No sproing in my sprung

[Jimbabwe]

The driver's side of my bench was sinking. Had the bench out and noticed three of the flat springs right under the bottom foam were broken. Upholsterer said he could order them and an easy fix. After I dropped the bench off he got back to me and said the side spring assembly that goes from top to bottom with multiple bends was the real problem, more than the flat springs, but his distributor no longer carries them and he can not find them. He also can't find the flat springs, but says the wavy ones should work fine there. The previous owner did some hack job of bending metal to double up on the springs, but that did nothing to add structural integrity back to them.
Does anyone know where I could get the side springs, or the flat ones from? Someone said I'll need to buy a new frame, which comes with all springs. That seems ridiculous. My bench is in otherwise excellent condition. Thanks.

[bobs409]

I too found a some broken side springs when I did the seat on my wrecker. I just went to the junkyard and robbed some from the passenger side of a truck seat. Because it's the passenger side, they were in great shape! Just cut through the upholstery and you can unclip them real easy.

P.S. I looked for a seat that was shot/ugly, didn't want to hack up a good one. All though, just about all of them are shot!

[Jimbabwe]

Unfortunately the junkyards around NYC and over in NJ only seem to have late model cars, no older vehicles, and the nearest pick-and-pull places are hours away, out in your neck of the woods. I've never been, but heard 2-3 hours away.
I was hoping someone must know of a supplier, or catalog, selling new ones and I could just order them while wearing my pj's and eating Cheeto's, instead of driving two states away!
Love that wrecker, btw.

[cdowns]

ii'd go to swapmeets and start askin questions of guys that had old truck parts there or that brought thier stuff in old trucks/// loads of old bench seats are there many free or near free just to get them out of thier storage spaces

[Jimbabwe]

I did just that. Went to Englishtown swap, and Carlisle. Nothin'...

[midniteblues]

perhaps a thread on the parts board would help you out i'm sure somebody has one laying around that could be parted

[Jimbabwe]

Good idea. Does no one sell these things new?

[midniteblues]

Originally Posted by Jimbabwe

Good idea. Does no one sell these things new?

i dont think so, but dont take my word for it.
i seem too recall a thread a long while ago with the same question and just remember the board telling the op the same i said.

i went through this with the kids seat a while ago we got springs from a trashed seat at the jy probally the same seat bob did
around the front we stuffed a large "pool noodle" in between the springs and the cover and wired it in.
it seemed to firm up the front of the seat and gives more of a "butt pocket" in the seat he loves it. before it was really really bouncey but not anymore with the springs and noodle(redneck enginenering)

[Jimbabwe]

Well, that's no fun! All that other stuff reproduced--except for the rare (possibly corvette optioned) delete plates, and blinker fluid replacement cartridges--and they don't make our springs?!

I'm all for redneck engineering--the upholsterer said he could just slap a block of wood in the corner so it would support it until I find the springs if they're not made. I don't know how comfortable that would be...or wouldn't be, I should say.
The corner sinks down kinda far, and, even though I like my cookies, I'm a pretty thin guy!

[camrycurt]

I had the same issue with my bench seat and couldn't find a source for new springs.

But since you opened the door to redneck engineering...what I ended up doing was strategically robbing springs from the middle and passenger side of my own seat and using those to replace the broken ones on the driver's side. Those areas don't see a lot of use so I figured it would be OK, so I took about every 4th spring or so across the rest of the seat.

Then the key to the whole thing was that I went to Lowes and had them cut enough bulk low pile commercial carpet for me to lay two layers down on top of the springs. I picked the one with the stiffest backing material, and it is firm enough to help add support and distribute the passenger weight but is still flexible to move and flex, plus it is thin enough that even two layers didn't really add that much height to the seat. I wouldn't use anything hard like plywood or anything like that.

I don't drive my truck every day but it's been two years and so far so good. I figure if the carpet starts to wear out I'll just buy some more to replace it and it will firm everything back up.

[Jimbabwe]

Yeah, That's what the upholsterer suggested--taking some flat springs from the center to replace the three busted ones on the driver's side. But he said the real problem was that multi-bended side spring thing. That's where he suggested putting the block of wood. Not directly under your butt. That way the side would be supported and not sink so much.
I'm amazed nobody makes these things. I'll have to get to some junkyards at some point and have a look.
There's always bomber seats!

[jjzepplin]

Maybe you could ask someone on here to post some for sale from a parted out truck with an unshippable torn up seat....?

[Jimbabwe]

Yep. I'll put a WTB ad.