Lawn mower seat cushion. 5 Of The Best Mini-Bikes That Are Actually Street-Legal
How To Repair Riding Mower Seats
Note: For all products mentioned, please read the manufacturer’s directions regarding safety, surface preparation and clean up.
Update!
Please read the update at the bottom of this article. We tried a different repair method for the seat to our Toro riding lawn mower, which had several splits and had lifted completely out of the plastic seat shell.
There’s nothing worse than sitting down on your riding mower and getting “soggy butt”. The water that the foam has absorbed through tears, rips or splits in the vinyl seat rises up the second your full weight is in the seat. If there is damage on your mower seat, you can definitely buy a new replacement seat for 89 to 200 dollars. Or you can perform the repairs yourself.
Our reliable old craftsman mower had a badly neglected seat that needed repair. There were minor rips at the top and major splits on the edge of the seat. The molded foam underneath the tears had become crumbly and porous and was missing in sections. To repair the seat, we needed to fix the foam and repair the vinyl so that it was airtight.
Repairing The Foam
The foam of our seat is molded and the biggest split was on the right side of the seat. It was now wider than the left side, so we used strapping ties to pull it back into proper position. Then all the damaged foam was removed. We decided to useLoctite TITE Insulating Foam because it is semi-flexible after curing, and also provides adhesion. It becomes tack-free in about 8 minutes, and can be cut, trimmed or sanded after about an hour.
UsingLoctite TITE Insulating Foam, we applied foam into the missing foam areasinside the seat until it was almost 75% filled. You can fill it all the way, if you plan on trimming it to shape afterward. After the foam became tact-free, duct tape was applied to span across the vinyl and foam areas. A few random heavy items were placed over the repaired area, in a way that they conformed to the shape of the seat. We wanted to repairs to have the same molded shape as the rest of the seat.
We removed the weighted items and checked the repairs every 5 minutes or so, repositioning the weights as needed. After about 30 minutes, the weights were removed and we let the foam cure for another hour.
The nice part about doing the foam repair this way, is that the insulating foam is also adhesive, so it sticks to the original foam as well as to the bottom of the vinyl seat cover. No need to use an adhesive to make the vinyl stick to the foam.
Finally, we trimmed off the duct tape that spanned the vinyl seat and the repaired area. We left a section of the duct tape, where it had adhered to the new foam.
Repairing The Vinyl Seat Cover
The brush-on version of Plasti Dip is perfect for covering the repairs and making the surface waterproof. If you repaired foam, the vinyl cover should already be adhered to the new foam. But if you have small tears or rips that are curled upward, you’ll need to first apply an adhesive so that they’ll stick to the underlying foam. 3M 8090 trim adhesive is a great adhesive for this purpose because ithas a high heat tolerance. But any foam/vinyl adhesive should do. You may need to weigh down the vinyl until the adhesive cures.
Once you’ve prepped the vinyl, first apply Plasti Dip inside and between any of the gaps to fill them until they are level with the vinyl. Wipe off any excess from the vinyl. Let it dry and apply more if needed. Once the gaps are level with the vinyl, brush on a heavy application of the Plasti Dip, making sure to feather it out so that it blends into the existing vinyl. You may need to apply one or two coats.
If the Plasti Dip stands out and you want the seat to look uniform, you can buy the spray version of Plasti Dip and give the whole seat a quick spray.
Let the finished seat cure for at least 24 hours (if not longer) before using.
Updated Method For Lawn Mower Seat Repair
After using the above method to repair our Craftsman mower seat, we wanted to try out another way to repair out Toro mower seat. It had completely lifted out of the hard plastic seat shell and had two splits that needed repair. Unfortunately, we didn’t get photos of the “before” but do have images during and after the repair.
We figured we’d need a heavy duty adhesive to glue the foam seat back into the plastic seat shell frame, so we tried Gorilla Glue Heavy Duty Construction Adhesive. It’s available almost anywhere, but you can also get it from Amazon by clicking the image below.
