[bshred]

Just installed a two person 36-inch wide Ford OEM bench seat in my T250 cargo. I'm getting about a half inch to one inch movement when pulling/pushing on the seat. the movement is in the connection with the legs.

I've torqued the all bolts on the leg assemblies as much as I can but there is still play in the seat connection with the legs. Legs to the rail has no movement.

Is anyone else seeing that? maybe its part of the way the quick release mechanism works. The quick release does stay closed and seems to be operating correctly. I've scoured the web and can't find any similar issues.

 

[bshred]

solved the issue. One of the seat leg bolts was loose. This bolt has an over-sized housing so it is critical to get the torque just right to ensure a pressure fit on each side of the support leg to the seat connection.

 

[TomB985]

Glad to hear you got it figured out. Where did you get the seat from? How did you secure it without the seat track?

 

[danketchpel]

Yes, I'd like to know if you used the stock Ford mounting brackets or ???

Also, did you drill you own holes?

I have some factory Transit seats coming to me that I need to work out the mounting for.

 

[TomB985]

ON that front...where is everyone getting their seats from? Have a 2nd row that I won't be needing anymore, and I don't really wanna store it.

 

[APDX]

Count me in for wanting details. I too will be installing an OEM seat in my cargo van.

 

[danketchpel]

ON that front...where is everyone getting their seats from? Have a 2nd row that I won't be needing anymore, and I don't really wanna store it.

I bought mine off eBay. I looked here and didn't see any that matched my upholstery and the configuration I was looking for.

My only comment at the moment is shipping sux......, they are big and heavy.

I think if I'd been willing to wait it out I could have found some closer and maybe from somebody here. I found what I was looking for and pulled the trigger.

 

[bshred]

sorry just realizing I haven't replied.

I had to drill new holes in the floor. The cargo frame does not have mounts for additional passenger seats. I had to fabricate plates to attached the Ford OEM seat to. I used 3" wide 1/4" steel plate with a welded (captive) nut on the plates. I requires dropping the fuel tank, and there is another thread somewhere in this forum that covers that part. The vans beams are made up of "U" channel with a hat on each side. The hat is where the fan floor is tack welded to. I made sure to span the plate under the hat of each beam such that the plate would not be able to slide. Due to the hole pattern of the Ford OEM seat rail the holes line up right on the edge of each beam hat so measuring 50 times is key. First fabricate the plates with your holes pre punched in the plates. Then check for alignment underneath. I used an awl to mark center before drilling.

This essentially makes a clamp on the vans frame in multiple locations. I was not able to utilize all the holes on the passenger seat rail due to an upside down U channel precluding my connection. Rather than use rivnuts in the floor I decided not to drill that spot and used zero connections in that location. Instead I fabricated another steel channel of the same dimensions and hole pattern as the ford channel and installed it on the drivers side of the OEM drivers side seat rail. Connections to the frame for this new rail are the same as the others. Then I welded steel plates from the new rail to the OEM rail inside the van. This then completed the "clamp" over the Ford drivers side beam. My 2" insulated flooring conceals all the structural members.

Another trick is to leave your captive nut un-welded to the plate. Mount everything up for alignment and mark on the plate exactly where the nut should be welded to the plate. Of course you must be careful welding when the fuel tank is detached.

I make no guarantees that seat install method is flawless. Anyone else using this method accepts all risk.