Has anyone installed seats into there van, need some advice? - Page 2

skrivan · 01-07-2009, 09:58 PM

jamie---
i didnt realize you were here in SLC..me too. if you want to stop over sometime i can help you out with this.....i live in draper, i have a decent fabrication shop and I know where to get whatever you need to bolt the seats in place. send me a note if you want any help...

also, there is a recent post from another guy about his 'under-van storage" and cutting the 'beam'...his first picture shows the seat 'nuts' welded to the underside of the body. i'll try to find it again.

jage · 01-08-2009, 12:01 AM

Use the search, Luke.

skrivan · 01-11-2009, 03:45 PM

jamie---
give me a call on monday if you still want to get together to check out your seats....joe

ProfessorPaddle · 01-31-2009, 01:08 AM

Now I'm getting a bit scared...

Early tomorrow morning I will be driving about a hundred miles to the border of Canada to pickup a Jacknife sofa bed and a stock bench seat for my planned interior.

My van is a 06' windowless ext e350. I pulled the mat and no holes have been drilled although there are reinforced areas that look to be placed where the seat will go.

I installed a couple interiors in my Vanagons (Syncro 4 sale... hint hint) so I am not overly worried but it would be great to see some pics and maybe a few steps. If you don't beat me to it I will post my work on sunday if I finish!

~James

jage · 01-31-2009, 09:42 AM

This is what SMB starts with... don't know if this will help, but you can see some pre-hardware between the wheel wells.

ProfessorPaddle · 01-31-2009, 11:44 PM

Just got home about 5 hours ago with my new seats.

Took me around 3 hours to install the one I wanted. I will put some pics up ... here are the main highlights.

#1 Measure, then measure again, and keep measuring as you drill and work

#2 Drivers side is cake, the passenger side is a doozy getting your little paws up under the rock guard.... really I have some bruised and beat hands right now. Maybe removing the rock guard would be easier but this seemed quicker.

#3 Unless sizes have changed, you will need the following.
- M12 1.75 pitch nuts x 8
- M12 Lock Washers x 8
- M12 Fender Washers x 8
- M12 1.75 Tap Set for tapping threads into floor and backing bracket
- T55 Hex Bit for Stock Bracket Bolts
- Philips Screw Driver
- Hole Punch if you have flooring
- Drill w/ Bits & Tap to start holes
- Tape measure
- Wrenches & Sockets depending on Hardware
- A few good brews and someone around with small hands

Photos To follow tomorrow.

James

jage · 02-01-2009, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ProfessorPaddle

Maybe removing the rock guard would be easier but this seemed quicker.

"There's the right way, the wrong way, and the Max Power way!"
"Isn't that the wrong way?"
"Yes, but faster!"
-Simpsons

ProfessorPaddle · 02-01-2009, 11:12 AM

More Photos are in the web album but here are the main steps I used.

Lay it out and prep

What my van looks like inside - no windows, just floor mat

Find the spot that looks good with your seat

Take measurement

Tape em down

Drill and Tap (Oh and I only tapped so I could put nuts on under neath without the bolts moving around.

Make sure it works before going under

Bolt them on (Passenger side used 2 flat pieces of 1/2" scrap metal, I ran out but I am going to do the same on the driver side, seems much stronger than the bolt method. Pieces were 12' x 6" x 1/2" )

Enjoy your seat

jage · 02-01-2009, 10:06 PM

Three questions:
1. Are you sure that's safe?
2. Did you bolt through the carpet?
3. Are you sure that's safe?

I always thought seat and seat belt anchors were planned into the reinforced areas of the floor, but I guess I don't really know what that means, or which parts of the van floor might qualify.

Do the seat belts come with the seat, or do you have to anchor those separately?

[Oh yeah, and if you cut rectangles for the top part of the mount, the carpet can go over the mount then the seat goes on- that way when you pull the seat you can pull the carpet over the mounts without unbolting anything]

ProfessorPaddle · 02-02-2009, 12:22 PM

Answers

1. Are you sure that's safe?
I am not a safety engineer if that's what your asking. On the flip side, I would not do any work on my vehicles that I felt was unsafe or halfass. I did end up removing the heat shields to finish the backing plates and afterwards, I fixed a block & tackle to the seat with chain through the back door and applied 800 foot lbs and nothing moved and no stress signs were visible under the van. How much is present in an accident, I don't know but I can't imagine it being over that.

2. Originally I did bolt through the carpet in the photos but that was just temp. I ended up pulling it all out when I finished my second set of backing brackets and then bolted under the carpet/matting.

3. See #1

Here is a diagram of how the backing brackets look. They are threaded but also are still double backed with lockwashers and bolts. The heat shield had to be removed to get these in but not the tank. Considering the amount of area the backing brackets cover I felt it was more than enough to consider it re-enforcement. However if you wanted to go overboard you could always use a single sheet or larger square area.

Again I am not saying this will hold up if you got hit by a semi truck going 200mph, but I figured that the amount of force required to move or tear this out of the floor would be a greater amount of force than anyone could live through in an accident.