Big Blue's Transformation

[Nothing Special]

I got sleeves at JBG. Tied string to the belt end and heated the sleeve carefully with a heat gun. And pulled them through....

Those must be a snugger fit than whatever I ended up getting. I was able to pull the floor end through the sleeve without a heat gun.

Bob - Around here the UV seems to have done a number on the plastic, just like the ones I have.

I guess that's one benefit to living in the rust belt. Our metal goes away, your plastic goes away! (I'd rather keep the metal...)

.... I'm wondering if I couldn't take the base off of one of the several bench seats I have and make a base out of angle welded to them. With this one as a guide it shouldn't be hard to get the height and spacing worked out, and I tend to make things plenty strong so that shouldn't be a problem.

Thoughts?

I'd be less concerned about strength (I know you'd handle that) and more about aesthetics. Not by any means implying that I think you're a hack! But that's the harder thing to do. Will these show at all? If you're confident that you can make them look good enough for how much they'll show, I'd say go for it!

[Gary Lewis]

I got sleeves at JBG. Tied string to the belt end and heated the sleeve carefully with a heat gun. And pulled them through....

Those must be a snugger fit than whatever I ended up getting. I was able to pull the floor end through the sleeve without a heat gun.

Bob - Around here the UV seems to have done a number on the plastic, just like the ones I have.

I guess that's one benefit to living in the rust belt. Our metal goes away, your plastic goes away! (I'd rather keep the metal...)

.... I'm wondering if I couldn't take the base off of one of the several bench seats I have and make a base out of angle welded to them. With this one as a guide it shouldn't be hard to get the height and spacing worked out, and I tend to make things plenty strong so that shouldn't be a problem.

Thoughts?

I'd be less concerned about strength (I know you'd handle that) and more about aesthetics. Not by any means implying that I think you're a hack! But that's the harder thing to do. Will these show at all? If you're confident that you can make them look good enough for how much they'll show, I'd say go for it!

Bob - Interesting that there are different "fits" to the sleeves.

As for what goes away, I'm with you - I'd rather the plastic goes away and not the metal. So, maybe we need to move to where Dane is? Rain so less UV and no salt.

Concerning the aesthetics, yes the pan itself can be seen so it is likely the angle could as well. In fact, in the closeup of the previous image, below, you easily see the outside edge of the base and that can't be masked.

So if I use angle I'll want to round that corner, probably taking a wedge out of the top and bending the corner rather than cutting and welding it. But even then the fact that it is angle, with the crisp edge it has, can't be hidden.

Given that, the factory base will probably go in Dad's truck and the fabricated one in Big Blue.

[grumpin]

As for what goes away, I'm with you - I'd rather the plastic goes away and not the metal. So, maybe we need to move to where Dane is? Rain so less UV and no salt.

No salt, but not much rain in this part of Oregon. We’re in a high desert. Much of Oregon east of the Cascades is “drier”. I live in Oregon’s City of Sunshine!

[Nothing Special]

Bob - Interesting that there are different "fits" to the sleeves....

Keep in mind that I have no recollection of what vehicle my sleeves came out of. They were just the best ones I found that day at the junkyard. And my seat belts are aftermarket. So it's really not a close comparison.

On heating the sleeves without damaging them with a heat gun, what about soaking them in boiling water? That would limit the heat, and if the plastic is something like nylon that absorbs water, that will also make it expand and get less brittle.

[Gary Lewis]

Bob - Interesting that there are different "fits" to the sleeves....

Keep in mind that I have no recollection of what vehicle my sleeves came out of. They were just the best ones I found that day at the junkyard. And my seat belts are aftermarket. So it's really not a close comparison.

On heating the sleeves without damaging them with a heat gun, what about soaking them in boiling water? That would limit the heat, and if the plastic is something like nylon that absorbs water, that will also make it expand and get less brittle.

Dane - Maybe it is the lack of the heat? Your trucks seem to stay "right" far longer than ours.

Bob - I'd wondered about hot water, although I wasn't thinking of boiling water. But I might give that a try - if I go with the captain's chairs.

[Gary Lewis]

Dane - Maybe it is the lack of the heat? Your trucks seem to stay "right" far longer than ours.

Bob - I'd wondered about hot water, although I wasn't thinking of boiling water. But I might give that a try - if I go with the captain's chairs.

Well, the seat brackets aren't as I imagined them. As it turns out the bottom of the track, the bit with the ratchet, bolts to the floor, and the top of the track bolts to the seat. So, any frame that is bolted to the top of the track would be adjustable fore/aft. And each bucket/captain's chair is also adjustable.

It might be ok to be able to move the "base" fore/aft to get it just where you want it, but you wouldn't want that adjusting lever sticking out, so it would probably get cut off.

Anyway, here are the track themselves:

And here's how they bolt to the seat:

[grumpin]

Dane - Maybe it is the lack of the heat? Your trucks seem to stay "right" far longer than ours.

Bob - I'd wondered about hot water, although I wasn't thinking of boiling water. But I might give that a try - if I go with the captain's chairs.

Good idea Bob, and I tried it and didn’t have much luck heating them with water.

Can’t remember exactly, but I think it cooled as I was trying to get it through. And I didn’t want to get the belt wet or take it back out because it would cool again by the time I got the belt back in. (Definition of insanity type thing!) And that could have just been me.

