bend bench seat to recline a little more?

[murraygmc]

i modified a 83 full size bronco set and its a seet seat!! and i like how its a full bench but you dont have to fold the whole back down to get yo the cargo space it folds in the middel

[thirsty]

got2haul- I would just add some washers or scraps of metal or anything under the seat brackets with the bolts out of it until it fits you the way that you want it then make a permenant spacer. I had to do the opposite once. I had a seat that was in real tough shape and you just didn't sit right in the truck so I picked up the back with a big nut under the bracket until I got a better seat.

[got2haul]

Gonna do it tomorrow.  Took the truck out for a drive today after washing it and that's the first thing I thought of -- was that the seat needed to be tilted back somewhat.  I figure maybe 1/2 inch higher at the front ought to do it.

[78 Chevyrado]

Sorry about the no reply guys....   Been busy doing odd jobs to keep $$$ comin in...

Put the spacer in the front where the track bolts to the seat, if I remember right you need 2 on each side.  I started out with 1 inch, then I think settled on around 2 inches (but I'm 6"2) but it may be less if you're shorter.

To test it quickly I found longer bolts that will take the spacers, and then I just used oversize nuts as spacers to get my height where I wanted it.  then after that I made a 1 piece spacer out of some old AC compressor spacers I  found in the junkyard.  I actually found one long one and cut it in half and sized to fit.

[got2haul]

I finally got around to doing this last weekend.  Let me share my experience with you…

My initial thoughts were that I’d like the seat to be tilted up somewhere between a quarter and half an inch.  I intended to use a nut as a spacer.  I removed the driver’s side front bracket-to-seat bolt to determine the general size of the nut I needed that would be the right thickness and fit over the bolt without trouble.  I decided on a pair of matching nuts I had on hand that were 9/16” thick.  They fit over the bolt without worry of damaging the threads on the bolt, and were small enough in diameter I felt assured they could be used in the tight confines between the seat and the seat bracket.

I loosened the passenger side seat-to-bracket bolt and removed the driver side bolt.  I then attempted to fit the spacer between the bracket and the seat.  I had hoped to be able to do this without unbolting the seat from the floor, but alas, even though the front of the seat was loose from the front of the bracket and I was able to lift it, there just isn’t enough room to get my fingers and head in there far enough to see where to place the nut/spacer.  As a result of attempting to do this several times and getting pretty frustrated, I decided to remove the seat from the floor and tilt the whole assembly back so I could see what I was doing.  Once the seat was tilted back and the front supported by the steering wheel, I could see that the maximum amount of space between the bracket and the seat itself was about ½ inch.  Using a pair of needle-nose pliers, I tried to insert the 9/16” nut, but it was just too thick to go in there.  I found a pair of nuts that were 7/16” thick to try and was able to place the 7/16” nut in the space.  The pliers wedged into the space and easily held the nut/spacer in place while I inserted and got the bolt started.  I then did the same on the passenger side and snugged up the bolts on both sides.  Then I placed the seat in its place and inserted the bracket-to-floor bolts and snugged those up somewhat.  I managed to cross-thread the rear bracket-to-floor bolt and then could not get it to go in straight, so I removed it and inserted a couple of thick washers so I could tighten it down.

As I sat in the seat, I discovered that the new angle felt pretty good, but now the steering wheel was pressing on my legs when it was in its full tilt-down position (this is how I feel most comfortable driving – with the steering wheel at the lowest point in its tilt).  I took it out for a drive and wound up having to move the seat forward to get the clearance I needed for my legs.  This shortened the distance to the clutch pedal which felt awkward and somewhat uncomfortable.  So I went to Lowe’s and found some jam nuts that are about half the thickness of the nuts I had previously inserted.  I measured the nut to be 3/16” thick.  I went back home and removed all 4 bolts holding the brackets to the floor and the two front seat-to-bracket bolts again.  I removed the nuts and inserted the jam nuts in their place.  Then I remembered that I had bought a tap and die set at Harbor Freight a few years back that I had yet to use, so I got it out and chased the threads on the bolt and in the capture nut welded under the floor.  I then bolted the seat back to the floor, being careful not to cross-thread any of the bolts, especially the driver’s side one I had to repair.  After tightening all bolts I sat in the seat.  The lesser tilt in the seat still felt sufficient and more comfortable than its original position.  The steering wheel had a little more clearance above my legs.  Although it’s safely drivable I may still need to go with a smaller diameter steering wheel to make it ideal.  I do like using the original steering wheel however, and it fits the look of the truck better than a 1988-1994 or so steering wheel which is what I’d want to use if I decide to replace it.

All in all, a relatively easy and minor change to add a little more comfort.  For now, I’ll say it was worth the effort.

[Roughshod]

I put a 4 spoke chevy steering wheel that came out of my old 72 Chevelle, these steering wheels were also used on Novas and Camaros through the late 70's. It works great for me, it is 2 inches smaller than the stock truck steering wheel and is the wheel is a bit thicker which feels better in my hands, yet has the factory 70's look to it. Here is a pic of mine, never mind the black painted emblem on the horn button, it originally said Chevette. I ordered a bowtie one that was just like the one off of my Chevelle on ebay for 9 bucks. Nevermind the rest of my interior, it is a work in progress!

[Layne]

Cool! I like the newer 4 spokes. Mines from a 92 s-10

[lucki17]

i have never really liked the newer chevy steering wheels but i do think they are much better then the original ones, i like the grant signature 3 spoke one personally, you can get them off ebay for like $30 bucks and you can get the leather in pretty much any color. i like how thick they are mostly, i have a little woodtrimmed 3 spoke lowrider style wheel on mine, its a little goofy but it came with the truck and i think it still looks better then stock. i love these trucks with smaller steering wheels though, i think that should be your first mod when you buy one, major upgrade. lol

[Layne]

Yeah, I wanted a different wheel, but I didn't have a power steering equipped truck then.