To secure the seat to the frame, we put a heavy bead of caulk around the entire foam seat and seated it inside the shell frame. We used a little bit of water to smooth out the caulk. We let this cure for 24 hours before working on the splits in the seat.
Next, wefilled the gaps within the seat splits with the caulk adhesive and allowed that to cure overnight.
The next morning, we used a putty knife to put a final coat of adhesive over the splits and use water to feather out the edges.
Once everything was completely cured, we applied a coat of black appliance epoxy paint to the entire seat. You can get the paint pretty much anywhere. We used Krylon and you can find it at Amazon if needed.
The one thing we really like about the adhesive caulk is that it’s flexible. Not only did it glue the cushion back into the frame and fill the seat splits, it created a flexible membrane over the split.
Of The Best Mini-Bikes That Are Actually Street-Legal
When you hear mini bike, you might harken back to your youth, zipping around on a contraption with bicycle handlebars, a seat made from an old couch cushion, and powered by a repurposed lawn mower engine. If you were lucky, you might’ve had a luxury model properly built by Sears, Go Kart, CAT, or other regional mini-bike makers. And if you were rich, you probably had something from Honda, like a Z50A.
What that term means today, however, has become convoluted. In the same way that all bourbon is whiskey, but not all whiskey is bourbon, mini bikes can be miniature motorcycles and bikes, but they’re very different beasts.
bikes are those itsy-bitsy teenie-weenie two-wheelers that typically have a 40-49cc gas or electric engine (although it can be higher) and require the rider to be Yoga flexible because the rider’s knees will be comically pivoted away from the bike at a ridiculous angle.
Most (if not all) states mandate that motor-driven cycles meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) and have a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). bikes do not meet these requirements, and while they can be owned and driven on private property, they are not street-legal.
So, if bikes are miniature motorcycles that aren’t street-legal. what is allowed? Glad you asked. There are mini bikes slightly smaller than standard motorcycles but otherwise completely legal.
Honda Grom
You can’t start this list without giving a nod to what should be considered the grandfather of the mini motos modern movement — the Honda Grom. It first appeared in 2014 and is still going strong today, meaning it’s been around long enough to have an extensive array of third-party aftermarket parts available.
In surfing parlance, grommet (or grom) means a young or amateur surfer, which is appropriate since this Grom is perfectly suited for novice mini-bikers who may wish to graduate to bigger bikes eventually.
It has modest 12-inch wheels with a 47.2 inches wheelbase, a 30-inch seat height, and weighs only 224 pounds. The single-cylinder 124cc SOHC air-cooled fuel-injected four-stroke engine is mated to a five-speed manual gearbox with a meager 1.6-gallon fuel tank that will get you an estimated 166.5 miles per gallon. All at a top speed of about 60 mph.
Its suspension is — shockingly — like the big boys, with an inverted hydraulic front fork and a single hydraulic rear shock. Honda actively promotes hands-on do-it-yourself maintenance by giving it a replaceable oil filter and two-piece downpipe/muffler. Not only that, but the four body panels can be removed and customized.
The newest model comes in three trims — standard (base MSRP of 3,599), ABS (base MSRP of 3,799), and SP (base MSRP of 3,699). As you might expect, the ABS version has an anti-lock braking system, while the SP is just the standard model with a special (SP) graphics package.
Honda Monkey ABS
In 1961 Honda tested out the 49cc powered Z100 bike at its Tama Tech motorsports-themed amusement park in Tokyo, Japan. While it was never meant to be mass-produced, the overwhelmingly positive response changed their mind. These minis soon became known as Monkey Bikes due to their diminutive, monkey-like appearance. Thus began Honda’s globally famous line of Z-series bikes that many people of a certain age fondly remember.
