• Don't miss out on all the fun! Register on our forums to post and have added features! Membership levels include a FREE membership tier.

arctic cat mountain seat install tips

P
Feb 28, 2008
680
181
43
45
Castlegar BC
i bought one of these seats last year for my 2012. had a heck of a time trying to stretch it on the sled, and couldn't find any help online, and i gave up on it till this week.
figured i'd write a few tips here, in the hopes that it helps the next guy. the seat feels great once it's on, and the price is right, so figuring out how to get it installed is worth it in my opinion.

the kit comes with some templates for cutting slots into the batwing tank cowl, and installing a set of brackets inside the tunnel for your new seat mounting screws.

one you have that done, the instructions suggest that you slip the front end of the new seat under the gas cap cowl, slip the seat tabs into the slots you cut into the batwing cowl, then pull the seat forward till you can run the screws through the tunnel tabs, into the brackets you installed. not even close to being possible. the seat cover is way too tight to pull all of this off at once.

in order to make it happen, first you have to pull off the gas cap cowl. it can't be there while your stretching the seat into position.
pull the batwing cowl off and slip the seat tabs into the slots you made. doesn't have to be a perfect fit at this point, just get them in there.
cover the velcro strips you installed on the tank with the install bag provided with the kit. make sure the bad hangs into the empty battery tray.
place the seat and batwing on the tank.
at this point, i was able to line up one tunnel tab with it's screw hole. the other side was a good 2" away from it's hole. *i went with it, however it may have been better to stretch both tabs at once. my seat is ever so slightly lopsided. it will probably straighten out with time, but if not, i will probably be the only person that notices.

on the other side i put a tyrap through the tab hole, which gave me a loop to pull on, without blocking the screw hole. i pulled the tab down to it's screw hole with a ratchet strap connected to the tyrap. actaully, 2 ratchet straps. one to pull forward and down, the other to pull straight down.
i tightened up the screw, released the straps, and trimmed off any visible tyrap. so there's still some in there, but it's squished so flat, you can't see it at all.

at this point, the batwing cowl should be very close to snapping back on to the tank spars. if it hasn't already, you should be able to push on the seat around the cowl to snap it on, and form it into it's usual position.
now reinstall the gas cap cowl. again, you will probably have to push down on the part of the seat that butts up to the filler neck while you tighten down the cowl over it.
now reach through the hole in the rear pocket and pull out the bag that's covering your velcro strips. go slow so you don't tear the bag.
your seat is now on.

on the sled, you can tell instantly that it's a bit narrower and shorter. leg swing overs are much easier. the foam does feel quite a bit firmer. not sure yet if this is good, bad, or doesn't matter.

my impression of the look, feel, and quality is great. only downside is that if you ever need to take your seat off again, it's a pain. but really, once you know what to do, it's not so much of a struggle.

hope that helps. have a good season.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_3661.JPG
    IMG_3661.JPG
    199.6 KB · Views: 102
  • IMG_3662.JPG
    IMG_3662.JPG
    161.6 KB · Views: 89
  • IMG_3663.JPG
    IMG_3663.JPG
    165.8 KB · Views: 89
  • IMG_3664.JPG
    IMG_3664.JPG
    155.1 KB · Views: 83
  • IMG_3665.JPG
    IMG_3665.JPG
    156.8 KB · Views: 82
  • IMG_3666.JPG
    IMG_3666.JPG
    157.2 KB · Views: 80
  • IMG_3668.JPG
    IMG_3668.JPG
    190.4 KB · Views: 84

stahlecker

Well-known member
Lifetime Membership
Jan 20, 2010
106
51
28
Western NE
I put one of these on my Sidewinder last year. It was a gigantic pain to do. I ended up using the heat gun to help the stretch. Also I did take it off this fall and it went back on surprisingly well. I think it only took about 5 minutes to get everything lined back up.
 
N
Sep 14, 2014
23
6
3
38
I know this is old, but was this installed on the 2012 long tank? I assume you stretched it over the tank and lost the ability to use much of the storage space at the back?
 
Premium Features