Bead seat sizing

[redcar9]

I'm trying to decide on a seat size. I'm getting conflicting information.
5'-9" 145lbs
2000 Van Diemen

This seems like I would need a 30Gal or 113L
https://www.pegasusautoracing.com/pr...p?Product=4525

This however would suggest 18Gal or 70L
https://www.demon-tweeks.com/us/indi-seat-kit-737075/

Any input? I'm wanting a seat to go over the firebaottle cover. Maybe that's a mistake?
The image that pegasus has looks like what I'm going after.

[Garey Guzman]

It's easier to discard extra than to do it twice because there wasn't enough the first time....

[redcar9]

It's easier to discard extra than to do it twice because there wasn't enough the first time....

I agree, but those two kits are totally different in size. How much is needed for a 2000 Van Diemen?

[BeerBudgetRacing]

I'm trying to decide on a seat size. I'm getting conflicting information.
5'-9" 145lbs
2000 Van Diemen

This seems like I would need a 30Gal or 113L
https://www.pegasusautoracing.com/pr...p?Product=4525

This however would suggest 18Gal or 70L
https://www.demon-tweeks.com/us/indi-seat-kit-737075/

Any input? I'm wanting a seat to go over the firebaottle cover. Maybe that's a mistake?
The image that pegasus has looks like what I'm going after.

I disagree with 30 gal selection. Remember, you don't need to cover yourself Probably Medium 15gal.

I have been using this. To each his own.
https://www.rollbarpadding.com/product/id-74

With any of these you will be adding padding to fill a lot of the space before you pour.



You will need someone to help for all these.

[Rick Kirchner]

you can easily buy all the components for a seat kit and for the same price have enough to do 3 seats.

[John LaRue]

I disagree with 30 gal selection. Remember, you don't need to cover yourself Probably Medium 15gal.

I have been using this. To each his own.
https://www.rollbarpadding.com/product/id-74

With any of these you will be adding padding to fill a lot of the space before you pour.



You will need someone to help for all these.

What size BSCI kit did you use and, how far down did you go? Thanks.

[BeerBudgetRacing]

What size BSCI kit did you use and, how far down did you go? Thanks.

I'm a larger driver. (6' - 220lb - 22" wide shoulders) For my current seat (RF01) I used a small and had excess.
I did use a small in my previous RF95.

I have a medium kit in my garage right now for the RF01 as I plan to do more side bolstering after I do some mods relating to shifting (or lack there of !)

"how far down did you go?" My butt has some foam under it (1/2"). The car is configured with the extinguisher in front of the hoop and battery behind. I actually like it switched and may do that and install an extinguisher cover before pouring the next one since there is a larger void under my thighs to the battery. I had made a wedge out of cheap boat foam for support.

I've help others pour bead seats and the BCSI is much easier and faster.

[John LaRue]

I made a bead seat that runs from above my shoulders to below my knees which is very nice. It is not flexible like the BSCI material so I had to cut it into 3 sections for removal. TO my surprise it has held up very well over the years. The instructions were to place carboard on the inside of the tubes to form the outside of the seat, however it looked to me as though it would be too thin in several places. Instead, I wrapped the tubes with carboard and placed the carboard panels on the outside of the frame tubes. This allowed the foam to fill in the cavities and to loosely "lock in" around the tubes. I would think the BSCI kits might be flexible enough to permit their extraction without cutting into sections.

[BeerBudgetRacing]

I made a bead seat that runs from above my shoulders to below my knees which is very nice. It is not flexible like the BSCI material so I had to cut it into 3 sections for removal. TO my surprise it has held up very well over the years. The instructions were to place carboard on the inside of the tubes to form the outside of the seat, however it looked to me as though it would be too thin in several places. Instead, I wrapped the tubes with carboard and placed the carboard panels on the outside of the frame tubes. This allowed the foam to fill in the cavities and to loosely "lock in" around the tubes. I would think the BSCI kits might be flexible enough to permit their extraction without cutting into sections.

It probably isn't as soft or flexible as you might think.
It really depends on the thickness of the part you are trying to bend. I question potential damage to the integrity when bending. At about 1" thick it bends. At 2" thick it does not bend.

My current seat has virtually no side bolstering and is 1 piece. With the new seat I plan to split it vertically.

[John LaRue]

Thanks for the information. As mentioned, I split mine into three pieces making a cut vertically along my sides and both legs so that there is a full un-cut center section. The sides fit into the car first, then the center section fits between and locks the sides into place. FWIW when they used to cut the seats, they did so on a 45 so the split was not in the center.

[Redawgleader]

We had good experience with using BSCI kits in our DP-08 Chassis. We used XL kits, and had too much foam. I think a M or L would work best. We liked the BSCI kits as they were fast and convenient, and did not require a vacuum. Here are some tips:
1.Add a section of gym mat inside the pour bag in the butt area. Extra padding in the butt is necessary as the driver will tend to squish the foam away from that area when they eventually sit down.
2. Create a rope loop suspended from the ceiling for the driver to pull themselves up and away from the seat when you pour. This allows the foam to flow down around the butt area.
3. Push the foam mixture down toward the butt and thigh area. Gravity alone isn't quite enough to get the foam there.
4. Have the driver wear disposable painter coveralls with hood to protect from foam overflow
5. Box the entire cockpit rear and sides with cardboard. Leave no nooks for foam to expand into
6. Have the driver push shoulders aggressively backward (lean backward hard) when foam begins to expand. Otherwise the foam will push the driver forward into an upright seated position. You don't want that.
7. Be aggressive in trimming using the provided electric knife. But do it in small increments, each time putting the seat back into the car and having the driver test it. Eventually less is more so that you have room for shifting, etc. Don't cover the seat until you have raced in it at least once, as you will for sure want to make mods after racing.

