Review: Corbeau Sportline RRB Seats in CT9A EVO 8 VIII
#1
Review: Corbeau Sportline RRB Seats in CT9A EVO 8 VIII
Hey guys!
I figured I would share my experience and observations installing these seats in my 2004 EVO VIII SSL. Prior to purchasing these new, I was looking into Bride and nicer Recaro to replace the all-leather slip n slide seats. Basically, I wanted more comfort, bolster, and cloth since our summers can get fairly hot here in SoCal. Fixed buckets are nice, but I wanted to be mindful of others. Cue the Sportline RRB which is essentially a "reclining bucket" seat with cloth/vinyl.
Corbeau is a great company with excellent stateside customer service. My quick online chat turned into a phone call, and the decision was easy to make. I even ordered new black cloth wraps for my 3000GT VR-4's 10-year-old Corbeau A4's and new "seat savers" (protectors) for all four.
Moving along...
The factory seats are reported to weigh 36-37lbs/ea, and the RRB's are advertised at 26lbs/ea:
Compared to my EVO X SE (factory heated cloth Recaro), these are more comfortable, lots of bolster support for thighs/hips/shoulders, and they sit slightly lower. My friend that helped with the installation agreed as he also has the same X Recaro.
The "seat savers" surprisingly fit well and do not feel much less comfortable when left installed. Perfect for pets, protection from sun/elements, or driving from the beach, etc.
Moving onto my observations...
Unlike some of the other seat options, there is plenty of space between the seats and door side, however, the space between the center console/arm rest is very close. The seats themselves do not make contact, but the seat belt does get cramped. In the interim, I just rotate/twist the seat belt before buckling it; not really an issue for those with aftermarket harnesses. Based on observation, the solution would be to adjust the bracket to mount at least 0.5" more toward the door instead. How you approach that can differ.
INSTALLATION NOTE: Do *NOT* use the supplied washers when installing the allen bolts. They sit too high and will hit the head of the bolt that connects the bracket to the slider/rail. This limits forward/backward movement and actually prevents you from successfully installing the bracket to the seat. Also, the rear-left of the PS bracket sat a little too high from the frame. Without bending, the factory bolt will only grab an initial 1-2 threads. We tried various tilting and sitting in the seat, but ultimately, we just used a longer, crowned bolt.
TL;DR lighter and more comfortable seats for a solid price. They also somewhat match the interior. Shipping only took two days for delivery from UT to CA, and everything was well packaged.
Hope this helps people that are researching alternatives for their EVO 8 or 9!
Cheers,
-Alan
I figured I would share my experience and observations installing these seats in my 2004 EVO VIII SSL. Prior to purchasing these new, I was looking into Bride and nicer Recaro to replace the all-leather slip n slide seats. Basically, I wanted more comfort, bolster, and cloth since our summers can get fairly hot here in SoCal. Fixed buckets are nice, but I wanted to be mindful of others. Cue the Sportline RRB which is essentially a "reclining bucket" seat with cloth/vinyl.
Corbeau is a great company with excellent stateside customer service. My quick online chat turned into a phone call, and the decision was easy to make. I even ordered new black cloth wraps for my 3000GT VR-4's 10-year-old Corbeau A4's and new "seat savers" (protectors) for all four.
Moving along...
The factory seats are reported to weigh 36-37lbs/ea, and the RRB's are advertised at 26lbs/ea:
Compared to my EVO X SE (factory heated cloth Recaro), these are more comfortable, lots of bolster support for thighs/hips/shoulders, and they sit slightly lower. My friend that helped with the installation agreed as he also has the same X Recaro.
The "seat savers" surprisingly fit well and do not feel much less comfortable when left installed. Perfect for pets, protection from sun/elements, or driving from the beach, etc.
Moving onto my observations...
Unlike some of the other seat options, there is plenty of space between the seats and door side, however, the space between the center console/arm rest is very close. The seats themselves do not make contact, but the seat belt does get cramped. In the interim, I just rotate/twist the seat belt before buckling it; not really an issue for those with aftermarket harnesses. Based on observation, the solution would be to adjust the bracket to mount at least 0.5" more toward the door instead. How you approach that can differ.
INSTALLATION NOTE: Do *NOT* use the supplied washers when installing the allen bolts. They sit too high and will hit the head of the bolt that connects the bracket to the slider/rail. This limits forward/backward movement and actually prevents you from successfully installing the bracket to the seat. Also, the rear-left of the PS bracket sat a little too high from the frame. Without bending, the factory bolt will only grab an initial 1-2 threads. We tried various tilting and sitting in the seat, but ultimately, we just used a longer, crowned bolt.
TL;DR lighter and more comfortable seats for a solid price. They also somewhat match the interior. Shipping only took two days for delivery from UT to CA, and everything was well packaged.
Hope this helps people that are researching alternatives for their EVO 8 or 9!
Cheers,
-Alan
The following 3 users liked this post by bboyalan:
#3
Thanks! If I understand your question correctly, these do sit a bit lower than the factory Recaro; I see less of the hood now. That coupled with the recessed section for our a** actually improves headroom. I am 5' 7" (according to my DL ha-ha) and prefer the new seating position. I can actually rest my head back, comfortably, while having support for my thighs. Plenty of room to wear a helmet, if needed.
#4
Newbie
iTrader: (2)
Any thoughts on these seats after having them for a while? I'm deciding between these and the Sparco QRT seats. If they're fairly comfortable, for the price they seem hard to beat. They're a great looking seat!
Thanks! If I understand your question correctly, these do sit a bit lower than the factory Recaro; I see less of the hood now. That coupled with the recessed section for our a** actually improves headroom. I am 5' 7" (according to my DL ha-ha) and prefer the new seating position. I can actually rest my head back, comfortably, while having support for my thighs. Plenty of room to wear a helmet, if needed.
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trinydex
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Dec 10, 2004 06:32 PM