Getting ready to dry fit some Silverado buckets looking for install tips
 

Ok, I got my subwoofer speaker box roughed out so I now want to dry fit the seats to see how it all fits together. The bucket seats I got are out of a 2000 Silverado 1500 Work truck and the jump seat is from a 2002 Tahoe. From the threads I have read many people have installed these seats in their trucks however they only showed pictures of them installed. My question is what issues did you have installing them and do you have any tips to make it easier.
Thanks in advance.

Re: Getting ready to dry fit some Silverado buckets looking for install tips
 

Since you haven't gotten any answers, I'll chime in here, but my truck is a Blazer. I used seats from a 97 Silverado. I made a base plate that fit the original bolt holes and then bolted the seat base to that. Of course, that was almost 15 years ago, and my welding skills have improved quite a bit since then. I'm planning on replacing the seats, and I'll be welding up custom mounts that fit the original bolt holes.

Re: Getting ready to dry fit some Silverado buckets looking for install tips
 

Ditto what truckster suggest ,I used some 99 Tahoe seats :metal:

Re: Getting ready to dry fit some Silverado buckets looking for install tips
 

I have an early 90's set in my 67 that the PO had put in. It's a nice seat but they did the usual and just drilled new holes in the floor. I do not like that for a number of reasons but the main reason is I think the factory mounting holes are designed to take the seat load so that is where they should be. Before I get this thing on the road officially I will be doing like truckseter and kaycee have said and will build a custom mount that will bolt to the factory spots and bolt the seat base to that. Most likely what I will build will be 10x stronger than it needs to be because I can't help myself.

Re: Getting ready to dry fit some Silverado buckets looking for install tips
 

Thanks Gents. I put my seats in today for a rough fit to see how they fit in the cab. The seats fit well along with the center jump seat. I like the fact that the jump seat uses the same mount points as the inside seat rails of the drivers and passenger seat. The fact that it also has storage is a plus.

Truckster could you post a pic of how you did yours? I am interested to see how you have your seat rails mounted on the plate. IE: All the way back, middle or even with the front.

Re: Getting ready to dry fit some Silverado buckets looking for install tips
 

If they are integrated belt seats just don't. The floor can't support the loads the belts will put on it in an accident.

Re: Getting ready to dry fit some Silverado buckets looking for install tips
 

Stingray
Yes, the seats do have integrated seat belts. Part of the reason why I picked them.
Yes, I understand the dynamic forces involved in the event of a crash. Main concern is a frontal impact. Rear not so much because of the back of the cab being there. Side impact is mostly lap belt since our truck don't have side air bags.
Yes, the floor will be reinforced with more than a large fender washer on the back side.

Re: Getting ready to dry fit some Silverado buckets looking for install tips
 

Wow first guy I've run across that understands this. Yes the likelihood is ramming the front of the seat through the floor. Having designed dozens of seat and belt installations myself and having been through many destructive tests personally I'm sticking with factory mounts and a separate 3 point retractable attached to them.

Re: Getting ready to dry fit some Silverado buckets looking for install tips
 

Obviously it needs some cleaning, but here's that picture you asked for. This is the driver's side. It's 1/8 mild steel plate. I doubt you're going to run the front edge of this seat through the floor any more easily with the extra steel there.

Re: Getting ready to dry fit some Silverado buckets looking for install tips
 

For non integrated belts that is fine. Won't work for the later integrated stuff.

Re: Getting ready to dry fit some Silverado buckets looking for install tips
 

Thanks for the pic Truckster. Unfortunately my Silverado seats bolt pattern are wider than yours is. So mine is on the outer edge of the factory seat bolt brace on the underside. IE: outside the outer most seat bolt hole. Guess I will need to do some more thinking on how I'm going to do this.

Re: Getting ready to dry fit some Silverado buckets looking for install tips
 

Truckster, Here are some pics of where my seats mounting points land on the cab floor. As you can see on the front one it lands just outside the outer most cab bucket seat mounting point. That means the reinforcement brace under the cab is to short and won't work. Good thing is the form stamped in the cab floor helps to add strength to the floor unfortunately not enough. For the back holes the floor is pretty much flat. So I will add a stiffing brace on the underside of the cab that goes all the way across to the other hole. May add another one across the top.