I've owned this truck for approximately 16 days, and after repairing all the major mechanical issues that this truck had, I finally did something for me... Replaced the saggy bench seat with something a little more comfortable. I'll show you guys the process as it worked for me. Hopefully it will inspire someone to create their new seat for their vehicle.

First I read the thread about the "seat replacement" and I went searching. In a local bone yard, I found a 2005 chrysler T&C which had very little mileage, and it had seats that were comfortable. After paying $37.50 each and another $25 to have them pulled (I didn't want to lie down in the mud / snow mush under the van), I took them home to start the process of retrofitting them into my truck.

First thing I did was clean the fabric of soot and grease marks. HD sells a fabric cleaner by ZEP that works really well. Spray it on, brush it out, and when it's dry vacuum it clean. Good stuff.

Next, pulled the old bench seat out. Since the nuts were rusted pretty badly, I found that a metric 6 pt socket hammered on did the job. I think it was a 12 or 13 mm that worked best. PB blaster and an impact gun did the trick and I was able clean up the years of debris out from underneath the seat. Didn't find any money, though

Next was locating the seat placement. At first I thought the factory holes would work, but quickly found that I was wrong. not even close, as the factory holes, used on the outer bolts of the new seat, would have put the seat too far inwards, and not centered on the steering wheel. I had to then figure out the "best position" for me, with relationship to the steering wheel and driver's door. Centered on the wheel was best, and I made some marks on the floor covering as to where the seat would generally fit.

I cut the floor covering out and temporarily placed the seat back in the truck. After determining center, I took the seat and moved it as far back as it would go on the seat base track. I then placed the seat up against the back wall / rear window of the cab. This position, I knew, would be the farthest that anyone would be able to put the seat rearwards, and marked my depth off of the rear wall. I pulled the seat back out.

I then took a framing square and located the marks I just made. I drew a perpendicular line off the rear wall and located my two inner bold hole locations. Here is the marks I made in doing so.



Now, With a step drill bit, I drilled 2 holes for the inner mounting bolts and tested the fit of the seat. Unfortunately, it didn't work. The seat was too high. My head was just barely touching the roof, and I was afraid that if I hit something, such as a pile of snow, while plowing, I would break my neck or at a minimum smack my head on the roof. Something had to give.

I found that it would be best if the inner seat mount was about 2" shorter in height based upon the height that the outer section near the door sat above the floor. This would allow all 4 bolts to go directly through the floor and simply add the nuts below, so I began my fabrication.

I took base off the seat and I marked a line parallel to the bottom of the mount where I could remove a section of the base without a lot of extra metal work. I drew a second line 2" from the first line, and marked the base. This is my "removal" section of the base, which had to come out.



Next step was to cut out the section and put the two halves back together. I took my die grinder with a 1/16" cutting disc and removed the center section of the base.



Since the bottom was attached to a center support bracket, there are two spotwelds that need to be removed in order for the base to separate at my cutout. I simply drilled out both spots and the bottom section fell off in my hands... with a little massaging, of course.



You can see the support bracket below here. Unfortunately, This bracket is now too long and needs to be modified.



The first seat was done a little different, but this second variation of modification to the center support worked best. I simply cut two slits in the bracket, and bent it downwards so it would sit on the new "lowered" bottom section mount. The location for the slits depends on the depth new depth of the bottom base section in relationship to the upper section of the base. I cut 2" out, but found it best to visually align the sections together, and cut the support bracket where, when bent, it would sit on the lower base section. when I bent it, it fit perfect, so I guess measure several times, then cut is the best advice I can give. The slits I made will be welded shut once the bracket is put back together.



Here is a side view of the support bracket bent in the proper orientation, although I cut the vertical piece that was formerly attached to the bottom section off, since it won't be needed anyway.



Continued on the next post:

 

Next was to fit the two sections back together to form the shortened seat bracket mount. Test fitting, grinding, and re fitting is a tedious process, but well worth it as once you get the two surfaces to meet, simply tack welding them together will allow you to "massage" both pieces to form a seamless joint. This is the initial fit, but the joint was eventually made much nicer to allow welding to take place. Since I'm not a real good welder, I fit everything together, tack welded the sections together, and then had a friend of mine do the final welding



Here is the reworked base bracket (after tack welding) test fit for install. You should try to match the existing level of the body to the new bracket height. In reality, I found that even by doing this, I still was required to "shim" the inner side of the bracket between the floor, as when I sat down in the seat, after reassembly, I didn't feel quite level. Looking back on the process, I would have only removed 1 1/2" out of the inner side section vs. the 2" that I took out as then the seat would have been perfectly level. Live and learn



Here's my buddies welding job. Not perfect, but strong as hell, and only cost me a sandwich at the local deli.... Cheap too, I guess...Since I'm under the gun to get the seat into the truck, I'll grind off the welds next summer when I replace / repair the holes in the floor. For now, a coat of primer is all that it's getting .



After re-attaching the base to the seat bottom, I installed the seat. I put larger washers under and below the floor, and they'll do fine for now. When I repair the floor, I'll correct / reinforce the floor seat mounts with some heavy gauge steel. I'm just glad that I now have a nice comfortable seat to sit my big fat butt into, and better yet, I get to actually see "over the steering wheel" now that my seating height has been corrected. Feels like I put a lift kit in the truck..... Go figure.

These seats are like sitting on a pillow....... oh, so nice ! Now if my office chair was only this comfortable.

 

You mentioned lining up the seat with the steering wheel. I wanted to say that depending on what seat you run, that may not be the most comfortable thing.

I had to move my seat inward an inch because I found on long trips, I would wander up onto the right side bolster. I haven't gone on any long trips since doing it though, so not sure if it solved my issue.

 

I think in the world of truck modification that we all embrace, new seats are often overlooked. I stumbled upon a pair of leather captains chairs out of a starcraft conversion van a few years back and installed them in my '92. They are like sitting in a lazy boy! Makes the long haul road trips so much more bearable.

Good write up, enjoy the comfort.

 

Now you have lots of room to come up with some sort of console in there.

 

So far, it's worked out well. Lining up the center of the seat with the steering wheel allows me to rest my left arm on the door, while my right arm is on the fold down armrest on the new seat. I find myself being able to see much better out of the vehicle. Don't really plan on doing long trips, but no doubt I'll be in the truck for 8 hours or more snow plowing for all of my customers.

Thanks. It's such a pleasure having a soft comfortable (yet still firm) seat to sit on while running around.

That will be added in a future writeup.... I hopped up into the truck yesterday, after plowing for a few hours, looking for my cup holder was a real eye opener!

Already planning out how many Dunkin donuts coffee cup holders will make my wife actually enjoy driving around with me...

 

Nice work on the write up and the install