Ok, we have all seen the typical 200K mile Dodge drivers seat........ It lives a tough life....... Even worse if you are a big dude sliding in and out multiple times a day. Greenie was no exception, and it was getting to the point I had a permanent lean as I drove, so something had to be done. I don't like any of the patch fixes I have seen, even by upholstery shops, the material just doesn't match, and aftermarket seats, while beautiful and comfy, are out of my price range.

So whats a guy to do? I could swap the seats from right to left, but that only bones my passenger...... So a couple of months ago, I was at my buddy's junkyard, bemoaning the fact that all his Dodges suffered the same fate, and while he had 2 gray seat trucks, only the Passenger side was any good. Since he is a heck of a guy, and I really didn't have anything to lose, I took the lower seat cushion and foam from the passenger side of a wrecked 95 1500....., it is actually quite simple.

Here are the pictures, for this job ( manual seat, others may take more ) you will need a 13 MM socket and ratchet to remove the seat to track bolts ( 4 of them ) and a Phillips screwdriver to take the recline lever off.

Slide the seat forward and remove the 2 bolts in the middle of the slider track, then move it back and remove the 2 bolts just inboard of the slider tracks. Now you can move the seat forward and remove the cable for the recline lever and the spring under the seat ( not sure what it is for, I didn't put it back and everything works....) Now you can put the seat on the bench and get to work......

Before shot


Setting on the workbench, you can see the 95 is slightly different gray, doesn't matter, I will get a 96 up unit in better shape the next time one comes in, this was proof of concept anyway.


Bottom view of seat and replacement cushion.


Both cushions side by side.


Bare seat frame.


Continued on next post.

 

Ok, I kind of skipped around there, to take the old cushion off, all you do is slip the black plastic clamps off the seat frame, then there is one at the back that snaps together, and you have to cut a flap that goes around the hinge area.

Should take all of 3 minutes...... Basically reverse to put cushion back on. You have to cut a small hole in the side for the recline lever, and to be honest, that side has a bit more padding, so putting the recline lever back on is a tad more difficult, but it is doable.

I also didn't like how the back strap snapped back together, so I whipped out the needle and thread, and sewed it to make sure it didn't pop out.

You will end up with this.



Finally in the truck ( don't hate me for the filth, I live in my truck...... )



All in all, I can't IMAGINE why I waited so long ( OK, too much OT at work ), but this is now the most comfy seat I know of, I know why people rave about the second gen seats! I sit at least 2" taller, because my head is just touching the roof ( I'm a big boy with a long torso ).

Overall, even accounting the first time doing it, and looking around for needle and thread, it took less than a hour total.

I know this, I am going to grab a couple of Passenger side lower seat cushions so I will never have to worry about it again!

 

Hey, that's a great idea! I never thought to use passenger side upholstery on the driver side. Your repair looks awesome!

 

I was quoted by my local 2 shops between 400-500$ just to repair a 3" x 1/2"
tear with new bottom foam.

I honestly do not know how small town shops stay in buisness.

 

It's not a perfect match, the outside is now a slight bit more vertical and the back is cut out just a tick more for where it used to have the seat belt running ( both are VERY minor differences ), and I think people walking up to an old Dodge will be more freaked out that the seat isn't shot than they are likely to notice the minor differences.

I do know this, my next mod is to get a set of tracks out of a truck and lower them about 2". If I sit up straight, my eyes are right at the top of the windshield........

Looks like it will be an easy enough mod once I get a set of tracks.

 

Is there a reasonable aftermarket option to buy replacement leather to redo the seats yourself? Every place I've seen and spoken with, they want to charge min of $800-1000 for just the front seats.

 

None that I am aware of, I looked and looked. The other thing is it looks like they sew up the seat, then they must inject the foam to get it to stick or glue it somehow to the fabric, because it isn't easy to separate it.........

 

Nice job, better get another passenger seat out of a wreck to tuck away for next time.......

 

One of the tricks I saw on the TDR quite a while ago was to slip a piece of carpet sample between the foam and spring. The foam tends to work down into the spring over time.

Looking at your pic, it doesn't seem that the foam had worked down into the spring to much, so maybe the carpet sample piece wouldn't do much in your case?

I'm looking to do something with my driver's seat this summer, but the upholstery on mine is actually pretty good--I just want to deal with the collapsed padding.

 

Those pics are deceiving, the wires had worked their way easily 1/2 to 3/4" down into the foam, so don't discount the TDR article.

I would certainly give it a shot, it wouldn't take long at all to do, especially if you don't have to cut the back to swap from side to side, you could literally just take the 4 bolts out, pop off the plastic rails, detach it enough to get the sample under there and reverse. Probably wouldn't take you 20 minutes at best. 13 MM socket and a screwdriver is all you need. You have to slide the seat all the way forward to get the front bolts and all the way back to get the rears.

 

Years back, I put a commercial carpet tile (thick backing) between the foam and spring. Worked somewhat for a while. When the foam is shot, it's shot. Especially the side bolsters from people sliding out.