Front seat question '00 Expl/Mounty vs '01 Sport/Sport Trac

[koda2000]

My daughter's 2000 Mountaineer tan leather driver's seat bottom is starting to rip in several places. She doesn't want to spend the $200 it will cost to purchase a new replacement leather seat cushion cover. Her truck has the tan leather hi-back bucket front seats.

I recovered the seat bottom in my 2001 EB 4-5 years ago. I know that the seat bottom bolts to the frame with 4 bolts. I found a pair of 2001-2002 Sport/Sport Trac seats for sale on my local CL for $25 each. They appear to be in good condition and are the ones with the adjustable headrest. They're tan, but not leather, which isn't that big of a deal to my daughter.

Does anyone know if the Sport Trac/Sport front seats will bolt into a 2000 4-door? If the bottom frames are different, can you just switch the frames?

 

[CDW6212R]

I think they are the same, long ago members have put Sport Trac seats into the 2nd gen Explorers, consoles and door panels too. It's been years since I saw a thread like that, so I'm just guessing that they are an exact bolt pattern match. The 1991 Explorer is the odd ball of older models, those had different seat tracks(changed for 92).

 

[koda2000]

I think they are the same, long ago members have put Sport Trac seats into the 2nd gen Explorers, consoles and door panels too. It's been years since I saw a thread like that, so I'm just guessing that they are an exact bolt pattern match. The 1991 Explorer is the odd ball of older models, those had different seat tracks(changed for 92).

Cool. I'll see if anyone else has any input on the subject before I commit to buying the Sport seats. I'm asking the seller if they're power (one or both) but if the frames can be swapped that might not be a huge issue.

 

[429CJ-3X2]

They're a direct swap. I put '97-'98 Explorer seats in both my Sport Tracs. If the Sport seats are power, there will be a difference in wiring if the Mountaineer seats have the power lumbar (or heat). As I recall the wires are there either way, but the connector is different - same # of wires going in, but only those used coming out. The 1st set I bought were leather with the power lumbar. My plan was to put them in the '02 that had manual seats, but I 1st put the driver's seat in the '01 that had power seats to make sure it all worked. I had to change the connector on the vehicle end. Everything worked, but the bag won't hold air at all. Without the lumbar holding air, it felt like there was a steel bar under my tailbone, so I went back and got a set with the manual lumbar. Later bought another set for the '01. Seat covers hide the difference in upholstery, and the difference in seats, as I never changed the passenger seats. The '02 had high backs, the '01 had low backs, and the seats I swapped in are high backs, but slightly different than the stock '02 manual seat. With seat covers on you'd have to look really close to tell the passenger seats and driver's seats are different styles. My original seats are in good condition. They just don't support my back as well as the power seats I swapped in.

The Sport seats you describe are likely power on the driver's side, manual on the passenger side.

 

[koda2000]

@429CJ-3X2

I've been in contact with the seat seller. Both of his seats are manual (no power). Both my seats are power with the manual lumbar adjustment. As it appears that the Sport seats are are interchangeable with the 4-door seats, although different styles, I'm thinking that I should be able to take my power bases/frames, unbolt my seats and swap them for the manual bases/frames on the Sport seats. I'll have to see if the plastic lower seat trim is interchangeable as well, or I'll have to figure a way to attach/mount the power switches to the Sport seats. Do you think I can just swap the seat bases? I don't see why not.

 

[429CJ-3X2]

I don't know about the plastic trim, but you should be able to swap bases. The seat to base/track bolt pattern was pretty uniform until the 3rd Gen Explorers. Doesn't the plastic side trim attach to the base?

 

[koda2000]

I don't know about the plastic trim, but you should be able to swap bases. The seat to base/track bolt pattern was pretty uniform until the 3rd Gen Explorers. Doesn't the plastic side trim attach to the base?

IDK. I'll check it out tomorrow. Most likely it does.