Tricks for measuring

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Ok, so I need to make a seat latch for my ATV. here's my problem I have not way to acurately measure the length of the arms that actually do the latching when the seat is closed. There is no clearance to look inside the space, and I'm stuck on figuring out a way to accurately measure the distance (less than 2") once the seat is fully down. Anyone got a suggestion. I'm wondering if I could use playdoh or something to retain the shape after it's been closed and possibly measure that. but, 1, I'm not sure it would work and 2, I'm not sure I could use it in a mannor that would work.There are no problems. There are only solutions. It's your duty to determine the right one.Hobart Handler 210Airco 225 Amp MSM Stinger
Reply:Well I was going to say play dough, but you said it. Maybe low expansion spray foam?  You could stack shims until they were tight.
Reply:shims would work if it was just a open space, but there are a bunch of different contours to work around.There are no problems. There are only solutions. It's your duty to determine the right one.Hobart Handler 210Airco 225 Amp MSM Stinger
Reply:Tape a ruler to the side, and put your cell phone in the box on movie mode videoing the ruler, then shut the lid....  Might work.
Reply:The ruler wouldn't fit, and the camera on the phone wouldn't be able to be pointed in the right direction.There are no problems. There are only solutions. It's your duty to determine the right one.Hobart Handler 210Airco 225 Amp MSM Stinger
Reply:could you make the part out of wood, cardboard, plastic or something easy and keep trimming it down until it fits or maybe see where it hits on the wood so you can get some measurements.
Reply:What arms?Take the arms out and latch them in on the bench then measure? We need pics of stuff.
Reply:Originally Posted by Brent878could you make the part out of wood, cardboard, plastic or something easy and keep trimming it down until it fits or maybe see where it hits on the wood so you can get some measurements.
Reply:Other thig I have done is make two pieces that screw together with an oblong hole in them. Mount it to the seat, close the lid and the oblong hole will slide closed and give you some measurement to go from.
Reply:I am guessing your latches are completely gone.  ?  What make and model is it and maybe someone could measure theirs for you?  I do see your problem as it is impossible to get in there.
Reply:I was going to suggest what 1shot did. How about taking a reference point on the frame from where the rubber bumpers contact (it should be noticeable)  to the pivot in the seat?
Reply:Replicate the compartment out of cardboard and cut a hole to measure.Miller thunderbolt 250Decastar 135ERecovering tool-o-holic ESAB OAI have been interested or involved in Electrical, Fire Alarm, Auto, Marine, Welding, Electronics ETC to name a just a few. So YES you can own too many tools.
Reply:Put a sharpie in the latch on the seat and push it down on the bike.
Reply:It's the redheaded stepchild of the Polaris Line. It's an 07 Hawkeye 300 4x4. it's the only year that they made the 4x4 in the hawkeye before they changed it to the sportsman 300. The 06 had the spring loaded latch on the 2x4 model, but the 07's don't have it at all on the either model but the mounting area for the latch is still on the seat and the plastics still have the spot for it to latch into. THe 07's used a friction fit seat latch that even after replacing all the hardware does not work. so I'm going to build the seat latch from rod and some flat stock. As for making it out of cardboard, that would take an incredibly long time as both the seat bottom, and the plastics are VERY different shapes with lots of contours. I think I'm going to try the clay/dough method first and see what I can ascertain from that. Just wondering if there was any other way people could think of. I like the oblong sections ideal, just don't know how to execute it. one step at a time. thanks for the tips guys.There are no problems. There are only solutions. It's your duty to determine the right one.Hobart Handler 210Airco 225 Amp MSM Stinger
Reply:This is gonna sound pretty dam silly.What you need to do is measure closed height, and measure the latches relative to closed height.When I did the trailer suspension, and some other stuff height sensitive, I measure the desired end result, then compensate from there.  As a matter of fact, I'm doing the same thing now with an ongoing thing"Any day above ground is a good day"http://www.farmersamm.com/
Reply:get something ~1/8"- 1/4" think, could be  layers of foam sheet,paint sticks, washers whatever  stack 6-12 or hoever many looks to you to be a good first guess and duct tape them in place then close it. if it don't contact tape another layer on and try it again and again until it does, then build your latch bracket to this approx. dimension but adjustable so once it's bolted in place and you close it and it's either too high or too tight you could fine tune the adjustment to get it to be just rightmiller 330a bp TIGmiller dynasty 200DX TIGmillermatic 185 MIGthermal dynamics cutmaster 101 plasma cuttersnap-on YA5550 plasma cutterhypertherm powermax 30 plasma cutterbaileigh CS225 cold sawetc....