dweymer Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 My car came with a very nice butler built seat. It has those rib wings though, and they are so narrow I can't fit into it. Is it possible to bend them out with a bottle jack without compromising the seat? I know, the best answer here is to sell/trade it for a wider one, but I still want to know if I can bend it. D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LMan Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 I have a Kirkey and I just bent the wings (slightly) with my hands. Is a Butler that much harder to work with? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrianZ Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 I have a Kirkey and I just bent the wings (slightly) with my hands. Is a Butler that much harder to work with? makes you wonder how that seat will hold up in a crash if you can bend it by hand.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonysenese Posted April 23, 2008 Share Posted April 23, 2008 The rib wings should not be really really rigid. Without a shoulder support, broken ribs ensue. A properly designed seat is meant to hold you tight without causing injury. Generally that means a little give for the squishy parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dweymer Posted April 23, 2008 Author Share Posted April 23, 2008 They have a channel support welded to the back of them. I bent them out today, worked fine. Now I fit in the seat nice and snug, but not so tight I can't breath. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legends21 Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 They have a channel support welded to the back of them. I bent them out today, worked fine. Now I fit in the seat nice and snug, but not so tight I can't breath. D: I purchased a custom seat from Butler that is reinforced like yours. They instructed me to use a hydraulic porta power to "adjust" my rib protectors. Dale Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Driver Posted April 28, 2008 Share Posted April 28, 2008 To answer the root question:Yes you can bend the aluminum... a bit... a few times. I'd suggest getting it right the first time. Take a paperclip and bend it repeatedly, it will break. The same happens with all metatls if you exceed a certain limit. Just bending a Kirkeys rib wings shold be no problem at all. If your seat has reinforcment ribs, check to make sure they haven't crumpled as a result of your bending. If so, they've been compramised. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HBennett Posted April 30, 2008 Share Posted April 30, 2008 Another thing you should think about. The rib supports are not a good idea. The don't provide any protection and you don't want to support the body in the rib area. You need a seat with good rib and shoulder support. There is a lot more mass there to provide some support. Howard Bennett HANS Performance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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