Lynx/B needs a seat upgrade

[Halifax]

Hi Gents,

I'm looking for recommendations for upgrading the seat in my '82 Lynx/B. Currently, the seat consists of a couple of taped metal sheets and two taped pieces of 1" thick "Super Space Age Foam" from SR Racing.

Last autumn, three days after the Glen race, I tore my L sacroiliac back muscles in a fall in a work-related accident (I'm an ecologist, I stepped in a cryptic woodchuck hole in a high meadow) and I was literally crippled for a month. My MD thinks that my car's lack of good support was a major contributing factor.

My crew chief won't let me race until I solve this. Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks!

[BLS]

Without seeing what you have it's a bit hard for me to comment intelligently, but that hasn't stopped me before...

In my car (Citation) I added a curved floorpan primarily to drop my butt another inch lower. This required a new seating arrangement.

At the front, between the bulkhead and my butt I used 2" foam (PET from lowes) glued up to make 4" thickness, then shaped the bottom to conform to my pan. On the backside (toward the driver) I cut and shaped at the angle that matches my butt/thigh area. I then covered the foam in a layer of 5 ounce glass just to hold it all together in an impact. It puts about 5 inches of foam between me and the bulkhead.

Behind me is another bulkhead that presents an impact to my rear in any rear end impact. I made a similar piece to cover this area which matches the angle going into my fuel cell/cover. My butt sits in a very small space between the two pieces of foam, directly on the pan. I do have a camping foam mat that lays in on all this. If I had the room I would provide a foam piece to the very bottom.

I read a bunch of stuff here on Apex before I did this. Search seating and Mr. Pare's comments about using the solid foam for some guidance if this route seems appropriate to you.

[FVRacer21]

I disagree with your doctor - if you feel comfortable in the car, then it is probably okay. If you are not comfortable in the car then you need to do some work - remembering there are a lot of FV guys who just sit on the floor and the fuel cell.

However, I also think many manufacturers do not do a good job of supplying a proper seat. A full fiberglass seat would be a start toward a good seat and a base for a bead seat or similar foam seat.

ChrisZ

[Numbskull XIV]

Hi Gents,

I'm looking for recommendations for upgrading the seat in my '82 Lynx/B. Currently, the seat consists of a couple of taped metal sheets and two taped pieces of 1" thick "Super Space Age Foam" from SR Racing.

Last autumn, three days after the Glen race, I tore my L sacroiliac back muscles in a fall in a work-related accident (I'm an ecologist, I stepped in a cryptic woodchuck hole in a high meadow) and I was literally crippled for a month. My MD thinks that my car's lack of good support was a major contributing factor.

My crew chief won't let me race until I solve this. Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks!

EIS bead seat kit. Its the best and safest seat for a formula car hands down. Made to your body shape. For multiple impacts/ crashes without replacing, and no messy beads like a usually bead seat kit. Its the best $350 you can spend.

Hope this helps,

Jon Updegrove
86 Red Devil F440 F-Mod
97 Van Die men FC

[Mark Filip]

Most FVs do not have room to make a proper beat seat.

These are pretty good Harry this is what I have in my car

https://www.pegasusautoracing.com/gr...roupID=BACKPAD

We had a great weekend at Thompson wish you could have joined us!

[flat tappet]

Hi Gents,

I'm looking for recommendations for upgrading the seat in my '82 Lynx/B. Currently, the seat consists of a couple of taped metal sheets and two taped pieces of 1" thick "Super Space Age Foam" from SR Racing.

Last autumn, three days after the Glen race, I tore my L sacroiliac back muscles in a fall in a work-related accident (I'm an ecologist, I stepped in a cryptic woodchuck hole in a high meadow) and I was literally crippled for a month. My MD thinks that my car's lack of good support was a major contributing factor.

