Anyone put 1st gen bucket/captain seats in a 72-85 Dodge crew cab? I'm in the process of it and I'm looking for some ideas on how to raise the seat up. My buckets came out of a 93 W350. They sit way too low even for a 6'3" guy, when bolted straight to the floor. The crew floor is flat with a raised ridge at the rearward bolt vs. a raised floor at an angle on the club cab trucks. Red seat is the crew, gray seat is a club cab.

 

Are you going to use the beer cooler also?
It would look nicer and it works.

 

Maybe grab a couple sets of bench seat brackets from the wreckers...you would need two complete sets for a pair of buckets. They might sit up more level then the bucket seat brackets?

 

I have seen people use buckets from vans as the brakets are taller. Just a thought

 

I would make some risers. You have a welder right Bill?

 

the van seats work great as they have a base that is six inches high and theirs lots to choose from try the mini van seats from a dodge grand caravan they usually have power !!!!

 

Hey Bill what also work's great is a second gen seat they sit just right for us Tall guy's in the crewcab's

 

My experience with using a dodge minivan seat in the front of my crew for about 10 years is that eventually the floor will fail to some extent. The flat floors in the front of the crews are reinforced front-to-back underneath near the factory bench seat mounting holes and side-to-side at the rib you mentioned on top at the back of the seat. I go about 280-295 pounds depending on the season and after a few years bouncing down the road, these things do bounce, the floor got a little mushy. The weight on the front inside corner of the seat brackets will cause the floor to flex. On my original cab, when I crawl around with the seats out (I am rebuilding it again, I don't normally crawl around on the floor of my truck) with the cab stripped I noticed the whole tunnel would move as I shifted around. With my replacement cab, the floor is solid as a ... floor. With the factory bucket sitting on a tiny pedestal base, I would think the weak floor would even be worse. Plus, as you mentioned, They are too low and the angle would be wrong as well.

With all this in mind, I plan to put my 2nd gen seats in the way Trashingcows did in the sticky. The difference being that my seats are powered so I may need to modify his plan a bit. Don't yet know.

Anyway, fat jokes aside, the floor was meant to support the weight near the original holes. This is something to consider. Eric

 

Aww come on now none of us are Fat we are just Big Bone'd

 

I put some steel across the bench seat pedestals 1.5" by 1/2" rectangular tubing welded to the sliders.
Then for the drivers side I bolted 2 peaces 1/4" by 2" aluminum flat stock to the 1.5" by 1/2" tubing and than bolted the seat to it.
Passenger side I was able to bolt to the tubing with some spacers.
I dropped the center down to level out the beer cooler it was to high just sitting on the tubing..
I may change the seat belt kind of a pain to put on with the seat up higher.
Elbow fits nice out the window.
I like the stock seat look.
Santa may want to do a dry run to see if he can put the seat belt on with seat up higher.
I think someone makes a seat belt extension.