IRSI Seats/Arm

[0533]

There is always something to deal with on a Big Bus. When I pickled up my bus from having service the other day I noticed that the right arm of the IRSI seat was raised up higher than I thought it was supposed to go. When I moved it back down to its normal level position it just continued down to the seat. The roller does not seem to be able to adjust the arm at all, up or down, to its normal operating position (for me). I was told that if I did the following I could take it off and examine it so I did.

I moved the arm up to the back of the seat at a 90 degree position and removed from the main seat body. I examined the arm's connection point to the main seat body. In the open rod that connects to the main seat body there is a pin that is about 2 inches long. It does not seem to move if I adjust the roller, what is its role in the process. The mechanism seems simple, but I cannot see how it should work and there is no access to the roller rod that is supposed to adjust the arm up or down.

When I move the roller nothing seems to happen at all, and when I put it back on the seat it does nothing. You can adjust the roller but there is no pressure or connection to the seat .

Have any of you ever dealt with this problem??

[Jon Wehrenberg]

If you poke around where the arm pivots by pushing the leather out of the way you will see a roll pin that is supposed to go through the pivot and shaft.

I can't describe it any better. You will see what I mean.

The roll pin has slipped out. It is not easy to push back, but it is doable.

[flyu2there]

Speaking of the ISRI, can anyone de-mystify this thing for me. I really have never been able to hit the "sweet spot", I am either bouncing up and down feet in the air, or am sitting on something that resembles a concrete bench, Neither of these positions are acceptable!

So, aside from the tilt and fore/aft, how in the hell does one make this thing do what it is supposed to do? Also, the lumbar support...goes flat after 15 minutes or so...what am I doing wrong or should I toss the thing out the door in favor of a Ricarro?

John

[0533]

If you poke around where the arm pivots by pushing the leather out of the way you will see a roll pin that is supposed to go through the pivot and shaft.

I can't describe it any better. You will see what I mean.

The roll pin has slipped out. It is not easy to push back, but it is doable.

I know exactly what you are referring to. I noticed this pin when I was examining the arm. It needs to slip through both the arm and the seat connection.

What throw me off is that I felt the other arm and felt the pin was slipping way down outside of the shaft as well, and decided or at least convinced myself that it must be ok.

Your right about getting it back in. There is very little room to get inside of the leather around the shaft to drive the pin back in place.

I had the seats removed to have the floors done, and am now thinking that the arms were taken off at some point.

Also is there a correct way to insert the pin, what I mean is there a top or bottom to the pin in the direction is should be installed?

If you were to look at the arm as it should be parallel to the seat when it is in use, the pin has backed out and down toward the seat. I need to get behind it and force it back up into the sleeve of the shaft, but wonder that over time it will back out and down toward the floor over time????

[Jerry Winchester]

I have a similar problem in that the seat seems to have a mind of its own. One minute it is fine and it may be like that for hours, then it will sink low then go very high then settle back down.

And the armrest adjustment lock seems to be jacked up. I can't hardly turn the roller at the end of the arm, which I assume should lock the arm in the desired position.

This sounds like a Loc McNew "Workation" project that I can deal with on my trip next week.

I also figured the roller was attached to a threaded rod that somehow tightened up a locking mechanism on where the arm attached to the seat. Is that correct?

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Bruce, I don't remember having a top or bottom choice. When I finally got the holes lined up I just pushed the pin in from the only direction I could.

I don't remember what I did on the bus seat to retain the pin. I know I safety wired the pin in the plane seat because when the pin came out the seat back collapsed. I may have done this on the bus, but it is a real pain to access the pin so I don't want to look.

[0533]

Bruce, I don't remember having a top or bottom choice. When I finally got the holes lined up I just pushed the pin in from the only direction I could.

I don't remember what I did on the bus seat to retain the pin. I know I safety wired the pin in the plane seat because when the pin came out the seat back collapsed. I may have done this on the bus, but it is a real pain to access the pin so I don't want to look.

Thanks Jon and Jerry.

I am considering taking a thin block of wood and placing it on either side of the leather, lining up the pin and then using some type of adjustable strap or vice grips to squeeze the pin into the shaft . I can not see how I can get into the leather area without tearing up the leather.

I also wondered if it matters whether you position the roller at any special point before you push in the pin, ie. all the way in or all the way out or in a neutral position?

I'm heading over to the Bus after 2 today to tackle the arm rest. You forget how much you rely on the armrest for comfort while running down the road..

Jerry as for the seat moving up and down I had a similar problem as well. I replaced all of the air fittings and it stopped. I assumed it simply was loosing air over time after going over bumpy roads etc.

[truk4u]

The buttons suck, they leak, you just can't hear them unless you stick an ear up to it like Jdub looking for an aux air leak in a rest area. I put in new buttons and they sucked just like the originals. The King had the right idea, disconnect the whole air supply and forget it.

[0533]

The buttons suck, they leak, you just can't hear them unless you stick an ear up to it like Jdub looking for an aux air leak in a rest area. I put in new buttons and they sucked just like the originals. The King had the right idea, disconnect the whole air supply and forget it.

Tom, the bigger question here is do you really like the IRSI seats??? Should I send you a customer satisfaction survey ??

I honestly feel that its the way the seats are installed and maintained by the convertors. I have had several people work on my seats from Oregon to Florida and each had a different understanding of how the fittings should be installed, and even had them installed backwards once.

The Germans are very careful about the way they make their products, but if we Americans do not read the manuals there will be consequences.

[Joe Cannarozzi]

John you described too much or too little air.

Our ISRI had auto height incorporated into them. Are yours similar or are they manually adjustable by a button.

In any event there is a small shock absorber incorporated into the seat to act as a dampener this may be wore out.

Also there is a inherent flaw in the auto height. On a new valve that reacts quickly when a rough road sets the seat to oscillating (for lack of a better term) the valve reacts in a adverse effect.

For instance: when you hit a dip the seat compresses this triggers the valve to air up thus causing a greater rebound than would have occoured naturally. The same also occurs in reverse. When the bus dips down causing the seat to rise the valve dumps air then putting you on the floor in the rebound.

I also did not appreciate when, while slowly maneuvering and in slow tight right hand turns, when I sometimes stand up out of the seat to extend my vision in the right mirror the seat dumps air and when you sit back down your sitting on the floor.

All of this can be eliminated by disabling that auto valve in the base and replacing it with a manual button. If you already have the button try replacing the shock.