There is only one version of the newest Monkey, which conveniently uses the same 124cc engine found in the Grom. It also has a five-speed transmission and front wheel-only anti-lock brakes (thus the ABS identifier), fuel injection, high-rise handlebars, disc brakes, and a 30.6-inch seat height.
Like the Grom, it has 12-inch wheels but a slightly smaller wheelbase at 45 inches. Unlike the Grom, though, the Monkey has dual rear shocks. It comes with a Pearl Nebula Red paint job, or if you really want to keep the theme going, Banana Yellow (of course).
If you feel like monkeying around with such a cute little beast (that weighs 231 pounds), prepare to pay an MSRP of 4,249, which is substantially more than the Grom. However, while the Grom might not do so well off-road, this Monkey will have no problem getting down and dirty.
Benelli TNT135
If Hondas aren’t your jam, maybe something with a little European flair will tickle your fancy. The pint-sized Benelli TNT135, with a 30.7-inch seat height, is the biggest mini on the list. It still rolls on 12-inch wheels but has a wheelbase of 47.8 inches and weighs almost 256 pounds.
This Italian-designed (but Chinese-built) firecracker has a lattice-steel frame that acts like a part of the suspension system, keeping the bike rigid while giving it the right amount of flex. It packs a 4-valve air-cooled (with oil radiator) 135cc SOHC engine producing 13 horsepower mated to a 5-speed gearbox. It has a racing-inspired telescopic 41mm inverted front fork, an adjustable single rear shock, and front and rear disk brakes.
The Benelli’s gas tank holds 1.9 gallons of fuel, gets 63 miles per gallon, and has a top speed of 73 mph.
If you want the paint scheme in white, black, or red, the MSRP is 3,199, but if you want it in green, it’ll cost you 70 more at 3,269.
Kawasaki Z125 Pro
When Kawasaki dropped its first Z125 in 2015, it was immediately compared to the Honda Grom because it’s similar in many ways. However, whereas the Grom looks more like an entry-level two-wheeler, the Z125 boasts a much sportier, high-performance look.
The Z125 is fitted with a 4-stroke, one-cylinder, SOHC, 2-valve, fuel-injected 125cc air-cooled engine pushing it to a top speed of 64 miles per hour. It’s mated to a four-speed manual transmission with a cable-actuated clutch. The Z125 has a curb weight of almost 225 pounds (nearly identical to the Grom) and comes with a two-gallon gas tank, roughly half a gallon bigger than the Grom.
A full-length seat sits at 31.7 inches – over an inch and a half higher than the Grom — giving taller riders a more comfortable position. The Z also has 12-inch cast wheels and a 46.3-inch wheelbase, making it nearly an inch shorter than the Grom yet providing exceptional handling and maneuverability. The front shock is a 30mm inverted telescoping fork. In contrast, the rear has an offset single-shock with four-way preload adjusts that can be calibrated specifically to the driver’s or extra passenger’s weight.
The 2023 model of Team Green’s smallest Z is only available in one version with an MSRP of 3,399.
Honda Super Cub C125
In 1958, Honda introduced the first iteration of the Super Cub to the public back, and in 2017 reached the milestone of selling 100 million units worldwide. It’s considered the best-selling and most popular motor vehicle (not just motorcycle) of all time. By comparison, the Toyota Corolla is regarded as the best-selling car ever, and only 50 million of those have been sold.
The 2023 Super Cub uses the same 124cc air-cooled single-cylinder four-stroke found in both the Monkey and the Grom and only comes in one model that features front-wheel ABS, an electric starter, and fuel injection. However, unlike the other Honda minis, this one has a four-speed semi-automatic transmission that ditches the clutch. Gears are shifted using just the left foot, or as Honda puts it, toe and go.
With a curb weight of 238 pounds, the Super Cub tops out at 65mph but can cruise at the posted 55mph speed limit just fine. One potential pitfall might be the one-gallon gas tank, the smallest on this list. Honda claims it can go 188 miles per gallon, but if driven swiftly drops to 124mpg.
