Anybody try firming-up their bench seat? :)

[Alvin in AZ]

I'm going to give it a try with a dozen of these...
http://www.mcmaster.com/
And search for... 9628K52
I'll take a picture.

All I really know about it is the bench seat out of the '91 F150
is a soft piece of crap compared to the original in my '75 F150.
And I only weigh ~180#.

YMMV?

Alvin in AZ

 

[LEB Ben]

Hmmm...I'm not sure a spring is gonna do the trick. I've seen guys use denser foam and thicker lattice wire, but I'm not sure how an expanded spring is supposed to help.

 

[Alvin in AZ]

Hmmm...I'm not sure a spring is gonna do the trick.
I've seen guys use denser foam and thicker lattice wire,
but I'm not sure how an expanded spring is supposed to help.

Oops! LOL

So you got me to thinking about the springs and how much they stretch
when I set down and felt under the seat. And found out there's a different
cushion-support-system than the one I was messing with that's out of the
'90 parts truck. :/ And it -was- going to be a cinch with its style of seat
cushion support too!

Already ordered the dangged springs. :/

Oh well, it's got the older squiggle-spring type seat cushion supports.
Guess I'll just have to figure out a way to add some of those somehow?
Got a bunch of those springs already.

Not sure if they are all soft like mine, stepfather was 6'6" and heavy too!

Alvin in AZ

 

[DNFXDLI]

I have talked to an upholstery shop here after a search for later model seats ended in frustration..the fellow I talked to said he can install a firmer, thicker spring...more dense foam and even a lumbar support if I wanted...all while keeping the original appearance.

 

[Lost]

depending on the year the wires /springs cut into foam
After seat is apart I fix any loose bad wires and I put a pc of carpet on top of springs and then add Foam in any thickness needed

 

[Alvin in AZ]

Here's what I found after I took the sorry piece of crap apart...

http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/file12/seat-springs.jpg

The one on the left is from my '75 F100 parts truck and the one on the right
with 6! springs missing is from the '91 F150 I inherited. Four of the springs
on the '91 seat aren't much count too because they are bent "square" and
weak. Those 2 surround the seat belt and made special for that purpose I
guess?

Ok, sounds weird but just sitting on the two as-is gives the same "feel" as
when they're all covered up with foam and fabric. No kidding, strange but
true.

The 6 missing springs don't have provisions to add springs, the factory made
it with those springs missing on purpose.

The seat I got from the '90 F250 parts truck and the rear seat from the '91
Bronco use a different spring system and would be easy as anything to firm
up, IMO.

Well there you got it not need for new foam unless you want it firmer than
a old clunky '75's seat.

Now what to do to fix this situation? :/

Since I left the old frame out and it got rusty, the seat-back pivot-bearing
surfaces are rusty. :/ So I'm thinking I'd rather modify the new frame.

So now should I, pop-rivet some spring holders (made or bought) or try to
copy the factory's method of holding the 6 added springs by cutting slots
into the seat frame? Hmmm...

Alvin in AZ

 

[kiwi f150]

Here's what I found after I took the sorry piece of crap apart...

http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/file12/seat-springs.jpg

The one on the left is from my '75 F100 parts truck and the one on the right
with 6! springs missing is from the '91 F150 I inherited. Four of the springs
on the '91 seat aren't much count too because they are bent "square" and
weak. Those 2 surround the seat belt and made special for that purpose I
guess?

Ok, sounds weird but just sitting on the two as-is gives the same "feel" as
when they're all covered up with foam and fabric. No kidding, strange but
true.

The 6 missing springs don't have provisions to add springs, the factory made
it with those springs missing on purpose.

The seat I got from the '90 F250 parts truck and the rear seat from the '91
Bronco use a different spring system and would be easy as anything to firm
up, IMO.

Well there you got it not need for new foam unless you want it firmer than
a old clunky '75's seat.

Now what to do to fix this situation? :/

Since I left the old frame out and it got rusty, the seat-back pivot-bearing
surfaces are rusty. :/ So I'm thinking I'd rather modify the new frame.

So now should I, pop-rivet some spring holders (made or bought) or try to
copy the factory's method of holding the 6 added springs by cutting slots
into the seat frame? Hmmm...

Alvin in AZ

Why not give it a quick hit with a sandblaster and por15 then a rattlecan of paint - she'll be good as new then.

 

[Alvin in AZ]

Why not give it a quick hit with a sandblaster ...then a rattlecan of paint
- she'll be good as new then.

I went ahead and ordered these to get them started this way...
(got stuff from them the next day because they ship from LA)
http://www.mcmaster.com/nav/enter.asp?partnum=8863T32&pagenum=1497
...but might do it different way like you say. Not setup to sandblast but
it's more the bearing surface on the passenger side's got a nylon bearing
that I'd like to keep intact.

Ordered these while I was at it...
http://www.mcmaster.com/nav/enter.asp?partnum=9464K545&pagenum=3455
...they are for the fuel injection type sending unit hole.

--------------------
This is for those that actually take one apart, otherwise this won't make
any dangged sense at all. LOL

FiNgured-out a way to replace those 4 springs that are "square waves"
and were wimped-out and saggy. Took two springs off the old seat and
bent the "straight end" to 45 degrees and then straightened the "45" end.
That-way the spring-steel only gets re-worked ~45 degrees, see?.
There's only one-short-straight-section of the wire that has to do all the
twisting. Remember to bend-past what you need and then bent-back to
what you want.

---------------------

Alvin in AZ

 

[Alvin in AZ]

Update after driving it for a week or so...

Fixed!

It's the best this seat has ever felt, I betcha.
Another thing fixed-for-cheap that's better-than-new?

Tinkering fool in AZ