I have leather bucket seats from a 98 in my ranger. I have had 2 of the seat recliner levers (on the left at your finger tip) break so far. Seems as if they get bent from getting in and out of the truck and break at the first rivet. The only thing I can figure is to weld a reinforcement in there. Is there a better way?

 

Mine got replaced just after I got it in '98 and the service writer at the dealer told me not to adjust my seat so that my fat **** would rest on them when I got out of the vehicle.

Mine are now bent down to the point where I don't think they will bend any more, and I'm just going to leave them that way.

Poor design. The Escape I had for a while had them well out of the way of fat *****.

If you aren't fat, I don't mean to imply you are. If you are fat, that's two things we have in common, so good luck with this issue. If you can weld something, just be sure it won't poke you--well, you know.

 

I am about 210 and 5'7"....far from fat. But my truck is a 4x4 and it takes a little bit of an "umfh" to get into the seat. Hit up a junkyard today, but didnt find anything. Sucks!

 

Had the same problem. Welded lever back together, then welded a 1/8" X 1" flat bar across the welded area for extra support. Besure to cover everthing up with a wet towel or something wet to keep from burning including the outside step bar. Ford sells a replacement for $25 ??. Don't know if it is hvy duty or not.

 

I welded mine and re enforce many yrs ago. I have read that some folk on the ranger forum have used webbing loop to replace the metal lever.

 

Well wuddyaknow, my driver side lever just busted off, right in the middle of the mounting screw......

Guess I'll mod the new one so it doesn't do the assinterface.....

 

So I checked a couple of parts sites...am I understanding correctly that this part isn't available? Only the entire seat frame?

Golly.....

 

Did you find one available through a dealer?

 

$2.00 for a piece of 1" webbing....

 

Mine broke at the pivot point, so webbing isn't going to work just yet.....

 

That is exactly where the webbing comes into play, it connects to the mechanism below the seat back with the loop sitting where the original handle was.

"Oh yee of little faith!"

 

XL2Z-7862649-AA Latch $119 on fast ford parts. Went up in price. Mine was $78 in 2005

 

I searched that part number several ways and came back with no hits. Can you provide a link? I wont go that route....the $2 reinforcement piece of metal and a mig welder seems to make more sense, but figured to take a look to see if they improved anything and to provide it to anyone else that comes by.

 

found this discussion on another forum.

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/...ht=broken+seat

seems to show that the replacement is made different. He has 2 different hinge assemblies show, but think its just the handle that is that $100 part. Also notice that all the pics are reversed because he is in england with a right hand drive truck!

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/...ght=seat+lever

complete writeup. I am having my cousin check ford current prices and numbers.

for the whole assembly for $100 with a redesiged handle that would not be too bad. I do know that they made several different hole sizes for the 4 bolts that go into the seats. This sometimes has spacers and such to accomplish it. I wonder how the ford part will match up.

 

"I searched that part number several ways and came back with no hits. Can you provide a link? I wont go that route....the $2 reinforcement piece of metal and a mig welder seems to make more sense, but figured to take a look to see if they improved anything and to provide it to anyone else that comes by."

The new part is the lever and bracket with springs, etc. The lever is no longer flat, it has raised runners pressed in to strengthen it. BTW My expy is a 98 sport with leather high backs. Don't know if there are different part numbers for the other style of seats. My lever was stamped steel and broke at the rivet pin two days after I bought the expy used. If the passenger side breaks I'll remove the entire bracket and weld it. Then form and weld some 3/16" square keystock on to give it some strength.

hope this works - it does for me. Paste the number in and choose ford part.
http://www.trademotion.com/partlocat...OEM&siteid=318
or
Team Ford Parts has it at $104
http://www.teamfordparts.com/