texd

Howdy all,

Has anyone done a bench seat to buckets/split bench swap on an F250 SD in the 99 range?

Other questions I have about doing this (even if you haven't done a replacement you might know these answers:

What other models can I look for in the junk yard? 150, 250, 350? SD vs non-SD? 99 vs other years? Crew cab vs other? (It's my guess that the Crew cab can't use a standard cab seats because std cab seating probably mounts directly to raised floorboards meaning I'd need to weld up a frame for them, though I could be wrong about this)

Do Crew Cab trucks with buckets/split bench use just the same 4 mounting holes as the bench or will I need to drill/locate other mounting holes?

Any other advice I need before I start to troll the local junkyards?

 

texd

Well, I completed my installation last night and here's what I learned.

1) Compatibility

Seats that fit include 1999-2003 Super Duty Crew Cabs. I was never entirely clear whether extended cab seats would work, but regular cab would not.

2) Anchors

The solid bench uses 2 anchors in the front and 6 in the back (2 for the bench itself, 4 for seatbelts). The 40/20/40 uses all 6 in the back and 4 in the front. There are 2 anchor holes that are present but not in use (and either plugged or covered by the floor covering). Only problem is that these two anchor holes are not threaded (all the others are threaded for 12mm @ 1.75 thread). For these, I used 3/8" stainless bolts with nylon thread lock nuts. This involved having an assistant to secure the bolt head while I crawled under to put on the nuts.

As for the rear anchors, the old anchor bolts for the seatbelt had a widened shaft between the threads and the head. Problem is it's not wide enough to be a reliable anchor for the seats and could actually damage the flange for the seat foot. There are two solutions here: 1) you can get sufficient washers to widen the shaft (I found 4 5/8" washers per bolt would cover the length of the threadless shaft) or 2) you can purchase new 12mmx1.75 bolts (I'd go at least 40-50mm length).

3) Shopping
I found my new seats through car-part.com plus some phone work... a very clean way to search salvage yards. Ended up getting a very nice set of seats out of a 2001 F250SD XLT crew cab for $150 + tax. They sit a little (1/2 inch to full inch I guess) higher than the full bench, plus it reclines and has dial-in lumbar support.

All in all, I'm very happy with the result. A very nice upgrade. Long drives will be much nicer now.