So I tried the heat gun and it worked really well. I had dealt with heating plastic making my old KLR plastic look better.

[Gary Lewis]

Good idea Bob, and I tried it and didn’t have much luck heating them with water.

Can’t remember exactly, but I think it cooled as I was trying to get it through. And I didn’t want to get the belt wet or take it back out because it would cool again by the time I got the belt back in. (Definition of insanity type thing!) And that could have just been me.

So I tried the heat gun and it worked really well. I had dealt with heating plastic making my old KLR plastic look better.

I do have a heat gun if needed.

Did some cleaning of the console and testing today. Here's a shot of my coffee tumbler in the cup holder with the spacer in. And the Yeti tumbler is setting in w/o the spacer. But the coffee tumbler is very close to the shift lever in 2nd, 4th, or Reverse. So I really do need to move the console back. Wonder if I can get that done before the trip?

And here are the spacers I'm talking about. They just push into the console, so I took the right one out to put the Yeti in.

 

[Gary Lewis]

I do have a heat gun if needed.

Did some cleaning of the console and testing today. Here's a shot of my coffee tumbler in the cup holder with the spacer in. And the Yeti tumbler is setting in w/o the spacer. But the coffee tumbler is very close to the shift lever in 2nd, 4th, or Reverse. So I really do need to move the console back. Wonder if I can get that done before the trip?

And here are the spacers I'm talking about. They just push into the console, so I took the right one out to put the Yeti in.

I have quite a bit to report. First, we took Big Blue for an 80 mile test run today and the seats are a hit. Janey said she was skeptical when I first suggested them, but believes they are more comfortable than the bench. She likes the angle they sit at and the height. Plus, she said they cushion the bumps better. And she likes the arm rests, although she used the left one more than the right one.

But to me the left arm rest is ideally placed to let me rest my arm on it and hold the steering wheel. On the other arm () the right arm rest is oddly too close to me and I prefer resting my arm on the console.

And, speaking of the console, it is a big hit as well. I need to move it back ~4", although that isn't likely to happen before the trip. But it stores a lot inside it, holds drinks very nicely, and has a nice place on top to put food when we stop for a snack.

So, when we get back from this next trip I suspect I'll be in the market for a pair of captain's chairs with arm rests. However, the jury is still out on the arm rests, so I may instead want to use the low-back bucket seats that I've been offered. We shall see.

However, Janey was having a hard time staying out of the sun on our trip as there's glass everywhere on the truck, so when we got back I texted the window tinting guy. He's on the mend and is going to do the truck tomorrow so we'll have the benefit of the UV blocking for our trip.

Given that, I pulled the door panels so he won't have to. (I know how they go on/come off quite well.) That gave me the opportunity to start the swap of the speakers. I didn't get done today as a lot of metal has to be removed to stuff these bad boys in. I think the hole has to be 1/2" larger, meaning 1/4" all the way around. I'm almost there on the passenger's side and will have to finish that on Wednesday after getting the truck back.

But here's a comparison of the speakers. And since it is hard to tell them apart, the mighty Sony Explods are on the top.

[grumpin]

I have quite a bit to report. First, we took Big Blue for an 80 mile test run today and the seats are a hit. Janey said she was skeptical when I first suggested them, but believes they are more comfortable than the bench. She likes the angle they sit at and the height. Plus, she said they cushion the bumps better. And she likes the arm rests, although she used the left one more than the right one.

But to me the left arm rest is ideally placed to let me rest my arm on it and hold the steering wheel. On the other arm () the right arm rest is oddly too close to me and I prefer resting my arm on the console.

And, speaking of the console, it is a big hit as well. I need to move it back ~4", although that isn't likely to happen before the trip. But it stores a lot inside it, holds drinks very nicely, and has a nice place on top to put food when we stop for a snack.

So, when we get back from this next trip I suspect I'll be in the market for a pair of captain's chairs with arm rests. However, the jury is still out on the arm rests, so I may instead want to use the low-back bucket seats that I've been offered. We shall see.

However, Janey was having a hard time staying out of the sun on our trip as there's glass everywhere on the truck, so when we got back I texted the window tinting guy. He's on the mend and is going to do the truck tomorrow so we'll have the benefit of the UV blocking for our trip.

Given that, I pulled the door panels so he won't have to. (I know how they go on/come off quite well.) That gave me the opportunity to start the swap of the speakers. I didn't get done today as a lot of metal has to be removed to stuff these bad boys in. I think the hole has to be 1/2" larger, meaning 1/4" all the way around. I'm almost there on the passenger's side and will have to finish that on Wednesday after getting the truck back.

But here's a comparison of the speakers. And since it is hard to tell them apart, the mighty Sony Explods are on the top.

I have that floor console in my Bronco, I like it. Those spacers as you call them are handy, and I’ve found some people toss them or lose them, I guard them pretty closely.

I don’t use my armrests much. I feel when I get in traffic or more challenging parts of the road that they are in the way. But nice on long straights on longer trips.

I do like that my truck has two, the Bronco only has the inside one.

The Yeti travel mug doesn’t fit the truck or Bronco console holes too well, so my son got me the Stanley Admiral’s Mug for Christmas. I set it on the console or on the dash, working pretty good so far.

https://www.stanley1913.com/products/adventure-tough-to-tip-admirals-mug-20-oz?variant=39681641119803