It has a 30.7-inch seat height (like the Benelli TNT135) with a wheelbase of 48.9 inches. Unlike the other mini bikes on the list, the Super Cub has gargantuan (by comparison) 17-inch cast wheels. MSRP for the Cub is 3,849.
How to Glue a Lawnmower Seat back on, step by step
No matter how cautious a person is with his lawnmower, it is always possible that the seat from your riding lawnmower is damaged. The most common problems include the vinyl covering coming separating from the foam cushion. This exposes the foam to the environment, it will damage further, and water gets absorbed. If you do not fix it, the foam gets hardened in the sun and finally crumbles away bit by bit. Despite the loss of comfort, it is also an unpleasant view.
To fix it, it is necessary to remove the seat and glue the sear back on it. This article will discuss how to glue the seat back on the lawnmower platform after necessary treatments.
How to glue a Lawnmower seat back on, step by step:
- Step 1: Inspect the lawnmower.
- Step 2: Arrange the necessary equipment
- Step 3: Remove the seat
- Step 4: Remove the Vinyl Covering
- Step 5: Fix/Treat the foam Cushion
- Step 6: Glue the Vinyl back on
- Step 7: Replace the seat.
- 1 Fix your lawnmower seat with glue in 7 easy steps:
- 1.1 Step 1: Inspect the lawnmower
- 1.2 Step 2: Collect the needed equipment
- 1.3 Step 3: Remove the Seat
- 1.4 Step 4: Remove the Vinyl Cover
- 1.5 Step 5: Treat the foam cushion
- 1.6 Step 6: Glue the vinyl back on
- 1.7 Step 7: Replace the Seat
- 2.1 1. What’s the best glue to use?
- 2.2 2. What if the seat cushion is flat?
- 2.3 3. What if the seat cover is cracked?
Fix your lawnmower seat with glue in 7 easy steps:
Gluing the seat back on in a riding lawnmower is not a difficult task. Follow the steps, and you will have a great-looking seat in no time.
Step 1: Inspect the lawnmower
Before you start removing the lawnmower’s seat and start using your glue, you should keep in mind that there are numerous types of riding lawnmowers. And their seats may come in various sizes and shapes. Some have seat pans that are made from fiberglass, while others may have metallic ones. It helps if you know the specifications of your machine before starting. The following step may be modified depending upon your device’s specification and type, although the general guidelines are pretty much the same.
In the case of a one-piece lawnmower, seats may be impossible to fix. In that case, it is recommended to look for a replacement seat assembly. Check with your dealer or try to find one on Ebay.
Step 2: Collect the needed equipment
Once you are getting ready to fix the seat back on your lawnmower, it is good first to check if you have all the needed equipment. You need a wrench to remove the seat. The wrench size may depend on your lawnmower’s seat. If your seat cover is made from vinyl, you need vinyl glue. If your seat is made from another type of material, like leather or some type of plastic, make sure that your glue can work with this kind of material. Some glue can not work with certain types of plastic and can even dissolve it partly.
So you need the correct glue, a wrench set, a flathead screwdriver, a sharp knife or cutter, and strongly adhesive duct tape.
over, depending upon the foam type and damage of your lawnmower’s seat, it is necessary to have replacement foam, Foam Lok, or a similar adhesive and a sharp foam cutter with you all the time during this process. This can be used to repair part of the foam.
Step 3: Remove the Seat
After analyzing your lawnmower model and gathering the necessary supplies, the next step is to remove the seat. This step varies from a lawnmower to lawnmower but should be easy to do.
The general method is to push the seat up and forward in the steering wheel’s direction. The seat is held to the seat mount with the help of two to four nuts. Once these nuts are removed, the seat comes off easily.
To make sure that you do not lose the nuts, screw them back onto the threads from which they just came off.
