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Bench Seat Removal


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Hey guys,

Anyone got any tips for removing the bench seat in a 88 comanche, or possibly some steps to take? Thanks!

 

Errr, remove the seat belts, unbolt the brackets from the floor pan, lift up over the floor studs, then slide it out a door with a helper?

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Don't even need a helper Don :rotf:

 

1. Remove the seat nuts (8)

2. Push seatbelt buckles through the seat to the floor of the cab

3. Break seat loose

4. Fold the back forward

5. Lift up on the front of the seat

6. Push like heck to get it out the passenger door

 

This is how I have done it in my truck.

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Remove the seat back, 1 Tork bolt on each side, remove back out of the way.

 

Then you can reach the 2 seat belt tork bolts on the tranny hump. Remove floor bolts, 4 on each base side. Slide seat bottom out passenger door.

 

This way, you don't need any helper, or wrestle a 300 pound gorilla :D

 

(Plus........my back is old and tired :( )

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Man, wish I would've thought about removing the seat back, lol! I had to take my bench seat out a couple of times, by myself, and that thing was a biatch. Not only is it heavy, it's bulky, and the steering wheel and driveshaft hump get in the way. It can be done, but it's not a pretty sight, lol! I've got XJ buckets and full console in there now, so I don't have to deal with the bench seat anymore.

 

But that's a great idea to remove the seat back. I'd also recommend just removing the seat belt bolts at the bottom, and leaving them on the seat, provided you have the right size torx socket. And if you can't remove the seat back, try and get someone to help you take the bench out, it'll go MUCH easier...

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I've removed and replaced my bench a few times chasing water leaks.

 

The 8 nuts are 13mm. I find it easier to undo the seat belt buckles (2 T50 Torx Bolts) at the tunnel and leave them through the seat cushion. They are kind of a pain to fish back through if you leave em in.

 

My vinyl bench is not heavy at all (maybe 60 lbs), I leave the seatback folded forward and the tracks in the most forward position and pick it up and out the passenger door in one motion. More bulky than anything.

 

Getting it back in can be a pain sometimes. Sometimes it just plops back in on the studs, but sometimes it needs finesse. You can't get one side on, then try to place the other side (well, without stressing the studs), if that makes sense.

 

 

It would be nice to have a flip down armrest with cupholders. :drool: I'd like buckets, but I still want to be able to haul both kids.

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It would be nice to have a flip down armrest with cupholders. :drool: I'd like buckets, but I still want to be able to haul both kids.

 

I saw someone in here mounted a set of Dodge Dakota bucket seats in their MJ. Would a bench seat from a Dakota work? I would imagine a more modern bench seat just might have a flip down armest?

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I've looked at a 60/40 Dakota bench more than a couple of times while in the junkyards, thinking about it.......looks to me like it would fit width-wise. You can fab all the rest.

 

Jeff

 

That's what I was thinking. Dimensionally, a Dakota bench seat should fit, provided the correct mounts/spacers/etc. are fabbed to mate with the existing seat bolts, or new bolts are used to match the Dakota seat rails, or the MJ bench seat mount is grafted to the Dakota bench seat, or some combination thereof...

 

I think something like that is definitely doable, provided someone has the parts, tools, and knowledge to make it work...

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  • 13 years later...

Boy oh boy, talk about reviving a dead topic? 

 

I thought I'd reply here as I never could find a detailed explanation on how to remove the seatbelts from the bench seat. "Remove sear belts" is pretty much it. Well it's actually not so bad but I want to expand for others who might have the same question as I did. Here's how I removed the seatbelts from the bench seat.

 

The seat belts need to be pushed backwards through the cushion. But they won't fit because there is a plastic sleeve/escutcheon in the way. 

 

1. Carefully pry up on the plastic sleeve by its edges. It took some force for me to pry on the driver side sleeve. They pop out and you may have to work at different sides of it. 

 

2. Once popped, you can freely manipulate the seatbelt ends and the sleeve.

 

3. There may be a black plastic piece on the other side of the opening in the cushion. So reach underneath it pull down on it, move it out of the way, as it will make the task more difficult. Tugging on the seat belt near the floor may help.

 

4. Now free the seatbelt ends through the opening. Start with the sleeve: I had to pull them up a little and work a corner of the sleeve into the opening first. You'll get a feel for it, just be patient and push it all through as a unit. Tugging down at the bottom side of the seat belt will help you get it through. 

 

Bonus. Hope that the Torx bolt on the trans tunnel isn't frozen. I busted a T50 bit on one.

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35 minutes ago, Spinnakerblue89 said:

 

Bonus. Hope that the Torx bolt on the trans tunnel isn't frozen. I busted a T50 bit on one.

Seatbelt bolts are almost always locktited in from the factory. Plus the threads in this case are exposed to the elements under the truck which doesn’t help make them easier to remove. But at least you can get penetrating oil or a very gentle bit of heat onto the back of the threads. 

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21 minutes ago, gogmorgo said:

Seatbelt bolts are almost always locktited in from the factory. Plus the threads in this case are exposed to the elements under the truck which doesn’t help make them easier to remove. But at least you can get penetrating oil or a very gentle bit of heat onto the back of the threads. 

 

Haven't had the opp to try it out yet. I figure removing the carpet first-- it's all mangled in too many spots anyway, no use in me trying to save it-- and then if I have to, cut or drill the bolt out. 'Cuz it's more frozen than the permafrost of Hoth.

 

It's gonna be my '93 ZJ all over again.

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