Bench seat for 71' f100 4x4-what will work?

dudeman · Post by **dudeman** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 1:57 am

i own a 1971 F100 4x4 custom w/360 and 4spd. I beleive (not positive) the bench that i got with the truck came out of a later year suckh as 76' or 77'. i have a tank in the cab behind the bench, with this set-up my gut touches the steering wheel and im very close to the pedals as well. What i would like to know is whether or not i need to remove the tank to get more clearence between me and the wheel (I WOULD LIKE TO KEEP THE CAB TANK IN FOR MORE FUEL!) or can i get a correct bench from say a 71', will that give me the clearence that im after?????

dudeman · Post by **dudeman** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 2:45 am

yea i got a gut too, but i really want to stay away from aftermarket wheel, and i cant seem to put any pics on the gallery cuase' there too big

jbanks · Post by **jbanks** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 7:31 am

Any fullsize Ford truck seat up to 1996 (or 98 in F250/F350s I believe) will swap in to your truck if you put the frame rails from your seat on to the newer seat. They bolt right on.

flyboy2610 · Post by **flyboy2610** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 4:43 pm

This thread is timely. I am just going to start my search for a new seat for my '69 F250 CS.
So any thing up to '98 will fit it, correct?

cathynkeith · Post by **cathynkeith** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 5:18 pm

check my photo bucket, my 71 has a 99 cheby seat with seat belts, if your under 5'6" it would be great, my 69 has a 92 model with arm rest and lumbar, easy as changing the rails.

flyboy2610 · Post by **flyboy2610** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 5:33 pm

The '92 seat is the brown/black one, correct?
I like it! I am hoping to find one in dark blue cloth, with a center section that folds down and has cup holders in the back. Gotta have my cup holders!
Other than that I don't care!

Post by **FORDification** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 6:02 pm

http://www.fordification.com/seats.htm

dudeman · Post by **dudeman** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 8:24 pm

ok, i now know that pretty much any bench will work for this application, but my main concern is that of the clearence issue- do i need to remove the cab tank to get more clearence between me and the wheel?

flyboy2610 · Post by **flyboy2610** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 8:29 pm

Thanks, Keith! I had forgotten about that!
That picture of the seat from the 94 F150 Lightning is exactly what I hope to find!
I had hoped to go looking this weekend, but the weatherman says rain, rain, and still more rain!

flyboy2610 · Post by **flyboy2610** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 8:38 pm

dudeman wrote:ok, i now know that pretty much any bench will work for this application, but my main concern is that of the clearence issue- do i need to remove the cab tank to get more clearence between me and the wheel?

Does your truck have power steering? If so, you may need to go a smaller aftermarket wheel. Look in the trucks being made today and the steering wheels aren't nearly as big, but the trucks have PS. My truck has PS and a 12" wheel. I have plenty of room and the truck steers just fine.
I don't know how much room you'd gain by removing the tank, anyway. The seat tracks only allow the seat to go back so far. I don't think the problem would be the seat hitting the tank, as much as it would be the seat reaching the mechanical limits of the seat tracks.

Heavenlyfire · Post by **Heavenlyfire** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 9:15 pm

As I said, the only way I got around my gut was a smaller wheel. You can actually get some really nice ones for a price. Even if you were to take the tank out, it wouldn't give you anymore belly room. The seat only goes back so far at the top edge.

ezernut9mm · Post by **ezernut9mm** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 10:53 pm

on my last 68 i took the factory bench out and put in a set of late model buckets with center console (don't know what they came out of), but the whole deal sat on a frame like the later 80's early 90's trucks and they were way too close form me. even adjusted all the way back. i ended up taking them out and reusing the factory bench.

dudeman · Post by **dudeman** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 1:07 am

i dont have ps, but i do plan on installing it but not for some time, i also didnt think that the tank being removed would allow any more clearence, once i go with ps ill take a look at different wheels but for now i need the large wheel

rjewkes · Post by **rjewkes** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 9:20 am

what does your seat track look like flat from front to back where it bolts or does it have the 73-96 deal up front that folds over the edge?

yours is supposed to be flat i bet some previous owner(PO) changed to a newer seat didn't know about swaping tracks and just drilled some new holes and bolted the newer style in.

dudeman · Post by **dudeman** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 10:46 am

no i watched the po bolt that seat in the floor of the truck

The FORDification.com Forums

Bench seat for 71' f100 4x4-what will work?

Bench seat for 71' f100 4x4-what will work?

re: Bench seat for 71' f100 4x4-what will work?

re: Bench seat for 71' f100 4x4-what will work?

re: Bench seat for 71' f100 4x4-what will work?

re: Bench seat for 71' f100 4x4-what will work?

re: Bench seat for 71' f100 4x4-what will work?

re: Bench seat for 71' f100 4x4-what will work?