| Disclaimer: None of us are professional car service technicians and this story is just my own experience, no responsibility implied, mess with your electrical system and your own BMW warranty at your own risk. Props given to ReeYee and Skin Mechanic and Hugo for their seat bushing instructions, and most especially to Doug Whalen for making these sanity-saving bushings and other goodies! Seat Rocking Shish Kebab Thanks to JonT for company and pics and Shawn for all the work and the pics and the company and BBQing and to Melissa for company and dinner and turning me on to her Mac and Brent for the prototype shot and Beth for finding the Shish Kebab pic and of course, the Z3 Owner/Inventors Doug Whalen, Shawn Fogg, Ron Stygar, Jon and Andy Maddux of LeatherZ.com - and WB and JonT for the Roundel scans. updated November 3, 2007
So your seat is rockin' and it's driving you crazy. This is not the rocking chair kind of rockin' there is another problem like that in our seats with another kind of fix. This is the feeling like your seat is sliding a little bit when you come to a stop, like a roller coaster loose on the rail. It may have been like that from the start in your car, it might have begun after some use, it might be a roadster or a coupš it might be an ///M or a Z3, doesn't matter year or model. Well the good news is that there is a fix, the bad news is that it's a bit annoying getting to the part you need to fix. Behold the elusive kebab: 
Deceptively simple. On top you see a kebab with original oem black rubber bushings, on the bottom you see one with Doug Whalen's white Delrin bushings. That is what it is all about, replacing the oem soft rubber bushings with hard Delrin bushings that won't "give". I didn't think this would work because the rocking in my seats was so bad you could see it move, it felt like an inch of play. This is it, rubber baby buggy bushings. I checked my copy of BMW's Parts and Service Information CDs, albeit not the most recent, they don't show this part. The closest I could come was 52 10 000 Removing and Installing front seat (normal/electric) left or right(Z3 Roadster M Roadster Z3 Coupš M Coupš)
Here is the best PARTS NEEDED list I can manage- please email me to update it Materials needed: Vacuum cleaner (when you see what's under your seat, you will want one, and maybe some nice carpet cleaning stuff too) Socket Wrench -13 and 16mm socket for the seat rails. Then a couple of different sized torx bits to disassemble the rails. Sandpaper (100 grit) Sanding Block- so you can sand more evenly on the bushings. Lug wrench Block of wood to hold seat up while you work 12v power supply to move seat rails when seat is out of the car Knee protection Soldering iron- you may find torn wires Nut and bolt tray Blue Tape to mark where kebab is on rails Work gloves- plastic and knit- for pulling door sills mirror tool to see under the seats 4 Whalen bushings per seat (order from Doug's site, if site is not working, email Doug) BFH (Rubber Hammer) Midget 3/8" Drive Ratchet |
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1 Seat Rocking Shish Kebab
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