kramttocs

That would seem to align with the inside vs outside of the reinforcement rail (driver outers).

3 7/8" Center to center

You bet - I'll measure that tomorrow. I was assuming they are spot welded and even if so, you're right that they may not come off easily without damage. Another member on here (salans7 iirc) is going to reinforce his floor but I can't recall if he has identified an approach yet. I feel like we discussed adding cut out pieces from another truck and using panel adhesive between them.

Well done. Not that's it's critical but I think the arrow on your Rear Driver Outer is pointing the wrong way. I see that both Driver Outers are on the inside of that reinforcement strip whereas mine are on the outside. So even though the captain's chair fits in them they are technically too far in and might be why the dimples don't line up. I didn't get to measure my 80 seat bottom this evening but your measurements are pretty much spot on with my measuring of the split and full benches still installed in the trucks. I had front to back (bolt center to center) at 15.5" and longways (bolt center to center) at 42.25. Makes sense that they'd be the same although it contradicts some of the posts I was reading last night. ? We haven't check that the design is the same though even if the dimensions are. Perhaps there is a difference there. I'll measure the 80 seat tomorrow afternoon. Sorry, I know this doesn't help your plight at all. Just me getting caught up in it Is there anything else I can get/measure for you? I don't know if the reinforcements could easily be popped off or not but I wouldn't be surprised if they could be since they are just there to spread the load.

I like that design. The two black pieces with the two anchor points may actually be enough but the simple process of adding the one to the pdb clinches it.

Oh! I didn't realize the pdb stood so high. Looking back over the non-top down photos I can see it now. I think an extra leg out to the bolt would solve a lot, if not all, of the potential for flex.

Thats what I thought about but was really thinking more along the lines of ones that were not assembled to prevent having to crimp/solder the wires on. Sort of like how I did my connectors for my driving lights, I crimped the weather seal terminals to the wires I made to length. Probably will end up doing that anyways though, could always do a metal crimp with shrink wrap then cover the wire up. So the components that you want to wire in already have leads that aren't removable? I was thinking that if you can find a factory connector that has long enough wires on it you could remove whatever leads the component has and terminate the factory wire into it using whatever terminal type is needed. If really going for the gold, you might be able to core out the factory connectors, find a way to hold the new terminals (and wires) in place, and then epoxy around them. Filling up the connector. I don't know, nor thought about before now, how a molded connector like these are made.

I agree that the boxing isn't really needed - that was just a way to get a solid mounting point for the strap to go forward to the battery holddown. Definitely don't want something that would interfere with the pdb lid though. I can't picture the others very well but looking forward to seeing what you come up with. If the concern can be eliminated with just changing up the bottom plate a bit that'd be great.

You could pull them from another truck. The rear crossmember would give you a decent selection with some useable length on some of them.

Looking good! That fresh air duct does eliminate that option. As a final off-the-wall idea on that topic - a tank could be mounted using the transmission cooler line ports. On the bracket for the factory cooler/washer reservoir - I would extend the two uprights and then have a piece connecting them (bolted for removal of the tank) across the top. So boxing in the reservoir. Then from that crossover piece have a flat strap going forward to the bolt on the battery holddown bracket. I am just thinking about something that tall and holding liquid only being bolted at the bottom having some flex fore and aft. Or could the bolt down piece be a wider piece that goes under the pdb? Give it a bigger footprint.

Yep, you know what I'm talking about! That should be amended to say "or knuckles"

Taken from underneath a 1986 F250 4wd Supercab with captain's chairs. Arrows point toward front of truck. Note: I installed nuts (blue loctite) and washers on all but the Passenger Rear Inner (limited access). This is not factory procedure and was done for no real reason. These are factory locations and the captive nuts are beneath the "extra" nuts. Driver - Front Outer Driver - Front Inner Driver - Rear Outer Driver - Rear Inner (seatbelt bolt is large beveled square nut) Passenger - Both Front and Rear Outer Passenger - Both Front Inner and Outer (Inner partially beneath heat shield) Passenger - Both Rear Inner and Outer (Outer partially seen in top right. Inner beneath heat shield) Passenger - Rear Outer (note unused "nut" to the rear)

Good job Chris! Editing some photos now showing the underside of my 86 Supercab truck. I took some measurements earlier today and while the parts trucks are filled with well, parts, from what I could tell the 83 Supercab with split bench has the same hole pattern as a full bench from an 85 F350 C&C (So regular cab). Could you flip your split bench over sometime and measure the dimensions between all the holes? I'll do the same with an 80 full bench (from an 80 F350 C&C) I have in my shop.

Glad you got it! It's crazy how much pulling effort it takes on some of those molded connectors. The third certainty in life is that the split second after they separate your elbow will find the hardest thing within a 20ft radius.

Congrats! That's great and glad you posted videos

Good space saving ideas John! We had the same thought with the universal unit. It looks like the factory one fits snugly in there but it is quite a ways for the hose. I didn't do any measuring but in my mind one of those units would anchor to one of the core support uprights (nice if one would fit between the uprights) and sit between the aux battery and radiator. Then it's a really short run to the radiator cap. I like getting rid of the standalone vac tank. Didn't realize later years had them on the HVAC box. Regarding your relays - don't forget the blower relay mod. It's well worth it and right in that area.

Good morning Gary. Will do! We ought to be able to take some measurements and see what's going on. I'll grab some today.

Quality isn't great but captured this from one of the videos.

That means that some Broncos and Supercabs came with non-split benches? That doesn't sound very [backseat] user-friendly... If you could take a photo of the drivers side floor pan without the bucket (captain) track and then one with the bucket track lined up over the holes it matches with, that would be good to see. Unfortunately I mainly took videos when I was dismantling my truck so this is the only photo that shows the floor and it doesn't get much of anything helpful. It does show the front two holes for the passenger side so if you could add a photo looking from the same position in your truck that would be helpful.

What you are finding will be good info for Gary to add here: garysgaragemahal.com/seat-interchangeability.html Good thread here but I haven't found an answer to what you are finding: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1430082-bronco-floor-pan-differences.html I think it's talked around but never directly mentioned. I am wondering if this statement (from Gary's page) should actually say that there are 3 floor pans with the third being Broncos and Supercabs with the split bench? Unfortunately, it isn't that easy as there are two different floor pans - regular cab and crew cab trucks share one, and Broncos and Supercabs share the other. It turns out that both pans are drilled for and accept the bench seat tracks. That means that some Broncos and Supercabs came with non-split benches? That doesn't sound very [backseat] user-friendly... If you could take a photo of the drivers side floor pan without the bucket (captain) track and then one with the bucket track lined up over the holes it matches with, that would be good to see.

Yes - passenger. Perfect sense and you are correct. Driver = slides, passenger = ejects I've never placed a bucket in a supercab bench truck personally but I seem to recall others mentioning the same as you are finding - some holes line up but not all. Does your floor pan have dimples where they need to go? Are these spots still in the reinforced sections?

Do these mount right on the floor or to some other bracket? Directly on the floor

Looks the same as the ones in my 86 Supercab. Here's a spare I pulled from an 84 Supercab:

I thought you were moving the fuel/trailer relays to the pdb and putting both isolator and relay on the firewall?

In that case, I'd say the solution is replacing the unit as a whole. I haven't heard of anyone dissecting one. I'd have to look at one of my spares but seem to recall tabs that I don't think would survive tampering.