C 4 Sport Seat (1993) Seat Lumbar Bladder(s)

[John H.]

Looking for suggestions on repairing the lumbar seat bladders in my 1993 for PV. The replacement bladders have been discontinued and I've been unable to locate any as of yet. If one of the ZR1 parts hoarders has a set please send me a PM with price. I was also thinking of inserting three "air shims" into the existing plastic bladders and feeding them with the existing pump. My pumps and air releases are working perfectly. Has anyone tried this, or have a better idea to repair the lumbar chambers?

[David H.]

Re: C 4 Sport Seat (1993) Seat Lumbar Bladder(s)

John

Send C4 National Team Leader, Tom Barr, an email. Expect he can direct you to someone or how to repair.

Dave

Tom is under CONTACTS drop down at page top.

[Mark E.]

Re: C 4 Sport Seat (1993) Seat Lumbar Bladder(s)

What's wrong with the bladder? If ruptured or torn, can you patch it?

[Brad Hillhouse (37766)]

Re: C 4 Sport Seat (1993) Seat Lumbar Bladder(s)

What's wrong with the bladder? If ruptured or torn, can you patch it?

Mark - The rubber seat bladder turns brittle and breaks into multiple pieces when they go bad and no longer hold air. In this photo you are looking at yellow plastic material which is the bladder that has become brittle and broken inside the seat foam.

C4 Seat Bladder.jpg

[Joe L.]

Re: C 4 Sport Seat (1993) Seat Lumbar Bladder(s)

Mark - The rubber seat bladder turns brittle and breaks into multiple pieces when they go bad and no longer hold air. In this photo you are looking at yellow plastic material which is the bladder that has become brittle and broken inside the seat foam.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]111253[/ATTACH]

Brad------


With that kind of deterioration I highly doubt that repair will be possible. But, you never know.

If it helps, the part number you are looking for was GM #14079496. This part number is applicable to a wide year model range for Corvettes----1984 to 1993. So, there's going to be a lot of other C4 owners with sports seats that either have had or will have the same problem you have.

A curious note: way back in 1991 when I ordered my 1992 I thought about ordering sports seats. However, I figured that the "inflatable components" of the seats might be troublesome at some point. So, I opted not to order them. Of course, if I had ordered them I likely would have obtained spare bladders long before I needed them and, thus, would have been "covered" if and when failure occurred. But, I didn't order the AQ9 seats so I never obtained any spare bladders.

[John H.]

Re: C 4 Sport Seat (1993) Seat Lumbar Bladder(s)

Dave,

I have spoken with Tom. I used my last set on a 90 ZR1 and haven"t found another set.

[John H.]

Re: C 4 Sport Seat (1993) Seat Lumbar Bladder(s)

Mark they aren't as bad as the images below. I'm disassembling everything today. Whoever was making the replacements seems to have discontinued the reproduction. That's why I wondering if I could insert an air shim, or like a blood pressure cuff into the seat to serve as the three chambered bladders.

[Brad Hillhouse (37766)]

Re: C 4 Sport Seat (1993) Seat Lumbar Bladder(s)

John do you need one side or both?

Brad

[John H.]

Re: C 4 Sport Seat (1993) Seat Lumbar Bladder(s)

Both, the each have at least one leaker.

[Keith K.]

Re: C 4 Sport Seat (1993) Seat Lumbar Bladder(s)

It is the rubber membrane that deteriorates. I took the assembly apart and cut a new rubber piece from a rubber dish-washing glove, reassembled, and it worked. 93 ZR1