High back seat install - driver base question

I’ve got the drivers base and all the brackets but didn’t get the reinforcement plate shown in the MWO. I’ve seen pics of some with it installed and others without. What’s the “right” answer? Opinions?

Thanks!


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Without the reinforcement plate, all that holds your seat in the event of a crash are those tiny #10 screws that fix the transverse seat rails to the body. And with the body being comparatively soft aluminium, any strong force on the seat will probably pull those screws right throught the alu body. The reinforcment plates (steel, if I remember correctly) are there to spread the load from the screw heads over a larger area.

I would definitely mount that reinforcement plate. You can easily make them from sheet metal, using the transverse seat rails as a template.

papakb said:

When I installed mine the kits weren't available so I made my reinforcing brackets from 1" bar stock aluminum 3/32 thick.

Click to expand...

Did you use rivets or the #10 screws? Thanks!

FYI....OEM from the factory does NOT use any sort of backing plate, those Backing plates were only in the MWO kit.
I personally have installed hundreds And don’t use them.

RWH is right (as always ); I just checked my M1045A2 that had high back seats from the factory; and there are no backing plates. My M998 that I refitted the seats by MWO has those plates. Weird....