Step 4: Remove the Vinyl Cover
It is necessary to remove the entire vinyl cover even if it is unplugged on a tiny spot. The reason for removing the whole surface is that no matter how minor the spot is, it will continue to come unglued.
Once the seat has been removed, invert it on the workbench. Depending upon the seat pan type (that is, fiberglass or metal), there might be staples or rivets, respectively. In both of these scenarios, the glue will be present. Now with the help of a screwdriver, pop the pins or pry the staples until you have set the seat free. With the use of your knife, precisely cut the vinyl free from each rivet to avoid vinyl tearing from around them.
To deal with the factory set glue, carefully pry the vinyl up one inch at a time. Work your way around the entire seat carefully such that you get the vinyl removed without massive shreds. If this goes really difficult, you could carefully try to use some glue remover with a small brush. In case of no glue, you could lift the vinyl off the seat.
Step 5: Treat the foam cushion
Once the vinyl is removed, it’s time to analyze the cushion. The cushion can have missing chunks, or bad spots. Fortunately, both problems are straightforward to solve.
Firstly, turn the seat over on the workbench. To cover the missing chunks, cut replacements from the substitute foam. These could be used to fill the damaged spots. If you can not find suitable replacement foam, you can try to use some from sources like an old patio or sofa cushion.
Spray some Foam Lok into the damaged regions and start pressings the replacement part inside. Once the pieces are into the hole, press them inside and wait for 15-20 seconds to help it settle with the help of your palm.
Step 6: Glue the vinyl back on
Take the vinyl cover and lay it on your workbench by turning it inside out. Align the treated seat over the vinyl such that the foam faces down on the resting vinyl. Once both of them are in perfect synchronization, slowly fold the vinyl up and over the seat’s bottom half. Make sure that it looks even, and you don’t bump it.
After that, take the vinyl glue and squeeze a considerable amount on the seat pan’s bottom and from front to back face. Ensure that the vinyl completely covers the bead of glue when you are folding it from the backside.
Squeeze the glue on the other side of the seat, from front to back. Fold and press one side of the vinyl firmly on the bond. Workaround the seat carefully. Repeat this process for the other sides and make sure that it correctly holds the right way.
You must carefully pull the cover straight, so it looks evenly spread around the seat. If it is uneven, pull the vinyl either way to balance the seat cover. Once the shape is ok, press the end of a duct tape piece firmly on the vinyl’s edge.
While you are pressing it down, stretch the other side of vinyl towards the seat pan’s central position and press it with duct tape. This will stretch the entire seat cover back on.
The sides are now places. Repeat this gluing process for the front and the back too. Once you are done with it, let the newly repaired seat rest overnight or according to the instructions of the glue you used.
Step 7: Replace the Seat
Finally, with the help of rivets and nuts, attach the seat back on the lawnmower, just like you initially removed it. Make sure that the nuts and screws were firmly tightened.
Related Questions:
What’s the best glue to use?
The market has various brands all around. When searching for a good glue, make sure that you do an online search. Make sure it can be used for the material you try to glue. Check the credibility of the product by checking some of the reviews from people who used it.
Loctite Vinyl glue is one of the most practiced and credible bonds all around the market, with good ratings and reviews. Flex Glue is another good product manufacture by the company Flex Seal. The best glue is the one that has such a drying time that you could not only position the vinyl and the duct tape without the glue getting dried out but also not have to wait for an eternity for it to dry down.
What if the seat cushion is flat?
Foam could lose its flexible attributes over time. In that case, measure the foam and look for a substitute online or on Amazon or eBay. Even if you don’t find the exact shape, you can cut it with a bread knife to the correct shape.
What if the seat cover is cracked?
UV rays from the sun can make the vinyl cover brittle and cause it to crack. If it is just a small part, you could first try to fix it with some colored duct tape. There is a wide variety of colored duct tape, and if you can find one that matches the original color, you can hardly notice any difference between the original vinyl and the tape. If the damage is wider spread, there is no other option than looking for a new cover or a replacement chair.
