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      01-31-2021, 04:11 PM   #1
keeva381
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DIY seat height adjustment

Anyone know the size of the screws that hold the seats down? I'm going to add washers to increase the height and see if that helps with horrible steering wheel position. I'm pretty short so I "have the room" to go higher.

I just want to make sure I get a longer screw and wasn't sure how to look up this exact screw size based on any of the diagrams? If there is a link to a diagram that would be great (sorry if I missed it).
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      02-01-2021, 08:22 AM   #2
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Incase anyone needs it - M10-1.5 and I ended up putting in 50mm length (raise the seat up about an inch with spacers).
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      11-16-2021, 02:31 AM   #3
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Can you share pictures of how it looks after?

My wife is pretty short and I am considering this for her.
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      11-16-2021, 11:07 PM   #4
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Hopefully you used the proper grade bolt and not just something from Home Depot?
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      11-22-2021, 09:50 AM   #5
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Serious question: Did you guys get the only X5s without power seats or something? When I was cleaning the other day, I personally found the max raised position of the front seats very high. I'm genuinely curious...
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      11-22-2021, 11:21 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DBV View Post
Serious question: Did you guys get the only X5s without power seats or something? When I was cleaning the other day, I personally found the max raised position of the front seats very high. I'm genuinely curious...
I'm with you. I can't get the seat low enough. In previous cars I've set my seat height to look out of the vertical middle of the windshield. In my X5 with the seat as low as it can go, I'm looking out 2/3 of the way up.
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      11-23-2021, 04:05 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by omasou View Post
Hopefully you used the proper grade bolt and not just something from Home Depot?
Quote:
Originally Posted by omasou View Post
Hopefully you used the proper grade bolt and not just something from Home Depot?
What do you mean? Strength of the bolt? I just used something from Lowes (Home Depot)
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      11-23-2021, 05:41 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by keeva381 View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by omasou View Post
Hopefully you used the proper grade bolt and not just something from Home Depot?
Quote:
Originally Posted by omasou View Post
Hopefully you used the proper grade bolt and not just something from Home Depot?
What do you mean? Strength of the bolt? I just used something from Lowes (Home Depot)
I if you used washers as spacers and cheap home depot hardware I would remove it all before you drive again.

I'd be willing to bet those cheap bolts do not have the required shear strength to meat crash standards.

Also now that the seat is resting on stacks of washers instead of the brackets, as designed, the rigidity of the assembly has been compromised.

This is very dangerous.
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      11-23-2021, 08:36 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by keeva381 View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by omasou View Post
Hopefully you used the proper grade bolt and not just something from Home Depot?
Quote:
Originally Posted by omasou View Post
Hopefully you used the proper grade bolt and not just something from Home Depot?
What do you mean? Strength of the bolt? I just used something from Lowes (Home Depot)
Bolts are made in different grades. A bolt like that should be of a high grade.

The issue is you don't want the bolt to shear in an accident and have the seat and you shift or worse become disconnected.

If you cannot determine from the factory bolt. Call a vendor that sells race seats and ask them the proper grade and the proper way to raise the seat height.

https://www.homedepot.com/c/ab/grade...fab90189731df8
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      11-23-2021, 08:47 AM   #10
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keeva381 i agree with others here. while your modification may increase comfort and line of sight, it screams safety concerns with the use of questionably-rated bolts and raising on spacers where you've increased the lever-effect making it much easier for the seat to separate from the rack (much like how the back of a hammer easily removes a nail).
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      12-01-2021, 07:08 AM   #11
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Quote:
M10-1.5 and I ended up putting in 50mm length
I appreciate all the help. I've bought spacer kits for other cars. I do have a safety concern with visibility but obviously I want to be safe with the proper bolts.

Does anyone know where you can get the "highest" grade bolts now that I know size/length? I don't mind paying a premium for the best grade bolts out there. Sounds like the HD/Lowes option might not be high enough grade.
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      12-01-2021, 07:41 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by keeva381 View Post
I appreciate all the help. I've bought spacer kits for other cars. I do have a safety concern with visibility but obviously I want to be safe with the proper bolts.

Does anyone know where you can get the "highest" grade bolts now that I know size/length? I don't mind paying a premium for the best grade bolts out there. Sounds like the HD/Lowes option might not be high enough grade.
When researching bolt grades don't confuse NA and Metric grades they are not equivlanet.

Maybe talk with Recaro and see what grade they use? Guessing they will tell you not to modify your seat base but may tell you about their baseframes and hardware.

Guessing the proper way to modify is by installing a higher base frame but also guessing no-one makes one.

Personally, I wouldn't mess w/the factory mounting, especially the way it mounts to the floor but good luck.
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      03-04-2022, 09:00 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by misterbc View Post
I'm with you. I can't get the seat low enough. In previous cars I've set my seat height to look out of the vertical middle of the windshield. In my X5 with the seat as low as it can go, I'm looking out 2/3 of the way up.
Yes. Has anyone been able to lower the seat into a more "cockpit" style arrnagement?? I would really like to know if that is possible for an X5? I came from a Cayenne S seating and I gotta say, IMHO, the seating style and positioning of that car is far better than the X5.
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      05-16-2022, 11:09 AM   #14
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Does anyone know of a good way to raise the front of the drivers seat while leaving the rear part of the seat alone? I would like for my knees to be about two inches more higher than my hips than they currently are.
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      05-16-2022, 11:59 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mobsync View Post
Does anyone know of a good way to raise the front of the drivers seat while leaving the rear part of the seat alone? I would like for my knees to be about two inches more higher than my hips than they currently are.
what seat adjustment options do you have? #6 'seat tilt' would accomplish what you want though not 2" worth
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      01-15-2024, 09:26 AM   #16
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Originally Posted by nZtiZia View Post
what seat adjustment options do you have? #6 'seat tilt' would accomplish what you want though not 2" worth
Thanks for the post - I promise if the seat adjustment was able to be reached via the controls,I wouldn’t have posted here!
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      01-19-2024, 12:01 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by keeva381 View Post
I appreciate all the help. I've bought spacer kits for other cars. I do have a safety concern with visibility but obviously I want to be safe with the proper bolts.

Does anyone know where you can get the "highest" grade bolts now that I know size/length? I don't mind paying a premium for the best grade bolts out there. Sounds like the HD/Lowes option might not be high enough grade.
Stock bolts are grade 10.9 (It should be stamped on the head of the bolt). Metric hardware typically comes in 8.8, 10.9, or 12.9 for steel bolts.

RealOEM.com has all the vehicle parts diagrams. The stock bolt is p/n 07149321690 which is listed as M10 x 28mm long. If you're adding an inch of spacer (25.4mm) you can probably get away with 50mm bolts since some of the thread is usually sticking past the end of the nut but you could use 55mm long bolts to be safe.

McMaster.com has all kinds of hardware and a pretty easy interface to drill down to exactly the size and strength of bolt you need. For a socket head cap screw, they only have 12.9 grade bolt in 55mm long. You might also want a washer to replicate the flanged head of the stock bolt.

https://www.mcmaster.com/91290A219/
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