My crew chief won't let me race until I solve this. Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks!

when i sold you the Lynx, you were a young guy with a perfectly good back...now look at you!! JUst kidding my friend. I had some good stuff(foam) from Pegasus racing..blue on the outside..thick but fairly firm

[Tiago Santos]

If you have enough room to spare, the bead seats (or the fancy EI$ stuff..) are definitely worth it.. Both for safety and comfort!

It's quite a bit of work to get one done and fitted, but it might have been the best improvement I ever made to my car. Ideally, the thicker the better, but I think if you have enough room for the 1" foam, you should have room for the beads.. Even a little would be better than none

[veefan]

Harry I had some seating issues with the Lynx B I had. Bead seats are great but as stated, not a lot of room in a Lynx and it will also raise you up a little so you might have a great seat then a big roll bar safety issue.

I picked up one of these on E-Bay, cut off the lower leg area, plus a little trimming for fit and added a very thin soft foam. Worked great.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lightning-Li...4cb8b8&vxp=mtr

[turnbaugh]

This is the ultimate solution unless you want to pay someone $1800 to do it.

http://motorsports-sw.com/site/custom-seat-kits/

[Tiago Santos]

You can make the bead seats as thin as you want.. There is a suggested minimum thickness for safety, but 1/4" of beads under your arse is still better than 1/4" of foam. My seat probably has 3" of beads around the sides filling up the corners of the cockpit, but it's fairly thin under my butt - I just adjusted the beads until I was happy with my roll bar clearance and could easily pass the broomstick test.

Is the Lynx B that much smaller than a Caracal D?

Anyway, not trying to argue folks, I'm just a firm believer in the benefits of bead seats and would hate you to discount them unless it really is impossible to make them work

If comfort is higher on the list than the safety aspect of a good seat, you could also try the 2 part expanding foam stuff.. I was going to do that until I found a great deal on a bead kit that someone ended up not using. Having something that conforms to your body shape is awesome. There's no flopping around on corners and you get a lot more feel for what the car is doing. Of course I was 140lbs when I first bought the car and I didn't really have much body fat to conform to a fiberglass or sheet metal seat - I had to make a seat that conformed to me instead.

[BLS]

...but 1/4" of beads under your arse is still better than 1/4" of foam.

Tiago, I assume you're talking about foam rubber or something similar. 1/4" of PET foam sheet is, IMO, better than 1/4" of beads from PET foam, just because of the uniform density. YMMV.

Barry

[Jean-Sebastien Stoezel]

This is a poured in seat I just built for my lynx b. It fits fine with 1" thick of material under my butt and my back. I'm 5'11" and 160lbs.

[Tiago Santos]

Tiago, I assume you're talking about foam rubber or something similar. 1/4" of PET foam sheet is, IMO, better than 1/4" of beads from PET foam, just because of the uniform density. YMMV.

Barry

I was comparing the typical EPS foam in most bead seat kits to the soft-ish foam most folks use for padding.. I'll take your word that given the same material, a sheet would be better than beads, though! Most helmet liners are made from beads rather than a solid carved piece of material - although I suspect that's just how expanded polystyrene works.

[Amon]

Any idea where a bead seat can be purchased?

Mark

[BLS]

Tiago,

The solid piece is beads formed together under controlled conditions into a sheet. Helmet liners are formed the same way.

Barry

[turnbaugh]

"You can make the bead seats as thin as you want.. There is a suggested minimum thickness for safety, but 1/4" of beads under your arse is still better than 1/4" of foam. My seat probably has 3" of beads around the sides filling up the corners of the cockpit, but it's fairly thin under my butt - I just adjusted the beads until I was happy with my roll bar clearance and could easily pass the broomstick test."

It is worth reading up on the EIS foam seats and padding NASCAR and Indy cars use. This is the same material you buy for your approved rollbar padding.

EIS is superior in every way.

If you poll people that have used both bead seats and EIS you will get a clear answer.

