When I took my Cruze to the last track day, I realized that my OEM seats just weren’t cutting it. I kept sliding around during cornering, which was not only uncomfortable but also dangerous. I knew I needed an upgrade, something with better bolstering and harnesses to keep me secure in the seat.
Upgrading to a fixed racing seat was the best option, but I wanted to stick with a reclining seat since I still drive the car on the street. After scouring the internet for a suitable reclining sport seat, I finally found the perfect match from Braum Racing. Their Elite Series seat not only provided the necessary bolstering but also looked sleek and stylish in my car.
To install the new seats, I ordered seat brackets from Planted Technology, the only company that made brackets for the Cruze. These brackets had tabs for a harness lap belt, which I wanted to install in addition to keeping the OEM belts. I knew this was going to be a challenge, but I’m always up for a good challenge.
However, I soon realized that removing the OEM seats would be trickier than I thought. These seats had airbags; removing them would activate the airbag malfunction indicator light on the dash. That’s when I stumbled upon the idea of adding a resistor to the connector to trick the system into thinking the airbags were still there. Genius, right? I love the internet.
With the airbag issue sorted, I moved on to the next hurdle – installing the seat heating elements. I’m no expert when it comes to upholstering seats, so I decided to tackle that another day. However, I did manage to get the passenger pressure pad installed, which was a small win.
The real challenge, though, was keeping the OEM belts. The tensioner was attached to the OEM frame, which meant I had to add a tab to the Planted belt mounting tab for the tensioner stabilizer pin. It was a tedious job, but I finally managed to get it done.
The final step was installing the shoulder belts for the aftermarket harness. The top of the rear deck, where the seat back latches, has sound reinforcement, which seemed to be the best option. I consulted with Piper Motorsport, a trusted name in the industry, for their opinion on whether it would hold in an accident. They didn’t see any issues with it. I jokingly told them I would pin it on them If it didn’t. They replied that it wouldn’t matter because I’d be dead. Touché
All in all, it was a satisfying experience. I not only upgraded my seats but also learned a thing or two about car modifications. The new seats have significantly improved my driving experience, providing better support, especially during high-speed cornering. And the best part? My car will look and feel even better now on both the street and the track!
DS
