[GUIDE] How to remove, change and re-fit an OEM (single) seat skin

[Andysmee]

I've waited a fair while to share this knowledge as I was doing a good trade in seat upgrades last year and, having refitted covers to 20-odd single seats, I'd learn some tricks of the trade.

Unfortunately I now have a proper back problem so I am moving to more sedate business options and so I thought it was time to write this up.

I'm focusing on the toughest (most painful, swear word inducing, and bloody hard work) bit of the job which is refitting the covers using hog rings, but I've written notes on the easier bits as a rough guide below. (And thanks to my wife for being photographer!)

1. Remove the driver or passenger single seat from the van (unless you are a contortionist!)... that's simply the four 13mm bolts/nuts attaching the front and back ends of the rails to the seat base. Don't forget to unplug the seat belt sensor if it's a driver's seat. Lift it out of the van.

2. In a nice warm dry place, on a bench that doesn't mind getting scratched, and wearing gloves (you'll thank me later)... Remove the seat base pad from the seat which is four spline bolts underneath. Don't forget to pull out the seat belt sensor wire from the metal seat base pad and also remove the two plastic screws attaching the plastic side trims to the seat base pad.

3. If you are just changing covers, you don't need to remove the seat plastic trims either side, but it may make it easier if you remove the rear panel, as it can get marked when the seat is laid on its back.



4. Remove the headrest, headrest plastic posts (prise them out... the tabs are at the side of the post).



5. Recline the seat back backwards and open the bottom of the seat back cover underneath (just with your fingers from one end... pull the plastic bars apart). If you haven't bought £5 B&Q gloves to wear by this step, stop and buy some, you going to get sliced and stabbed!

If you have armrests, remove them by now. There's a guide on the forum.

6. Peel back the seat back cover turning it inside out. When you can't peel it back, look for the hog rings holding the covers' plastic rails to the seats metal wires. Use long nosed pliers to prise the rings open, and repeat peeling back and prising free until you have all 8 hog rings on the bench.

7. When you get up to the plastic rail, peel the back top of the cover over from the back to the front of the seat so that the only thing holding the cover on is the plastic rail. Now slide the horizontal plastic rail through the three clips without nicking the foam too much. Cover should now be free.

If you have a caravelle seat, there are two plastic rails and you may need to prise the lower rail from the clips (which is okay, they won't break). If you have a T5 seat, you're reading the wrong guide as there are no hog rings more importantly, the foam is different so T6 covers will be baggy and so not suitable.

 

[Andysmee]

So, on to the tough bit...

First, prepare the hog rings ready to re-use. You'll need long nosed pliers and a screwdrivers with a medium diameter shaft:



Use pliers to close them back up until the ends overlap:



Then, whilst holding the back of the ring in pliers, lever the ring open with the screwdriver until the screwdriver passes through the opening:



You should end up with 8 hog rings uniformly circular, overlapping but open by the diameter of the shaft of the screwdriver :

 

[Andysmee]

Now you are ready to re-fit the cover.



1. Turn the cover inside out. Now, with the seat cover the right way up, slide the plastic rail through the three clips in the horizontal channel across the seat foam.

2. Pull the top of the cover over the back of the seat turning it the right-way-in as you do.



3. Stick your fingers through the headrest holes and align the top of the cover snugly with the top of the foam.



4. Roll the cover down over the seat back until the vertical plastics rails are beginning to go into the vertical channels in the foam. Keep going until the first slots on the cover rail are within touching distance of the wires in the foam.

5. Now, take a hog ring in your long nosed pliers and hook it onto the plastic rail on the cover through the slot.

6. Once it is on the cover, with the opening of the hog ring facing towards you, use the pliers, holding the lower end of the ring, to pull the cover into the foam channel and hook onto the metal wire, pulling back the foam to get sight of the wire with your other hand. It takes patience, three hands, and good light, like a head torch or bright workshop:

 

[Andysmee]

Now use the pliers to close the ring further, which is very tough to do. Then repeat on the other hog ring at that level. Then you can roll the cover down until the next pair are in position and repeat. It's a physically demanding task, take your time, wear gloves, don't swear too much.

The last demanding piece is to close up the end of the cover. Recline the seat all the way back, and pull the cloth down to give as much slack as you can, front and back, and then double over the plastic bar into the plastic channel. Use two hands, start somewhere near the middle, and it happens with great strength (particularly on a new seat with strong foam).

Then sit back and admire your awesome handywork:

 

[chris_in_london]

Thanks for taking the time to put this together. Was super helpful when swapping the covers on some Kombi middle row seats. Putting the cover back on using the hog rings was really as unpleasant as you described! I switched to zip ties after the first one and it was so much easier. Time will tell if they last!

 

[dominic4]

Wow thanks for doing this!

 

[Allblackbus]

Any tips for the seats with the armrests?

 

[Andysmee]

Any tips for the seats with the armrests?

I thought I covered it. You remove the armrests at the beginning and reattach at the end

 

[CJW]

Thank you for this guide. Invaluable. Really appreciate you sharing this. Do you know who invented hog rings? if you do, let me know. They need feedback.

 

[CJW]

So, on to the tough bit...

This line is the understatement of this entire forum.

 

[Andysmee]

This line is the understatement of this entire forum.

Glad it's helpful. I think I've healed from my last seat!

 

[rhyso]

Hi. Great thread thanks. However, having taken a look I've concluded this job is definitely beyond my skill/patience level! Can anyone recommend a company that would do this and maybe a rough idea of cost? Thanks