[veefan]

I've owned both a Lynx B and a Caracal D, the frame rails are 2X4 beams and you actually sit between them which is about 14 -15" wide. In my Lynx I couldn't even fit between the rails, ( I'm 6' 195 lbs) I had to use the Kart seat to raise me up a little to get off the rails. In my Caracal D I used the thin fiberglass factory seat that came with the car. I once tried to add 1/4" foam to the sides and couldn't get into the seat. While it might not be the safest way to sit in the car, my old bad back loved the hard seats.

[B Farnham]

"You can make the bead seats as thin as you want.. There is a suggested minimum thickness for safety, but 1/4" of beads under your arse is still better than 1/4" of foam. My seat probably has 3" of beads around the sides filling up the corners of the cockpit, but it's fairly thin under my butt - I just adjusted the beads until I was happy with my roll bar clearance and could easily pass the broomstick test."

It is worth reading up on the EIS foam seats and padding NASCAR and Indy cars use. This is the same material you buy for your approved rollbar padding.

EIS is superior in every way.

If you poll people that have used both bead seats and EIS you will get a clear answer.

Wheres the cheapest place to buy an EIS seat? I'm on a budget

[Speed Sport Engineering]

I used one of the forum sponsors, Speed Seat, this winter to make a new seat for my FV. I had them do the pour and covering, but they sell the SFI rated foam kits (not the bead seats) if you want to do your own. It was the best thing I've ever done for my car. The seat is amazing. For what it's worth, in the 3 races since I had them make a seat, I set 3 new track records. I've never been so comfortable in the car.

Michael Varacins

[Tiago Santos]

I've owned both a Lynx B and a Caracal D, the frame rails are 2X4 beams and you actually sit between them which is about 14 -15" wide. In my Lynx I couldn't even fit between the rails, ( I'm 6' 195 lbs)

I hear ya, makes sense. My car started out as an exact replica of a Caracal D, but the previous owner carved out some hip-clearing-scoops in the frame rails I'm 5'11" and was 140lbs at the time (I've put on 15lbs since then.. Still trying to put on a bit more!) so I needed quite a bit of padding to fill the gap.

It is worth reading up on the EIS foam seats and padding NASCAR and Indy cars use. This is the same material you buy for your approved rollbar padding.

EIS is superior in every way.

I've read some stuff about it, I believe you are right! I bought and made my bead seat before the EIS stuff was readily available to us small time folks. Still, we're talking about FV where an EIS kit (let alone a professionally made seat) starts to become a fair percentage of the value of the car Even bead seats are a hard sell. I do believe they (bead seats and EIS) are worth it, not just for safety but for performance - as Michael Varacins pointed out. It really made an unbelievable difference to be so perfectly set in the car.

[Daryl DeArman]

Anybody used the EIS seat for more than a couple of years? How is it holding up?

My EIS roll bar padding never lasted very long before it became brittle and crumbly.

If the EIS seat is 25% better than a bead seat when both are new but only 1/3 as good when 3 years old....a cost benefit analysis is in order (aren't they always? ) Aging out isn't an issue for the pros, for the club racer I would think it's a legitimate concern.

[Wolf Pack Racing]

I have used the Bald Spot Sports Creafoam bead seat since I started racing open wheel. I have had numerous large impacts and it has always protected me. This is the only seat technology approved by Indycar. http://www.baldspotsports.com

[Wolf Pack Racing]

Any idea where a bead seat can be purchased?

Mark

http://www.baldspotsports.com

[turnbaugh]

Anybody used the EIS seat for more than a couple of years? How is it holding up?

My EIS roll bar padding never lasted very long before it became brittle and crumbly.

If the EIS seat is 25% better than a bead seat when both are new but only 1/3 as good when 3 years old....a cost benefit analysis is in order (aren't they always? ) Aging out isn't an issue for the pros, for the club racer I would think it's a legitimate concern.

I have been using my seat for 1.5 years. No sign of deterioration. Still as comfortable as new. Not brittle or cracking. I suspect the cover protects it from sun and any other contaminants.

[Halifax]

Thanks for the exhaustive review, Gentlemen.