Final Remarks:
Gluing the lawnmower seat back on looks like a complicated task. But if you follow the step mentioned earlier, along with the instruction from the reference videos, you can do it without any problems. Ensure that you have the correct glue and replacement material if needed.
How To Glue Your Riding Mower Seat Back On: A Step By Step Guide
No matter how well you take care of your riding lawn mower, you will eventually run into a problem with the seat.
The most common problem is the vinyl covering coming detached from the foam cushion. This lets water soak into the foam, which causes the foam to harden and crumble away. What you end up with is a seat that holds water like a sponge and is horribly uncomfortable to sit on.
Aside from giving you a wet bottom, it hurts your eyes just to look at it.
So I’m going to explain to you, step by step, how to glue your mower seat back together.
I’m also going teach you something few people know is even possible… how to repair the foam itself!
Read the following instructions carefully. Once you successfully glue your first riding mower seat back together, you’ll be able to do it again with your eyes closed.
Keep in mind that riding mower seats come in many shapes and sizes. Some have seat pans made of fiberglass. Some pans are metal. Some seats have a separate bottom and back, but some are one piece. Take your time with this project, and keep in mind that you may have to tweak these instructions here and there in order to suit your particular seat. One-piece mower seats may be too difficult or even impossible to fix. If that’s the case, look for a replacement seat assembly on the mower manufacturer’s website.
- Wrench for removing the seat – size will vary depending on the mower
- Vinyl glue – I use Loctite Vinyl glue
- Small flathead screwdriver – the size you would use to pry staples
- Hobby knife or a sharp box cutter
- Strong duct tape
These are some things that you may need, depending on how your mower seat is made and what kind of foam damage, if any, you need to fix:
- Replacement foam
- Foam Lok or a similar adhesive
- Foam cutter or a.large bread knife
Step #1 – Remove The Seat
How you do this depends on your mower.
Generally, you push the seat up and forward toward the steering wheel. You should see two or four nuts that hold the seat to the seat mount. Once you remove these nuts, the seat should lift right off.
Screw the nuts back onto the threads from which they came so they don’t get lost.
Step #2 – Remove The Vinyl Cover
Even if the vinyl is coming unglued in only one small spot, you should still remove the entire covering. It will continue to come unglued.
Place the seat assembly upside down on a table or work bench. Now take a look at how the vinyl is secured to the seat assembly. There may be staples or rivets, depending on whether the seat pan is made of fiberglass or metal. Either way, there is likely glue there as well.
Use your screwdriver to pry the staples or pop the rivets. Do this all the way around the seat until all of the staples or rivets are free. If the vinyl begins to tear around the rivets, just use your hobby knife to carefully cut the vinyl free of each rivet, and pop the rivets out with the screwdriver.
Now it’s time to deal with the glue put there at the factory. Go back to where you started and carefully pry the vinyl up from the seat pan, an inch at a time, until you have worked your way all the way around again. Try not to tear the vinyl up too much. If there is no glue holding the vinyl down, you can simply lift the cover off the seat.
Step #3 – Fix The Foam Cushion
Are there chunks missing from your cushion? Are there spots that have been squished? These are two common problems that are pretty easily fixed.
Turn the seat back over. Now cut or tear your replacement foam up into little chunks. You are going to use these to fill the low or damaged spots. You want a good sized pile of repair chunks before you begin. Salvage some foam from old patio or sofa cushions, or you can buy a roll of foam.
Start by spraying some Foam Lok into the damaged area.
Now begin pressing your repair chunks into it. When you have a layer of foam chunks in the hole, use your palm to press down on them and hold the pressure for about 15 seconds. Repeat this process until the damaged area is slightly overfilled. Don’t worry: When you replace the seat and finish the project, there won’t be a bulge.
