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broken HOWTO - My C-for-C Loot - Installing Jeep Grand Cherokee Bucket Seats

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  #1  
Old 10-24-2009, 09:15 PM
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broken HOWTO - My C-for-C Loot - Installing Jeep Grand Cherokee Bucket Seats






Found these several weeks ago, they're from a mid-90s Jeep Grand Cherokee,
the yard charged me $50 each for 'em.

Finally got some time to do a mock-up installation to see what it's gonna take
to install 'em permanently, it'll take some thinking & engineering...

First, want to figure out the wiring so I can ensure they're each moved as far
back on their mounting brackets as they'll go, I'll then butt 'em up against the
rear of the cab and figure out exactly what needs to be done. It's gonna suck, I
can see that.

The center console thing is out of an F250 Crew Cab of our generation. I also
got the mounting brackets from some Ford OEM bucket seats; I was originally
hoping to use 'em on these Jeep seats but it doesn't look like that'd be an easy
way to go.

I use my truck as a work truck, mostly for hauling firewood. That's a pretty
dirty job (especially if I'm dealing with forest fire kill, lots of soot everywhere),
and trying to keep cushy, crushed velour (what I have on the current bench
seat) clean is pretty hard.

Thanks to C-4-C, I found LEATHER low-back buckets! And POWER even! Up,
down, forward, back, tilt, lumbar, Hell, prolly even Eject! Clean with a damp
rag!

And a center console thing! Finally, I'll have cup holders!!!

 
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Old 10-24-2009, 09:35 PM
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Looks nice man! Great score! Hope i can get around to doing this to my 83 at some point!
 
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Old 10-25-2009, 03:22 PM
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Wow!!! Leather! VERY cool!

Them seats got bun warmers? When you get to be my age, you REALLY appreciate bun warmers!


That center console is pretty nifty! I've not seen one before.

Is there much useful storage space in it?

Does it go all the way back against the back of the cab?

Other than cup holders ... anything else ... drawers, lift out trays ... ???
 
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Old 10-25-2009, 04:59 PM
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I'm assuming that center console is similar to the ones used in Broncos; it's basically a big plastic tub with a lid and a couple shallow cupholders.

I could've gotten the one out of the truck I picked my seats from, but I decided I could build something way cooler and more functional, for less than they would've charged me for it. Thinking something involving army surplus ammo cans.

I kind of feel sorry for what some people here pay for junkyard parts. My local charges $37 for a bench seat, or $37 for a pair of front buckets.
 
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Old 10-25-2009, 05:58 PM
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C -for- C = ???

 
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Old 10-25-2009, 08:25 PM
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Originally Posted by newrider3
I'm assuming that center console is similar to the ones used in Broncos; it's basically a big plastic tub with a lid and a couple shallow cupholders.

I could've gotten the one out of the truck I picked my seats from, but I decided I could build something way cooler and more functional, for less than they would've charged me for it. Thinking something involving army surplus ammo cans.
You're probably right ... I'm more interested in something with function and durability ... than I care about appearance.

The military does have a lot of useful looking steel and aluminum containers. I might be better off looking at Cheaper than Dirt and Sportsman Supply for stuff like this.

No cup holders though. I'll probably have to bend something up and pop rivet it on the outside.
 
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Old 10-25-2009, 09:06 PM
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The center console is the same as in the Broncos (my bro has one in his) and, as was
stated, it's basically just a big, empty void BUT it has cup holders, and THAT is what I was
most interested in.

It's big enough to hold a shoebox, a woman's purse, probably even a laptop computer, but it
mounts on the floor in a very specific orientation:





The seats...

Been looking at wiring diagrams, can find under-seat wiring to all the motors & sensors &
whatnot, but haven't yet run across connecting the seats as units to the vehicle wiring.

But, I found that YES, they have bun warmers! As well as back warmers! Might even
have memory for two different driver's settings, not sure yet. I really need to get an
Owner's Manual to figure out what the unlabeled switches are for.

The pic below will help show what the installation problems are, sorry I didn't take any
pics of the floor while I had the seat out.:



FWIW, the current bench seat I have in there cost me $17 at the junkyard; the console
& brackets & some other miscellaneous goodies were $20. These seats cost as much as
they did because the guy knows what they are (he asked me some specific questions
about what they were out of and I didn't lie to him), and he's in business to make money.

