Fab me some bucket seat nut-plates?

[boraxman]

I would like to know if someone has specs or has made a pair of the nut-paltes for buckets. Im ready to install my factory bucket seats and need a pair for the inside bracket mounts.

Ideally I would like to have someone make me a pair or find something factory.

[Americanrider]

I'd like to see a pic or two of what you want.

[HuggerCST]

There is a boardmember in Cal. that made some for boardmember 55454, but the front crossbrace would be difficult to reproduce. You can PM 55454 and ask him who it was, or buy a used set. I have a set that will soon be for sale as soon as I can cut it out if you are interested.

[boraxman]

Originally Posted by HuggerCST

There is a boardmember in Cal. that made some for boardmember 55454, but the front crossbrace would be difficult to reproduce. You can PM 55454 and ask him who it was, or buy a used set. I have a set that will soon be for sale as soon as I can cut it out if you are interested.

Yes interested.

[chipflyer]

I believe that when I was up at Teeitups last weekend he had a front cross brace that he had just removed from a blazer. I used one of those when I installed my buckets and it sure makes it easy as well as look stock. You might send him a PM and see if he still has it.

[boraxman]

Originally Posted by Americanrider

I'd like to see a pic or two of what you want.

Havent seen any pics floating around maybe some will post something up.

[boraxman]

Originally Posted by chipflyer

I believe that when I was up at Teeitups last weekend he had a front cross brace that he had just removed from a blazer. I used one of those when I installed my buckets and it sure makes it easy as well as look stock. You might send him a PM and see if he still has it.

Thanks, just fired him a PM.

[HuggerCST]

Here are a couple of pics. Cabs without factory buckets don't have the crossbrace and nutplates.

[boraxman]

Is the crossbrace bolt in or welded?

[HuggerCST]

The crossbrace and brackets/nutplates are all welded in.

[chipflyer]

Its spot welded to the cab floor, and the seat bolts will hold it all together also. Its pretty easy to grind away the old spotwelds and after its cleaned up it will fit right between the 2 cab braces. After thats done you can drill pilot holes up throught the nuts and you will have the correct front inner seat bracket holes.
After you have the inner holes drilled and the seats temporarily bolted in you can mark and drill the outer bracket holes from inside the cab, you will notice that you will have to move the outer brackets under the cab out as the stock location for a bench seat is to far in. After all of that you will have the front bolted down but nothing in the back. Mark and drill your back holes and again the outer rear bracket needs to be moved out about an inch and the inner rear bracket will need to be added, as there wasn't one on a truck with bench seats. All of this stuff is available originally from a blazer and if you take your time and do a good job you can make it look original.
One thing to keep in mind is that if you try and use the original bench seat outer holes and you have a console the seats will be to close to it and you will eventually break it.
Another thing I thought of was that you need to mount the console in the center of the cab first, it will help you square the seats up before you mark and drill them. It's a pretty easy task as there are 4 dimples in the cab floor that line right up with the console mounting holes. Hope this makes sense.

Have fun!

Jeff

[boraxman]

Originally Posted by chipflyer

Its spot welded to the cab floor, and the seat bolts will hold it all together also. Its pretty easy to grind away the old spotwelds and after its cleaned up it will fit right between the 2 cab braces. After thats done you can drill pilot holes up throught the nuts and you will have the correct front inner seat bracket holes.
After you have the inner holes drilled and the seats temporarily bolted in you can mark and drill the outer bracket holes from inside the cab, you will notice that you will have to move the outer brackets under the cab out as the stock location for a bench seat is to far in. After all of that you will have the front bolted down but nothing in the back. Mark and drill your back holes and again the outer rear bracket needs to be moved out about an inch and the inner rear bracket will need to be added, as there wasn't one on a truck with bench seats. All of this stuff is available originally from a blazer and if you take your time and do a good job you can make it look original.
One thing to keep in mind is that if you try and use the original bench seat outer holes and you have a console the seats will be to close to it and you will eventually break it.
Another thing I thought of was that you need to mount the console in the center of the cab first, it will help you square the seats up before you mark and drill them. It's a pretty easy task as there are 4 dimples in the cab floor that line right up with the console mounting holes. Hope this makes sense.

Have fun!

Jeff

Thanks, very informative post. One more quick question..can all this be achieved with the drive train in place?

[chipflyer]

Yup, you can do it with the drive train in place. You will have to remove the RH cab mount and rad sup bolts and lossen all the others, then you will be able to carefully jack up the RH side of the cab and slide the bracket across. Pretty easy, just don't get carried away jacking it up.

Jeff