[redcar9]

I made a bead seat that runs from above my shoulders to below my knees which is very nice. It is not flexible like the BSCI material so I had to cut it into 3 sections for removal. TO my surprise it has held up very well over the years. The instructions were to place carboard on the inside of the tubes to form the outside of the seat, however it looked to me as though it would be too thin in several places. Instead, I wrapped the tubes with carboard and placed the carboard panels on the outside of the frame tubes. This allowed the foam to fill in the cavities and to loosely "lock in" around the tubes. I would think the BSCI kits might be flexible enough to permit their extraction without cutting into sections.

That's the size I'm thinking of doing. How much material did you use? Can you post some pictures?

[redcar9]

This is awesome info! Don't you want the seat to lock into some of the bars? I realize it will make it harder to remove.
The rest of the info is golden.
If you already had a vacuum pump would you pick another brand? I'm going to borrow a pump from work.

We had good experience with using BSCI kits in our DP-08 Chassis. We used XL kits, and had too much foam. I think a M or L would work best. We liked the BSCI kits as they were fast and convenient, and did not require a vacuum. Here are some tips:
1.Add a section of gym mat inside the pour bag in the butt area. Extra padding in the butt is necessary as the driver will tend to squish the foam away from that area when they eventually sit down.
2. Create a rope loop suspended from the ceiling for the driver to pull themselves up and away from the seat when you pour. This allows the foam to flow down around the butt area.
3. Push the foam mixture down toward the butt and thigh area. Gravity alone isn't quite enough to get the foam there.
4. Have the driver wear disposable painter coveralls with hood to protect from foam overflow
5. Box the entire cockpit rear and sides with cardboard. Leave no nooks for foam to expand into
6. Have the driver push shoulders aggressively backward (lean backward hard) when foam begins to expand. Otherwise the foam will push the driver forward into an upright seated position. You don't want that.
7. Be aggressive in trimming using the provided electric knife. But do it in small increments, each time putting the seat back into the car and having the driver test it. Eventually less is more so that you have room for shifting, etc. Don't cover the seat until you have raced in it at least once, as you will for sure want to make mods after racing.

[redcar9]

Do you have any pictures?

Thanks for the information. As mentioned, I split mine into three pieces making a cut vertically along my sides and both legs so that there is a full un-cut center section. The sides fit into the car first, then the center section fits between and locks the sides into place. FWIW when they used to cut the seats, they did so on a 45 so the split was not in the center.

[John LaRue]

Do you have any pictures?

I don’t recall the size of the kit, sorry. I purchased it from the shop that was making seats for Indy Car back then. I think they may have branded the kits as Indy Seats at a later date. The one thing I liked about the kit was that you could take your time in getting the material positioned; it doesn’t kick off like the BASC material.

[Redawgleader]

This is awesome info! Don't you want the seat to lock into some of the bars? I realize it will make it harder to remove.
The rest of the info is golden.
If you already had a vacuum pump would you pick another brand? I'm going to borrow a pump from work.

We were happy with the BCSI kits, so no I don’t think I would bother with a vacuum kit. It’s also about the time the driver has to stay in place. 10 min for our kits. No, you definitely don’t want the seat to protrude past your frame. It will be way too hard to get in and out. The seat will be wedged in tightly. You don’t have to worry about the seat moving around. Remember you and the seat will be strapped down.

[Redawgleader]

Here are a couple or more photos that might be helpful. In one photo of the underside of the seat you can see where the foam merges with the gym mat that we used to substantiate the butt area which tends not to get much of the foam. The finished product photo shows the covering applied and seamed with gaffer tape (as supplied by BCSI. You can see where we cut holes to accept the lap and shoulder belts, emphasizing that these seats definitely do not move once you are strapped down.

[BeerBudgetRacing]

I don’t recall the size of the kit, sorry. I purchased it from the shop that was making seats for Indy Car back then. I think they may have branded the kits as Indy Seats at a later date. The one thing I liked about the kit was that you could take your time in getting the material positioned; it doesn’t kick off like the BASC material.

The seat that came with my RF95 was really nice. Do not know who made it. (Eric Boucher would know - it was his seat)
It had a fiberglass shell base and excellent padding that went through the front hoop. It was split longways down the middle.
I felt it was good enough to keep and included it when I sold the car.

[Spengo]

I am making a new seat with the Baldspot kit, medium size (15 gal). When I first read this thread I was worried I had gotten too small of a bag but that concern was completely unwarranted. I am 5'10" 175lbs, not an especially large man but 15 gallons was HUGE in a formula car. We had to flatten it out like a pancake with a foam roller then keep scooting beads out of the bottom. I was completely encased in beads when I finally got into position in the car. After it hardened I had to have my two bros who were helping pull me up from the armpits to escape. Next time I'm getting a 10 gallon bag.

[BeerBudgetRacing]

Next time roll a video camera !