The yard I like to go to the most is a family-owned operation that's been in Colorado for
a long time; my dad is friends with one of the part-owners (has been for the over 30 years
I've been living here) and they've given me things for free or very low cost before. They
treat me well, and I want to help the local Colorado economy and family-owned
businesses as best as I can. So, while these things cost me more than I would have
liked, I don't at all feel ripped off or that I overpaid for them.
 
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Old 10-25-2009, 09:23 PM
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Just out of curiosity, which yard is it? I frequent Andersen's Sales and Salvage (gotta take a load of scrap in tomorrow, the scales were closed sat.) , but it seems like they are mostly in it for the scrap metal, a lot of the time they could care less what you take.

Edit: It looks like you may be able to cut the rear mounts off the new seats, and flip them backwards. Then bend (possibly lengthen) the front mounts to match the floor contour.
 
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Old 10-25-2009, 10:12 PM
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Originally Posted by newrider3
Just out of curiosity, which yard is it?
Welcome to Colorado Auto & Parts Inc. at approx. Santa Fe Dr. just northwest of
Belleview Ave. Right behind Svigel's.

I live at approx. C-470 & University, just across the street from Highlands
Ranch.

I frequent Andersen's Sales and Salvage
Doesn't sound familiar, where are they at?
Edit: It looks like you may be able to cut the rear mounts off the new seats, and flip them backwards. Then bend (possibly lengthen) the front mounts to match the floor contour.
Thanks for the idea! I didn't take the carpet out and really look too closely at
what I have (I've seen enough in the junkyards) as I first decided I should move
'em all the way back on their brackets and THEN figure out where they need
to be situated. That, of course, requires figuring out the wiring....

 
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Old 10-25-2009, 10:30 PM
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Looking good Looking good. I scored a set of Camaro buckets for mine for free. I plan on building the center console as well, because it may need to conceal a nitrous bottle in the future. I had a weird idea- I have extra center caps for my truck so I could choose the best ones, and I removed the center red plastic inserts so I could restore the pieces individually. I got to looking at those center caps without the inserts and thought it might be cool to use them as cup holders on the console.
 
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Old 10-25-2009, 10:42 PM
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Originally Posted by ctubutis


Doesn't sound familiar, where are they at?

8th St. in Greeley. Around where the sugar beet plant used to be.
 
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Old 10-26-2009, 09:27 AM
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Are the inboard and outboard mounting brackets riveted to the seat sliders?

Why not just drill out/cut off the rivets ... remove the mounting brackets ...

then remove and mount the corresponding brackets from your Ford bench seats on to ONE of the bucket seats.

You'll have to go back to the junk yard for 2 more bench seat brackets.

The ford stuff is already contoured for the floor of your Ford.

That way you will only have to alter the inside forward mount of the passenger seat. Everything else would be a straight up "drill a couple of holes and bolt in" install.

If you can't find 2 more Ford bench seat brackets ... I got a TWO SETS of them.

let me know.
 
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Old 10-26-2009, 09:35 AM
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BTW ... thanks for the detailed pics of the C/C.

Food for thought!


Yer gonna LOVE them bun/back warmers. My wife's car's has them ... AWESOME on them cold mornings ... or even when your back is a little stiff.

You'll probably end up with one as a desk chair in your house!
 
  #14  
Old 10-26-2009, 10:21 AM
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To follow up on Oddshots idea- didn't the Broncos have buckets? If you could get the brackets off a pair of nasty looking ones, you wouldn't have to do much modification.
 
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Old 10-26-2009, 12:30 PM
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Originally Posted by doug1222556
To follow up on Oddshots idea- didn't the Broncos have buckets? If you could get the brackets off a pair of nasty looking ones, you wouldn't have to do much modification.
I put a set of bronco seats into my truck ...

3 of the 4 mounts on the bronco seats will work ... They are pretty much the same as the mounts on the bench seats. Just drill a couple extra holes and pretty much just bolt them in.

BUT ... You still have to modify the passenger side inner mount ... the forward leg is not correct to match the floor.

It ain't hard at all ... a little work with a cut off wheel ... and MIG the pieces together.
 


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