Creaky pedestal seats

[MrMoose]

My pedestal seats have always made creaking/cracking/snapping noises when I shift my weight in them, or when I hit waves. It's not a squeaking noise. The dealer determined that the indexing rack and lever in the slide mechanism were making the noise. They first tried greasing it but it did not help, so they replaced the sliders under warranty. The new ones are just as noisy as the old ones.
Has anyone figured out a way to fix this?
Thanks
Here's a short video clip

 

[Gym]

Yup, that's annoying alright. After about the 89 creak I had to get a beer. I couldn't see the whole mechanism but I wonder If there is a place for nylon spacers or washers or is there just too much space where the seat rides in the rails?

 

[MrMoose]

Yup, that's annoying alright. After about the 89 creak I had to get a beer. I couldn't see the whole mechanism but I wonder If there is a place for nylon spacers or washers or is there just too much space where the seat rides in the rails?

Some day, I'll take one apart and look at it to see if there's a quick fix. I was hoping that someone on the forum had solved this problem. I assume that it is common since the replacement sliders have the same problem as the original ones. Or... maybe nobody other than me noticed the noise, and now that I've pointed it out, everybody will notice it and it will drive them crazy.

 

[MrMoose]

I took a closer look at things yesterday. With my head underneath the seat, it sounded like the creaking noise was coming from the pedestal flange. The mounting screws were tight, but I torqued them an extra 20-30 degrees to see if it made a difference; no change. I removed the seat to make sure that the noise is coming from the pedestal...
Here's a video (I wonder if there are some cracked welds where the pedestal tube mates to the flange; I hope that it's not delamination in my floor.)

I asked my dealer to submit a claim to Yamaha for new pedestals.

 

[Kane]

My AR Capt. seat was really sloppy feeling as well....does your passenger seat make any noise?

 

[McMark]

Mine don't creak if I tighten down the swivel knob.

 

[MrMoose]

@Kane The video that I last posted was from the passenger's seat. I didn't want the dealership to give me the "Well sir, you weigh 220 lbs, what do you expect?" My passenger seat barely gets used, and my wife, well, let's say that opposites attract; she's petite.

 

[Mainah]

@MrMoose both of my seats are creaky and sloppy similar to the videos you posted (perhaps not as bad) and my my swivel knobs are tightened down as well. Have you taken the pedestal off the floor to see how the pole is connected to the base? Sounds like a metal on metal noise so wondering if it is a compressed tongue and grove. If you look at the base you see the indented ring and if you look at the top of the pole you see the same so they may make the same grove on the bottom of the pole as well at the same time and then press the pole into the base or something similar. If this is the case I will take mine to a buddy and have them welded from underneath and then have him help me test them on the water.

 

[MrMoose]

@MrMoose both of my seats are creaky and sloppy similar to the videos you posted (perhaps not as bad) and my my swivel knobs are tightened down as well. Have you taken the pedestal off the floor to see how the pole is connected to the base? Sounds like a metal on metal noise so wondering if it is a compressed tongue and grove. If you look at the base you see the indented ring and if you look at the top of the pole you see the same so they may make the same grove on the bottom of the pole as well at the same time and then press the pole into the base or something similar. If this is the case I will take mine to a buddy and have them welded from underneath and then have him help me test them on the water.

@Mainah , I have not removed the base from the floor. My dealer told me that the two pieces were welded, but I wouldn't be surprised is it's some type of a compression fitting. Bottom line is that I don't think that they should make that type of noise; it drives me crazy. I think that this should be fixed under warranty. I agree with you in that it does sound like metal to metal, rather than a creaky floor. My dealer said that they'd try to put the warranty request into Yamaha by the end of the week. I've heard from others who have stated that their seats to not make any noise at all, and I checked out a used 2015 on my dealer's lot and it's seats did not creak at all.

 

[Britboater]

I took a closer look at things yesterday. With my head underneath the seat, it sounded like the creaking noise was coming from the pedestal flange. The mounting screws were tight, but I torqued them an extra 20-30 degrees to see if it made a difference; no change. I removed the seat to make sure that the noise is coming from the pedestal...
Here's a video (I wonder if there are some cracked welds where the pedestal tube mates to the flange; I hope that it's not delamination in my floor.)

I asked my dealer to submit a claim to Yamaha for new pedestals.

Good to see you've tracked the noise down, that's defiantly faulty and not right, like you, that would drive me crazy .

 

[OkieAR240]

@MrMoose you ever get this resolved? Just noticed one of my seats is doing the same thing, and trying to figure out how to fix it.

 

[MrMoose]

@MrMoose you ever get this resolved? Just noticed one of my seats is doing the same thing, and trying to figure out how to fix it.

The welds were cracked at the interface between the pole and the bottom flange. The fix was to replace the pedestal.

 

[OkieAR240]

The welds were cracked at the interface between the pole and the bottom flange. The fix was to replace the pedestal.

That's kind of what I was afraid of. Sounds like a fall project. Any idea where to order a new pedestal or was your covered under warranty? I've got the 5 year YES so I'm assuming it will be covered under that.

 

[MrMoose]

That's kind of what I was afraid of. Sounds like a fall project. Any idea where to order a new pedestal or was your covered under warranty? I've got the 5 year YES so I'm assuming it will be covered under that.

It was covered under warranty. Happened within the first year.