Ducati999

So, my wife's E 350 has a rocking chair for a front passenger seat.

I removed the 4 hold-down bolts and tilted it back to search for the reason.
There is a bolt at the front of the rail that attaches the seat to the rail as best I can see. The inboard bolt and attendant fittings are fine, but the outboard one is broken. Without removing it, I can't see just what is broken, but it's clear that a spacer or something is broken and allowing for off-axis movement.

I'll attach a picture, and try a video to explain myself.

I've sourced some whole seats here in the Atlanta area, but I'd really just like to find the part that's broken and replace that.
The dealership is no help, as they don't have a breakdown of the rail, just a new rail for $1,700!

Any of you kids have the pleasure of dismantling a front seat and know what I'm talking about?

I'll probably just go take it apart and see what I see, but it's always better when someone has walked that path before you.

Ducati999

Don't know how I got 2 identical pix up there, but so be it.

I found the offending party; a plastic bushing broke, and lets the seat rock back.

I don't want to spend $150 on a seat, just to steal this bushing.

Any chance in the world that someone has a spare seat or seat rail I can raid?

Lemme know!

thanks,

Ducati

StarvingArtist

There is an MB kit for around $100 but I can never find it again. You're better off building something.

konigstiger

MB bearing kit is part # 0128207510 shown here: https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-...-b/0128207510/ they do not offer individual parts from kit.

Ducati999

My local indie found that breakdown for me this morning, and the group is $157!

Amazingly enough, my local pull-a-part had one E-class in 40 acres. I pulled the bushing I needed, and the cashier didn't even charge me for it.

All done for $2!

thanks!

konigstiger

should have pulled both driver & passenger.

kajtek1

For me junk yards are like Disneyland for young guys. I can get good parts for next to nothing.
But no parts for my new project SL500.
I guess people keep convertibles forever.

F1Fan

Perhaps you might consider a road trip to SoCal? I would imagine there would be more convertibles down there.

kajtek1

For what it is worth, searching Craigslist for SL models, I am finding most of them in Sacramento area.
Could be some explanation.
San Francisco is too cold to drive a lot with top down,
San Diego and LA is too hot + pollution.
Sacramento with mountain highway zigzagging to Lake Tahoe sounds like one of the best places to own.
Still when it comes to parts - owners or dealers part them, so finding them on junk yard is not going to happen for several years.
Than if you find one things will be so old that might not be wort removal.

pineywoods

I am in a very similar situation but I don't know how to extract this bushing to see if it's broken. Is there a way to remove this bolt and bushing without removing the entire seat?

e350forme

probably not. seat removal should not be too tricky. most cars in the world bolt in a similar fashion.