Step #4 – Glue The Vinyl Back On
Lay the vinyl seat cover down on your work table with the inside part facing up. Now set the seat on the cover upside down with the foam facing down and resting on the vinyl. Take your time and get it lined up as good as you can. Fold the sides of the vinyl up and over onto the bottom of the seat, and check to make sure everything is even. Once it looks good to you, make sure you don’t bump it. Now, get your vinyl glue.
Squeeze a bead of glue, about an eighth of an inch wide, on the bottom of the seat pan from back to front. You want the vinyl to completely cover the bead of glue when you fold it back.
Now squeeze another bead on the other side of the seat, from back to front. Fold one side of the vinyl up and press it down firmly onto the glue. Work your way up and down that side, being sure to press every inch of vinyl onto the glue bead. It will hold right away, but you can still move and reposition the vinyl if you need to. Once you get that side pressed down well, do the other side the same way.
Check your positioning. Everything should still be even. If not, carefully pull the vinyl this way or that to even the seat cover up with the seat pan. Once it looks right, press the end of a piece of duct tape down firmly on one edge of the vinyl.
While still pressing down with one hand use your other hand to stretch the other side of the vinyl toward the center of the seat pan. Press the other end of the duct tape down on it.
Do you see what we did there? We stretched your seat cover back on.
The sides of your vinyl are now placed. Use the same technique for the front and back. Let your newly repaired seat set undisturbed overnight, or at least as long as the instructions on the glue says.
Step #5 – Replace The Seat
The seat goes back on your mower the same way it came off.
Be sure to tighten the nuts down snugly!
Troubleshooting And FAQs
So that’s how to glue your riding mower seat back on. Now that we’ve gone over all of the core steps, we’d like to answer a couple questions that many people have when trying to fix their lawn mower seat.
What’s the best glue to use?
I usually use Loctite Vinyl glue. That’s why I mentioned it in the instructions. Loctite Vinyl glue has always worked well for me, but that doesn’t mean you have to use it. The most important thing about the glue you use for this project is that it has some “give” to it after drying. Flex Glue, from the makers of Flex Seal, is also excellent. Hard-drying glues will either let go of the vinyl after it dries or cause it to tear.
Loctite Vinyl glue has the advantage of having the perfect drying time for this type of repair. You see, if the glue you use dries too quickly, you may not have enough time to position the vinyl and tape. You can reposition Loctite Vinyl glue, and similar adhesives, over and over again until you get it right.
For repairing foam, Foam Lok is the best.
What if the seat cushion is flat?
It happens. Foam looses its ability to bounce back after a while. On the upside, this would be a great time to replace your cushion. Measure the length, width and thickness of the foam you are going to replace and see what is available online. Check the big home improvement stores first. You may find a piece the exact size you need, but you are more than likely going to have to cut it to fit.
Before you start cutting, call your local hardware store. The Ace Hardware in my town will cut foam to any specified size for a couple dollars. Of you have to cut it yourself, you can get a foam cutter for about 10. But bread knives work just as well.
Don’t get polyurethane foam. It’s prone to mold. Get an outdoor foam with a high indentation deflection value. IDF ratings range from 30 to 70, with lower numbers being soft and higher numbers being firmer. Get foam with a rating of at least 55.
What if the seat cover is cracked?
Over time, exposure to UV rays from the sun can make vinyl turn brittle and crack. Luckily, it’s usually fixable. I have seen cracked and torn mower seats fixed with colored duct tape, and you wouldn’t even notice unless you really looked. If you go this route, clean the seat very well with brake or carburetor cleaner and dry it thoroughly before pressing the tape down firmly over the crack. But this should only be a temporary repair.
To actually fix a crack in the vinyl, use a vinyl and leather patch kit. They cost from 10 to 30, depending mainly on the amount of patch material and adhesive in the kit, and are available from department and auto part stores. To do it right, you’ll need to go through all the steps above before you make the patch. Then the technique is the same as for repairing a ripped leather car seat. Follow the instructions that come with the kit.
