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Hi everyone, new owner here. Just wondering what other owners do for the replacement of the rubber seatback straps in the factory seats, and how long it takes you on average to complete.

I've had the best luck with the original straps, available here: https://swissarmyvehicles.com/seat-rubb ... r-50117951

I tried various other rubber straps, bungee cords, etc. with some success but not as good as the originals.

pcolette wrote: ↑Fri Dec 21, 2018 10:54 pm I've had the best luck with the original straps, available here: https://swissarmyvehicles.com/seat-rubb ... r-50117951

I tried various other rubber straps, bungee cords, etc. with some success but not as good as the originals.

Thanks Paul. I'm also using factory straps. Just thinking a buddy and I have found the best method of replacing them- taking about 6 minutes per seat for all 4 straps in each, with a "custom" tool.

I would love to hear more about that custom tool. I am replacing my straps while dealing with some hand/medical issues and they have been kicking my tail. Thanks, Joe

I too would be interested in the technique. I have replaced several and have tried many different ways and home made "tools". But 6 minute for a whole seat? I have to learn about that. Thanks

So...I've just replaced several of these, with and without a helper. With a helper is much faster, but both are doable.

With a helper:
- Remove old strap and two end clips
- Take about 6ft of 12-14AWG wire extracted from some scrap Romex -- use white or black, but not ground
- Snake the copper wire through the seat back, loop through the strap, and back through the seat back, bring the two wire ends together
- Pull the strap through the seat back, hooking up the first clip into the seat frame and strap.
Now you have the strap half hooked up, and a way to stretch it.
- Brace your feet against the seat frame, and pull the wire until the strap is stretched to the frame. I find gloves and securing the wire to a stick to make a t-handle helps a lot.
- Now your helper pushes a pair of long-nose pliers into one side of the strap to open the gap, and fishes the clip in from the other side. You might use a second pair of long-nose pliers to help open the gap on the other side as well.
- Lastly, the two of you communicate to pull more/less on the strap to get the second clip secured into the frame.

Without a helper:
Same as above, but tie the far side of the seat frame to a hardpoint on one side of your workspace, and copper wire through a come-along to a hardpoint on the other side of your workspace. The rest remains the same.

I tried the "without a helper" technique without the come-along first, just securing the pull-wire around my back and leaning backward to stretch the cable, but it was just too many things in motion. The come-along helps a lot to give you time to fiddle with getting the clip through the strap end.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for this post! This way makes a lot of sense.