M1009 front bench seat conversion?

[camojcory]

Has anyone ever swapped the front buckets for a bench in a M1009?

I know everyone usually wants to install buckets, but i have my reasons to take them out. Primarily for more passenger space and the ability to rack out on a full length bench (ever tried to sleep across a center counsole?)

I am looking into buying an '09 and i'm just weighing my options and trying to form a build plan.

A full size bench out of an '08 should fit, but what would i have to do to get it bolted down? The buckets on an '09 appear to be mounted on tall brackets whereas the bench from an '08 appears to be bolted to a large hump along the back of the cab.

Can you just bolt the bench to the bucket brackets?

Any help here would be great, as i have neither truck to look at....

......and yes, I know this is crazy.

 

[kipman]

May work, what about the trans hump?

 

[camojcory]

Again, I'm not overly familiar with these and i don't have any to look at, but i thought the trans hump was the same in both these trucks?

Besides, wouldn't mounting the bench to the bucket brackets (or something similair) allow plenty of clearance?

 

[transman]

Use the mounting brackets from a suburban they share the same front floof pan. trans tunnel is not an issue they are the same height truck/sub/blazer!

 

[cajuninmn]

Bench Seat Success!

I dropped a 60/40 bench in my m1009 that I pulled out of a '96 Silverado yesterday. I only had to drill two holes in the hump and two in the floor about 3 or 4 inches in front of the old bolt holes. I'll post pictures later tonight or tomorrow! But it IS possible, and the seats WILL fit with minimal modification! It's like a whole different truck...

 

[chevyCUCV]

**** if i was local to you i would swap you.

Look around for a m1008 owner looking to get bucket seats, im sure there are lots out there.

 

[cajuninmn]

Here she is in all her glory! Cost me $20 for the seat, $50 for a set of tan Coverking seat covers i found on Ebay that i've yet to toss on, and about $10 for the washers, nuts, and bolts... Best $80 i've spent hands down!!! on the underside of the body I cut four 2x2 pieces of 1/8" galvanized steel to help distribute the weight being I had to fiberglass the crap out of the floor pans when I got her. Took only about 4 hours between drilling, cutting, swearing, and running back and forth to the hardware store.

 

[islandguydon]

I am looking to swap out my bench seat for buckets, do you still have the old seats..?

 

[cajuninmn]

As a matter of fact I do! Still sitting in the garage... they have the normal wear and tear, but they are definitely usable. I could post up a picture of the pair for you if you'd want.

 

[cajuninmn]

Islandguydon, here they are with and without the seat covers.

 

[natemccabe]

Wasn't sure what I thought before I saw the pictures, looks comfy and is giving me ideas of my own. I'm on the fence about the carpet though, hows it hold up under snow getting tracked in, leaky windows and the like?

 

[cajuninmn]

comfy doesn't even begin to describe it! plus... having the hump covered really helps with the sound dampening. When I pulled up the original floor matting there were a couple spots that had rusted through, so wire brushed it, than fiber glassed over and under the floor pans. after that I sprayed the whole thing down with rubberized undercoating just in case water did pool up on the floor. I got some automotive sound foam off ebay and put two layers of that down, than topped it with some cheap indoor/outdoor carpet from Home Depot. I think it was definitely worth it... I can talk, not shout! And if you throw down a good floor mat, or some husky liners, it shouldn't be a problem at all! I had to silicon up some of the leaks and now she's golden...

 

[islandguydon]

Let me know what you want for them, I have posted for a pair for 6 months w/o any results. I can trade or buy outright. PM me the details..k

Don

 

[unaffiliated]

I like the seats Cajun, but how do you get in the back with those seats. Just wondering?

 

[SPCWarning]

Cajuninmn, that's a nice setup there. Sounds like you did the ultimate sound-deadening to your floor also. Post a pic after you install the seat covers. I bet the comfort level is WAY better! My buckets (black one on driver's side for some reason) are pretty worn. I'll be junkyard hopping soon anyway, so I may as well see what seats I can find. Thanks, and
Jimmy

 

[joediveguy]

Daddy like! I just put bucket seats from a civi K5 in mine and am not sure I like them. Wider and more comfortable, but they sit a little lower and the DS back does not fold up. I like the PS fold up option though. I may look around for that 60/40 split seat, very nice. Is it power? I put a pair of power, leather, Eddy Bauer buckets in a Ranchero once….that was fun!

 

[jdeoliveira74]

even though its a bench does the passenger side slide foward when you pull the top of the seat foward??

 

[cajuninmn]

Both seats have an "entry" handle similar to the recline handle that you pull and than the seats fold down and slide forward for rear access. The seats also had electronic lumbar support, but i bypassed it all and let it be. Manual adjustments all around!

I'll post pictures with the seat covers when the time comes... but it's so **** cold out... no one likes sitting on cold leather! haha

 

[cajuninmn]

Here's with the seat folded and slid forward! They we seats from an extended cab... so they are "good to go"

 

[DanR7985]

Great, now I have one more thing I need to do to mine...