Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Early box driver seat prone to bending?

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    #16
    Originally posted by DerekTheGreat View Post
    Kishy,
    Would you mind posting pics of your seat so we chickens can see this lean for ourselves? I wonder if my seats do that. I don't think so but never paid any attention to it.
    I'll try to remember to snap a pic later.
    But if you can sit in your driver side rear seat, grab the upper right corner of the front seat, push it forward and pull it back and it doesn't flap around like it's made of rubber, you do not have this problem. I really do think something has fatigued and snapped or a shoddy weld on the seat back frame is broken. The left side of the seat is held firmly by the recline mechanism, but the right side will lean back so the top is over the rear passenger's knee, distorting the whole seat back.

    TecNickal and Vic specifically remarked on it at the meet, and I see it in the majority of early boxes in (appropriately?) Detroit junkyards.

    Current driver: Ranger
    Panthers: 83 GM 2dr | 84 TC | 85 CS
    | 88 TC | 91 GM
    Not Panthers: 85 Ranger | Ranger trailer | 91 Acclaim | 05 Focus
    Gone: 97 CV | 83 TC | 04 Focus | 86 GM
    | Junkyards

    Comment


      #17
      Both my '90s have had the same issue so not sure how late the car has to be to have the better stuff. I know from experience that the -90 brackets are different, lol. Put one in my 1st 90 after my bracket died and it required a lot of "fitting". Also had the controls work backward as somebody mentioned. My new '90 everything works fine on but I still get the lean toward the middle of the car, which bothers me. Truth be told i'd rather put bucket seats and a center console in this car but at the same time I think it's really cool to have the dual power seats. The world isn't a fair place it turns out...

      Comment


        #18
        Oh ok, I'll do that at lunch today since I actually drove it! The good ole Detroit lean...

        Keep the dual power seats Khead! I don't see many cars factory with them. What's with the "world isn't a fair place" line? WTF happened now??? Seems if anyone needs a CCW, it's you haha.
        1985 LTD Crown Victoria - SOLD
        1988 Town Car Signature - Current Party Barge

        Comment


          #19
          Derek, since you're not sure I'm fairly certain you don't have this issue unless whatever gives up hasn't completely let go on yours.
          I swear I've come across another thread talking about this same issue a few years ago, but I haven't been able to find it.

          I think Khead was referring to losing dual power seats if he went with buckets. With access to a welder you should be able to eat your cake and have it too.
          Vic

          ~ 1989 MGM LS Colony Park - Large Marge
          ~ 1998 MGM LS - new DD
          ~ 1991 MGM LS "The Scab"
          ~ 1991 MGM GS "The Ice Car"

          Comment


            #20
            I just grabbed the seat and it doesn't move. Well, the whole seat kind of moves but I can't flop the right side of the seat back around like mentioned.

            Oh I dunno VCV, when people put the "..." after something it usually means there's more to the story haha.
            1985 LTD Crown Victoria - SOLD
            1988 Town Car Signature - Current Party Barge

            Comment


              #21
              Quick question for clarity… When you say you could flop around the one side.... is that the inner side of the seat. If so that is supported inside the seat back by a tube that connects the outer side to the recliner mechanism. It’s the outer side that has the support and the tube transfers that support to the inside of the seat. From my memory of the seat backs, the welds could let loose on that side and cause a twist.

              Comment


                #22
                Originally posted by Steveh66 View Post
                Quick question for clarity… When you say you could flop around the one side.... is that the inner side of the seat. If so that is supported inside the seat back by a tube that connects the outer side to the recliner mechanism. It’s the outer side that has the support and the tube transfers that support to the inside of the seat. From my memory of the seat backs, the welds could let loose on that side and cause a twist.
                That's exactly it.
                The ones who accomplish true greatness, are the foolish who keep pressing onward.
                The ones who accomplish nothing, are the wise who know when to quit.

                Comment


                  #23
                  Originally posted by VicCrownVic View Post
                  I think Khead was referring to losing dual power seats if he went with buckets. With access to a welder you should be able to eat your cake and have it too.
                  With the '89 and older Panthers you don't even need a welder. As long as the bucket seats have a flat bottom and removable tracks you can just make yourself adapter plates out of flat stock, 8 bolts gets you going. Been there done that, sporty bucket seats out of a completely different OEM manufacturer with the full-power Ford setup underneath them.
                  The ones who accomplish true greatness, are the foolish who keep pressing onward.
                  The ones who accomplish nothing, are the wise who know when to quit.

