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2 hours ago, justgary said:

What load did you use?  I'd go with at least 300#, and probably 350# in the seat.  Then I'd add about 150# or so of lateral load to the seat.  Somebody falling over and pushing the seat with it occupied is easy to imagine.  If your design deflects at all (which I suspect it will), it will die an early death due to stress fractures.  Aluminum is not happy with repeated flexure.  7075 series is best for that, but you will eventually still have problems due to flexure.

You could easily add lateral boxing to strengthen it, and then it could be made out of 1/8" material.

Rather than bending one, I would probably use 1/4" sheet and drill/tap it for stainless fasteners to hold it together.  That's just me though, since I can easily work with flat pieces.

 

Thanks for the insight, yep, just bending the sheet will work harden it, making stress fractures more likely; I hadn't really thought about that. I modelled it with me as an example... 190 lbs. Multiplied by x3 safety factor, converted to N, distributed load across the top plate as a first pass.  Then I concentrated the load where the attachments are instead of distributed.  Then I moved the load such that 80% was on one corner (2140N), 20% on the rear (540N), (same side, and the side of the cutout). Then I added a lateral load to both as well - I think 100 lbs to each (can't remember off the top of my head). Max deflection was 1.6mm.

Thank you too for the 'rather than bending one' idea. Getting sheet cut is easy enough, I don't think it would look quite as nice, but then it's a bit of an after-market bodge anyway. Sometimes one doesn't consider the obvious..!  I was also thinking I can get two lengths of 6"x2"x 11ga tube and 3D print an end cap for those... in fact I'm leaning to that now - cheap enough that if it doesn't work out there's no real loss.

Edited by Dampsquid
typos
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Just now, Dampsquid said:

Thanks for the laugh that gave me when I clicked through. You've done it now - here's what I have been using between the seat and cushion! 

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Why would you ever want to upgrade that?  Paint it black and it will disappear.

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On 6/7/2021 at 5:41 PM, braindamage said:

I put a swivel slider on mine. Two-fer. Higher and can now swivel.

 

I did something similar to my '98 VLX.  I added another 2" or so out of square aluminum last year as still too low while surfing.  I used 1/4" aluminum plate instead of HDPE for mount plates.  If I was going to do over again I would look at a pedestal that swiveled & had height adjustments though............

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10 minutes ago, Tracktor said:

I did something similar to my '98 VLX.  I added another 2" or so out of square aluminum last year as still too low while surfing.  I used 1/4" aluminum plate instead of HDPE for mount plates.  If I was going to do over again I would look at a pedestal that swiveled & had height adjustments though............

I looked at the Garelick catalogue - there's no detail on the bolt pattern / dimensions... crazy.

Edited by Dampsquid
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2 hours ago, Dampsquid said:

I looked at the Garelick catalogue - there's no detail on the bolt pattern / dimensions... crazy.

Not surprised. I used a piece of hdpe as an interface board to the existing mounts 

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