I've been wanting to get rid of my old, broken down bench seat for quite a while but didn't want a pre>1997 set of ford seats (since, realistically, decent/non weather-rotted ones are few and far between at the local salvage yards)... I searched high and low on this site and only seemed to find a few pictures/info sporadically placed throughout hundreds of posts. I ended up just picking a set that looked like they'd work and put them in. As luck would have it, not only did the set I grabbed work, they actually are just about as perfect as I could've hoped for.

So after the long day of installing them, i had an idea. I thought it'd be nice for everyone thats considering 'benching the bench' if those of us that have done the install could post a picture of what their seats look like, a description of what they came out of, what you'd do differently, how you like them etc...






Mine came out of a 1998~ish dodge half-ton. The original center console made the set only 51" so I pulled a different (wider) center console out of a similar-year dodge 3/4 ton pickup and used it in place of the 1/2 ton console, which made the set 58" OAL (I think the OEM bench seat is 59" or 60" so the 1-2" difference in width is negligible. I opted to avoid electric seats since starving the already overworked 60Ampere alternator and dealing with unnecessary wiring wasn't something I wanted to deal with. A neighbor gave me a set of bucket brackets for a honda or stratus or something so I just bent the mounting tabs flat and bolted them to the bottom of the seat rails. I used the OEM bench rail for the outboard mount and bolted the bench brackets directly to the floor. the brackets are only 3/16" thick and I wouldn't go any thicker since height is an issue. I ended up not bolting the center console down, instead I just used two of the dodge seat brackets and bolted them to the bottom of the console to get the correct height, that way when I drop something down the seat abyss I can get it without much hassle. The console fits tight enough between the seats that it's not going to go anywhere unless I want it to. With the in-cab tank, the thin backs on the seat made them just right. All in all, the only change I'd've made was to get slightly shorter seats since they're a bit tall IMO.

Hopefully this gets some more info posted from other users, and people like me that were considering the swap can get some good ideas on what to look for and what works.

 

Nice job, glad to hear it worked out. I can't go much higher on mine since I'm 6' 5" and any extra height puts the top of the windshield too low.

I'm really interested in seeing some success stories/pics of newer "car based" buckets in a dentside. Last time through the local JY I scouted around a bit and was intrigued by the leather Explorer seats that have adjustable thigh supports, power, etc. I think these were mostly in the first generation? There are so many of these I'm thinking I could likely find a decent set. At worst, might have to buy an extra passenger seat to use the covers on the driver's side (did that successfully on my newer Bronco). Anyone ever install a set of these or anything similar? Heck, I'm thinking of biting the bullet on a set of buckets like those in my 2013 Focus, I love those. Bottom line for me is I need all the height and length possible to work with (likely not newer truck seats). I'll go through laser cutting, bending and welding if that's what it takes to make some decent adapter brackets.

BB

 

has any one put the 87-91 bench seat with the fold up center console, because that would bee cool

 

There're a few trucks on this site that have car seats; One guy has a set out of a lexus or acura and they look like they fit pretty well... If I remember right, a few threads mention car seats being more advantageous since they're typically shorter than today's truck seats... wouldn't want to deal with knee-to-steering wheel clearance issues.

 

You didn't happen some better pics of your brackets before you installed it?, I'm about to put some 2001 f150 seats in mine. I don't think steering wheel clearance is gonna be a problem.

 

I didn't take any but they weren't much different than these:


I was going to just go buy two 5' sections of 1" square stock and just lay it across the stock bench mounts and bolt the seats to that... luckily my neighbor walked by and offered me the brackets, because if I had gone with the square stock I think the bottom of the seat would've been uncomfortably close to the steering wheel. I just pounded three of the tabs flat and left the inboard front tab for a floor attachment point, also ran a bolt through the (flat) inboard rear tab. I used a washer in between the seat rails and the bracket to make sure there'd be enough space that the rails wouldn't bind, and had to shim about 1/2" between the brackets and the stock bench mount to make the seats level.

 

Yeah I did a quick search and found some 'Sploder seats in at least the bull-nose era trucks. But that's exactly why I'm thinking car seats, the clearance (and ultimately comfort) issue. About the only reason I'd NOT get car seats in that there's no built-in arm rest but that's what custom door panels and consoles are for, right???

BB

 

Acura TSX...Full power.

Front mounting bracket: Rear used a plate that used the original mounting holes.



Installed:



Filler plate:

 

I got these out of a 1990 f150.

 

yours were the ones out of a car I referenced earlier. They look good, and that overhead console you made is pretty impressive.

 

Let's keep this thread alive by getting into ways and means of using the four stock threaded attachment points alone or in conjunction with four more new attachment points. At least the seat attachment scheme is independent of the seat belt scheme. For example, I see that Speedway sells a universal bucket seat mounting frame for around $30 each, It's about 5" high. It requires four attachment points per seat. What would a dent side truck specific version of this measure out to? It looks simple enough to duplicate with square or round tubing if a body can cut bend and weld mild steel. Their diagrams show the seat attachment points to be 11" side-to-side and 12" front-to-back.

 

I used the 96 40/20/40 seats out of an extended cab and then the seat pan out of a regular cab. You have to drill out the spot welds and then modify, and reposition the mounting brackets. Becomes a direct bolt in.

 

Hey Rich! Show em "Red", show em "Red"!

 

Nice, but not cheap! By Procar.

 

I like those seats, if they had been plentiful when I did my swap, likely would have gone that route. What I did after growing tired of the wore out, sagging bench seat pushing me into my door. First, I went looking for twin seats. I found a near new then, '86 Mercury Grand Marquis 2 dr hardtop, it had 50/50 buckets, each had a separate center armrest. In the Mercury, they were close together, but my measure told me they'd have space between them in my '77 truck. They were nice leather then, but over the years the leather gave up. I just recently put on a second set of seat covers. These are a heavier tweed, and more coverage, from Seatcoversunlimited. I have the head rest and arm rest covers too, but they in a box.

First I took the bench out of the truck. Then looking at the tracks under my new seats, saw I could modify the bases to fit a flat floor. I first secured two long pieces of 1/4" thick x1-1/2 or 2" wide steel across my truck's floor, I used extra bolts, used the stock holes plus some more, and pieces of hardwood for spacer blocks. I can and have adjusted seat height or angle over the years, with longer bolts and spacers at front. I kept my stock seat belts.

I built a center console ... with cup holders. The new covers fit really well.


My floor with steal added. 1/4" thick, it's stiff enough. Front strip has 5 through bolts by time the seats (and the center console storage box) are bolted in, the rear piece is 1/4" thick angle section steel, it has 6 bolts through it once the seats are bolted in. Inner most seat track bolts have washers and nuts under the cab floor.

The seats sitting in the floor. These are the older covers, not the current better ones.

I cut the stock mounting points off and welded flat steel in place.

Maybe gives an idea of how they bolt in ... or adjusted as desired due to human growth or steering wheel size, etc.

My newer seat covers, you can just make out my cup holders too. Head rests and armrests are a vynil I think, they did not fail like the leather. I likely will leave as is.

I have a behind seat storage unit too, it's got lower tabs extending down behind the thick angle iron base ... and up top bolts to the rear cab wall with the use of some expansion nut serts. The new seat covers use real heavy duty velcro at head rest points, so no cutting is done.

Recently while doing the refurbish, I refinished / repainted the behind seat storage, included two large holes over rear cab bushing bolts too so they can be accessed with this storage box in place.