I found a really nice pair of Chrysler Leather Power Seats in a large salvage yard. I want to replace my bench seat with these fancy leather bucket seats. The electrical is nothing because all the controls are right on the seat and all you need is a hot lead and ground. That's easy.

What I would like to know is what kind of frame would be best to mount these low sport seats at bench height?!! OK, I could build a light steel box to mount them to. The steel could be covered with a gray vinyl to match my interior. How would you mount them? Anyone?!! Help!!!

BTW, I have a regular cab so I really need a pair of seats that "fold forward", but I am willing to "hinge" the seat to fold forward if necessary, to gain access behind my seats.

BillVoyles

 

If you don't care too much for your current bench seat, take the mouting off of it and put it on the Chrysler seats. Some of the Lightning owners have converted their bench type seat to buckets by splitting (I believe) the seat so they must have made the seat mounting brackt into two pieces.

 

You know ... that ain't a bad idea ....

Thanks T Ellenberger! That may just be the answer to my problems! Mounting such low bucket seats at bench height in a pickup is a trick. Wish I could see the frame by itself without tearing mine all apart to see how it might work. But it couldn't be too far off.

The frame running all the way across the cab isn't a problem. When you consider how you would support a third person between the two bucket seats. Or, how you would put an armrest-console between the front seats.

As a plus, you would have the original seat frame adjustable forward and back, and the six-way power seats, to move up and down and back and forward too. Most passenger seats were just manual anyway.

The bench seat frame would certainly get me up out of the dust to where I could even see out the window!

Thanks for that idea!!

RedLowRyder
'99 Red Regular Cab Flareside 4.6/Auto/3.08 Sleeper!

 

Whatever you do, make sure it's STRONG. If it's not and you get into an accident, not only is your chance of getting seriously injured much higher when the seat breaks away, but your chances of your insurance company denying you coverage increases too while your liability increases dramatically if your have a passenger in your truck.

 

I have a reg cab with the two manual bucket seats. I raised the drivers seat by unbolting the seat from the mounting frame and putting a 1 inch square tubing between seat and frame.
At first I tried to modify where the frame mounts to the floor but the front mounts are not flat to the floor. They are angled from the bump in the floor sheet metal. So, I raised the seat from the mounting brackets.

 

Tell me more TEllenberger...

Let me understand better. Are you saying that you used the bench seat frame to mount two bucket seats? And you needed to elevate the bucket seats about another inch above the bench seat frame?

If you used a bench seat frame ... did the tube frame seperate from the upholstry portion easily... or did you really have to tear it all apart to get down the the steel frame?

This isn't magic or rocket science but I have never done it before and am just trying to get as much knowledge under my belt before I yard my bench seat out and have to sit on an orange crate to get around town to buy parts.

This could turn into a nightmare if I'm not careful.

BillVoyles

 

I did not have a bench seat. I had two bucket seats. I just wanted the drivers seat to be higher. I took the entire seat and mounting bracket out into my driveway in one piece. Tried to make a bracket that would mount the entire unit back in place but the front mounting holes are not flat on the floor.
So, I took the mounting bracket off the seat and placed square tubing between the seat and mounting bracket (sorry, not pics).
My drivers seat is now about an inch higher than normal. Can't tell the difference until someone sits in the seat.