Big Blue's Bucket Seats

[mat in tn]

I really like the seats but i must have missed what they originally were in. they kind of look like early fox body seats.

[Gary Lewis]

They were from Chad/Little Beefy's 84 Bronco.

[mat in tn]

so, they are just missing the lean forward bases. very cool.

[Gary Lewis]

Yes, the passenger's side is missing the "ejection seat" base.

[mat in tn]

that's the one I was thinking of

[ArdWrknTrk]

You don't need to climb in the back, just get to the charger by the inverter, right?  

[Gary Lewis]

Exactly, Jim.

If you can tilt the seatback you are there.  But the passenger's seatback doesn't tilt if you put the bolt in it, as you should.  So then you need to slide it forward to get access to the charger ports.  And since it is on slides that works fairly well.

Didn't go to the shop today but hope to tomorrow and will put the real driver's seat on the driver's side and vice versa and see how that works.  Still have to figure out what the best approach is, how to limit the sliding, how to, or if, to tilt the back, etc.

[ArdWrknTrk]

I -kinda sorta- know the '95ish Bronco seats, but haven't pulled apart one of these.

Too bad you hadn't figured it out before you got them reupholstered.  

[Gary Lewis]

Not sure I understand, Jim.  I'm happy with the seats, just need to tweak the installation.  So, what am I missing?

[viven44]

The passenger side seat on a 78-86 bronco, if I recall correctly, will lift up all the way from the base and then does a swivel-tilt. Don't remember if it also does a tilt-only.

[Gary Lewis]

The bases I have for the passenger's bucket seat just tilt but don't swivel.  In fact I've not seen one that swivels.

But I'm not using that base because it bolts to the Supercab or Bronco floor pan, which is different than a regular cab or crewcab's floor.  That's why I made the platform of angle iron that bolts to the legs from a bench seat, and those legs obviously bolt nicely to the floor of those cabs.

Now for my findings and path forward.  This morning I put the passenger's seat on the passenger's side and checked out how it hits things.  With the back bolted down so it won't tilt the top of the back hits the bottom of the window just before the lower part of the back hits the inverter.  And that is just past the next to rear-most stop of the slide.  So you can't hurt anything by sliding it back as it hits the window and when you let up on the slider release you'll click into the next forward stop.  

The driver's seat is even better as it will go into the rear-most stop, but the seatback hits the window and lifts up against the release latch enough that you can't release it w/o sliding the seat forward one notch. So I put two washers under the latch, as you can see below, and now you can unlatch it when all the way back. And that is farther back than the captain's chairs would go.  

The only downside is that the new vinyl is either against the rear glass or the trim below the window, so will rub and both make noise and cause damage.  So I'm trying to think of just the right thing to put on there to prevent that.  Like maybe a piece of felt?  Or maybe a piece of Velcro?

Which leads me to the path forward.  I'd really like to take the truck out to see how I like the seats, but I'd want Janey to go with me and she can't at the moment.  So I think it is time to pull the seats, console, and platform out and paint things.  And maybe it is also time to take a few more pics of the platform for posterity.

[ArdWrknTrk]

I don't think Janey is a problem, your son might need legroom to be comfortable.

Personally, I wouldn't want anything rubbing on my new vinyl.  
Id try to find a way to limit rearward travel.

[Gary Lewis]

No, Janey isn't a problem, but I may ride there.  Or maybe my brother if we go on another trip.  So I want it to go back as far as it can.  And to do that I want to put something between the vinyl and any place it'll rub.  At least that is the plan, but we'll see how that works out.

As for what I did this afternoon, I took the seats, console, and platform out.  Then I used a wire wheel on the platform and got it about 95% ready for paint.  Hopefully tomorrow I can get it completely ready and start painting.  In fact I plan to make a run to the hardware store for paint in the morning.

But for Vivek's benefit here's a shot of the platform bolted in using the legs from the bench seat that came out of the truck:



And here's a before and after shot of the platform.  Still have to get back into the corners, but I got most of the paint and rust off.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Too bad you don't have a needle scaler, or a much bigger cabinet

[Gary Lewis]

Yes, if the cabinet was larger.  Or if I'd not given my outside blaster to my brother.  But even though the wire cup for the right-angle grinder is out of balance and makes using it less than fun I'd still rather use it than the outside blaster.  My hands still tingle from the grinder, but I won't be finding media in various orifices for days.

I'm hoping the hardware store will have some sanding & wire wheels for the Dremel.  And I need to stop at O'Reilly's and get more brake cleaner.  Best make a list:

[ArdWrknTrk]

Horrid Fate has a compact needle scaler for like $30.... 😉

[Gary Lewis]

Actually, the $28 one is on sale for $20.  

As said, I was planning a run to pick up paint, et al, but now maybe I'll go get one of those.  I think it'll make getting into the corners far easier and more thorough than sanding.  Thanks!

[viven44]

Thanks for these pictures, they are very helpful if I ever wanted to move to buckets.

By the way, by swivel, I mean the "eject base". Understood that since you did not use the base the Eject function is absent.

[Gary Lewis]

Right, I'm not using the "ejection seat".  It won't bolt into my floor and that's a requirement for me 'cause the factory holes are where the floor is reinforced.

On another topic, I forgot that I have .75" worth of large washers placed under the rear of each leg in order to tilt the platform forward and get the seat bottoms at the same angle there were from the factory.  I think stacking washers looks kludgy so hope to make some spacers on the lathe as this goes back together.

[viven44]

Wonder if a body-mount type bushing would help, vibrations and such.