                  Comment


                    #24
                    Originally posted by His Royal Ghostliness View Post
                    That's exactly it.
                    Agreed, I'm pretty sure Steve hit that nail square on the head. The seat back bends/pivots as if that is what has happened inside it.

                    If it weren't such a pain to undo all those hog rings inside (I've disassembled a pleated velour-ish Grand Marquis seat before) I'd just yank it apart and survey the issue myself but that's easily a whole day written off to do it.

                    Current driver: Ranger
                    Panthers: 83 GM 2dr | 84 TC | 85 CS
                    | 88 TC | 91 GM
                    Not Panthers: 85 Ranger | Ranger trailer | 91 Acclaim | 05 Focus
                    Gone: 97 CV | 83 TC | 04 Focus | 86 GM
                    | Junkyards

                    Comment


                      #25
                      I've been told that the rear panel on the Towncar seats pulls off. Its apparently mounted with the same little tree clips that the door panels use. I also want to say there are zippers along the bottom edge that will let you pull the seat cover.

                      never tried it myself, but just relaying what I've been told.
                      86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
                      5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

                      91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

                      1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

                      Originally posted by phayzer5
                      I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

                      Comment


                        #26
                        It does come off and is retained in that manner - and the Mercury ones, even the base models with the flat plastic back, do as well.

                        I was about to go into why that's the easy part, and the hard part with hogrings is the front half, but then I realized I can probably survey the flex issue just with the back opened up.

                        When the fires of hell outside turn down a bit I'll give this a look.

                        Current driver: Ranger
                        Panthers: 83 GM 2dr | 84 TC | 85 CS
                        | 88 TC | 91 GM
                        Not Panthers: 85 Ranger | Ranger trailer | 91 Acclaim | 05 Focus
                        Gone: 97 CV | 83 TC | 04 Focus | 86 GM
                        | Junkyards

                        Comment


                          #27
                          IIRC only like two hog-rings will need to be messed with, and they're not 100% necessary for proper seat operation and longevity after reassembly. But it's been a while since I opened up and welded one of them things, so memory may be a bit fuzzy there.
                          The ones who accomplish true greatness, are the foolish who keep pressing onward.
                          The ones who accomplish nothing, are the wise who know when to quit.

                          Comment


                            #28
                            Yeah I was just bitching about either being able to have my cake or eat it. Both my seats or brackets have some scary play in them. Haven't pulled them out to see what's up but I get a bad feeling about it. If you hit the brakes hard they kinda clunk, and you can feel there's a bit of travel in there. If my brackets are fucked, what choices have I got in replacement? Junkyard?

                            Comment


                              #29
                              If you can move them to a stop (like the recline catch) and then they don't flex after that... you're fine. If they hit the stop and then continue going... yeah... be afraid.

                              Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. -- Albert Einstein
                              rides: 93 Crown Vic LX (The Red Velvet Cake), 2000 Crown Vic base model (Sandy), 2003 Expedition (the vacation beast)
                              Originally posted by gadget73
                              ... and it should all work like magic and unicorns and stuff.
                              Originally posted by dmccaig
                              Overhead, some poor bastards are flying in airplanes.

                              Comment


                                #30
                                Originally posted by knucklehead0202 View Post
                                Yeah I was just bitching about either being able to have my cake or eat it. Both my seats or brackets have some scary play in them. Haven't pulled them out to see what's up but I get a bad feeling about it. If you hit the brakes hard they kinda clunk, and you can feel there's a bit of travel in there. If my brackets are fucked, what choices have I got in replacement? Junkyard?
                                lol, That's what I thought, but Derek made a good point which had crossed my mind.

                                I've noticed something similar on both of my '91s, maybe not as pronounced as you describe, so perhaps it's a late box/'90+ thing. I haven't looked into it since it's pretty rare that I notice it and by the time I get to where I'm going I forget to check, but I was thinking it might be the seat not fully secured to the tracks.
                                Vic

                                ~ 1989 MGM LS Colony Park - Large Marge
                                ~ 1998 MGM LS - new DD
                                ~ 1991 MGM LS "The Scab"
                                ~ 1991 MGM GS "The Ice Car"

                                Comment

                                Working...
                                X