Recommend a replacement

[RPWC]

Site says on back order,so that means they can't be got for ages, usual Rimmers problem,tried to get stuff from them before ,only to find it was on back order and no idea when stock would be replenished. Eventually had to get a Freelander part,as no other Rover parts stockist in the country had one.

[Mr (Z) T]

Originally Posted by Duotone

Genuine Rover seat bolts are ment to be "single use" that is, once tightend to the correct torque they stretch and should not be re-used, only replaced with brand new bolts.

Dave T

It's not the stretch that is the major problem for me it is the soft heads...

[neilbaker86]

I've always used Torx without any issues, it would seem very strange to me that Rover would describe them as Torx all over their instructions to then go and use a relatively non-standard head (Torx being much more common). I haven't seen anything from any other members, but with respect, I think they're wrong.

I'd seriously just stick to the genuine articles. At the end of the day, how often are you looking to remove and refit your seats?

[Mr (Z) T]

Here's a thread Neil


I get what you're saying Neil but I dont want to replace with bolts that I know to have weak heads... I read up and it seems you're right that Stainless can work harden so high-tensile is the way forward just not sure if the heads will be just as soft?

[neilbaker86]

Stainless (A2 grade) isn't as strong as a standard 8.8, let alone 10.9 high-tensile. Please see below chart:



The standard seat bolts are probably 10.9. There should be no problems with the heads, so long as the correct bit is used, I think most of the problems with heads on bolts such as these are due to the use of incorrect bits, and poor fitment/alignment of the bits when attempting to loosen/tighten the bolt. As down on the floor under a seat with limited access isn't ideal.

Also, bear in mind the safety critical aspect of these bolts, remember that the seatbelt buckle is affixed to the seat, and the seat to the car.

[Arctic]

Judge for your self below removed two seats of seats last Friday and Saturday no problem Arctic

[T-Cut]

Looking at Arctic's photos, especially number 2, confirms (IMO) that these bolts are Ribe/Polydrive type. The clue is in the shape of the outer star points. They are square. The Torx points are tapered and rounded. The roots of both types are rounded. The difference is subtle, so while a Torx bit will enter a Ribe/Polydrive socket, a Ribe bit won't enter a Torx socket.

When people remove these high tensile bolts using a Torx drive, it's not uncommon to read about rounded off corners in the socket. I have no doubt that a Torx bit will serve the purpose if used by an experienced mechanic, but there is a risk for a typical DIYer. I recently bought a Ribe M8 bit specifically to do this job. The bit enters the sockets perfectly. It couldn't do so if the socket were Torx. You can see from the image below that the Ribe bit has the square ended splines.







TC

[pbaker]

that is a very interesting piece of information. thank you that man. the thread was very cloudy about what was the difference between the two.I am storing this info. peter.