Removing 3rd Row Seats & Installing Cross Brace

[LakersCentral]

Great! thanks for the quick reply. you say "seat"... is it all one piece, or is that 75lb per each seat for a total of 150lbs? (my explorer is currently on order)

Maybe someone will be able to throw it on a scale (or hold it while they're on a scale) and get an exact measurement. Till then, thanks for the guestimate

 

[adamdz]

Great! thanks for the quick reply. you say "seat"... is it all one piece, or is that 75lb per each seat for a total of 150lbs? (my explorer is currently on order)

Maybe someone will be able to throw it on a scale (or hold it while they're on a scale) and get an exact measurement. Till then, thanks for the guestimate

It's one piece but what makes it difficult to carry is that each seat is kind of separately attached to the crossbar and swings around when you try to lift it. Mine is all wrapped up and buried in a storage room so I won't be able to weigh it.

 

[elitek9]

I am just waiting for the Havis rear floor plate I ordered to come in, then I am removing the third row seats and will weigh them for you guys... and post some pictures. Should be in the next few weeks.

Matt

 

[bburzycki]

I am just waiting for the Havis rear floor plate I ordered to come in, then I am removing the third row seats and will weigh them for you guys... and post some pictures. Should be in the next few weeks.

Matt

Just a hint on the floor plate install for the Havis unit..

I assume you have read the install guide:

http://www.havis.com/data/1-Mountin... Duty/C-TTP-INUT-1/C-TTP-INUT-1_INST_4-13.pdf


If you have any issues with the use of the large zip tie to secure it to the cross tube - I would opt for upgrading to a HD Pipe clamp or rubber isolated pipe clamp.

Also if you are not planning to get the rubber mat or something - I suggest carpeting the top of the metal floor - it is very slick when only powder coated.

 

[adamdz]

Fixed! I moved to a new server and some permissions were messed up. Sorry about that. While I was at it, I also moved them to another directory so they show in my original post, but not in your quote.

 

[rman66]

I used to be an engineer in automotive body structures.. The central area where the 2 bars meet looks like a cesspool of stress concentration. Same with the area where it is bolted onto the floor assembly. It looks like a mess, an "afterthought" design that the engineers hurriedly conjured deep into the design cycle by throwing mass at the problem instead of optimizing it for the right amount of rigidity, strentgh and durability.

 

[bburzycki]

I used to be an engineer in automotive body structures.. The central area where the 2 bars meet looks like a cesspool of stress concentration. Same with the area where it is bolted onto the floor assembly. It looks like a mess, an "afterthought" design that the engineers hurriedly conjured deep into the design cycle by throwing mass at the problem instead of optimizing it for the right amount of rigidity, strentgh and durability.

Welcome to how engineering seems to be done for all first generation police vehicles... crammed together for sales and not all 100% thought out or implemented based on testing cycles..

 

[rman66]

I used to be an engineer in automotive body structures.. The central area where the 2 bars meet looks like a cesspool of stress concentration. Same with the area where it is bolted onto the floor assembly. It looks like a mess, an "afterthought" design that the engineers hurriedly conjured deep into the design cycle by throwing mass at the problem instead of optimizing it for the right amount of rigidity, strentgh and durability.

In fact, I can almost bet that the central bracket (and possibly one or more the one of the areas where the X bracket is bolted to the floor) will over time develop cracks. The crack is not going to stay still and could propagate even under normal driving conditions and the body structure's propensity to flex. If I were the engineer, I would have gotten rid of that stupid X design and try a different approach. They should avoid these stress concentrations along load path and make it simple for the load to be transferred from the body to suspension to wheels and back.
Another thought I have is that the X bracket may have been conceived to enhance crashworthiness. If that is the case, I would still look into its ability to rip off the floor and spearing anyone inside in a catastropic rear end collision and evaluate it for its ability to withstand torturous road conditions and not have cracks develop and propagate.

 

[peterk9]

Pictures are gone! could you please repost?

That happens quite frequently when using some 'outside' photo posting programs. Those programs seem to have timeframe after which the photos appear to be deleted. One way to avoid that it to take out an Elite membership and post photos using the 'Manage Attachment' program. $20 for 2 years right now and you help support the Forum.

Peter

 

[rman66]

I was examining the picture in the previous page and can see that the X brace is connecting the longitudinal underbody rails on 2 ends to a cross member at its other 2 ends.
I suspect that there are 2 cross members welded to the floor in the vicinity of that X brace so if they wanted that stiffness, they could have added a reinforcement in the existing cross member and a small C bracket connecting the two cross members to achive some local stiffness when seats are removed early in the design cycle. The important point being early in the design cycle. I can only surmise that the engineering team dropped the ball on this by not making the floor rigid enough when rear seats are removed. So, now we have the stupid X brace. If the rear seats are removable easily without resorting to all these shenanigans to keep up with safety, I would remove them in a heart beat.

 

[bburzycki]

Just like apple products - this one is designed to be used as is and not designed to be modified and for the liabiltiy side of this world that does not seem like its really a problem.

I could easily see someone modify this vehicle, remove the rear set - get into a huge accident or die and then sue Ford till the cows came home saying they should have read their mind about taking out the rear seats.. that were never intended to be taken out etc..

 

[MikeCallery]

I'm glad I got off my rear and decided to catch up on various forum threads. I was one of the first people who did this modification and posted pictures, having no afterthoughts about handling and such. I've been driving the car this way for two years without a hitch.

Recently I have felt the ride was a little more harsh then it has been and maybe this is the issue. I am carrying a lot of "stuff" in that well.

That said, thanks to everyone for keeping this thread going. I just ordered the brace!!

 

[adamdz]

Just like apple products - this one is designed to be used as is and not designed to be modified and for the liabiltiy side of this world that does not seem like its really a problem.

I could easily see someone modify this vehicle, remove the rear set - get into a huge accident or die and then sue Ford till the cows came home saying they should have read their mind about taking out the rear seats.. that were never intended to be taken out etc..

You can never prevent people from modifying stuff. People mod Apple products too. Sure, modding a car is a more serious task than modding a computer and there are dumb people everywhere and you can't cure them. Plus, the personal responsibility seems to be a thing of the past, when stuff happens people always want to find someone else to blame. Nobody wants to be responsible for their own actions any more.

That happens quite frequently when using some 'outside' photo posting programs. Those programs seem to have timeframe after which the photos appear to be deleted. One way to avoid that it to take out an Elite membership and post photos using the 'Manage Attachment' program. $20 for 2 years right now and you help support the Forum.

Peter

No, it's my own site and I moved the it to another server and the folder with images wasn't readable, I had to fix permissions on that directory.

I'm glad I got off my rear and decided to catch up on various forum threads. I was one of the first people who did this modification and posted pictures, having no afterthoughts about handling and such. I've been driving the car this way for two years without a hitch.

Recently I have felt the ride was a little more harsh then it has been and maybe this is the issue. I am carrying a lot of "stuff" in that well.

That said, thanks to everyone for keeping this thread going. I just ordered the brace!!

I really didn't think anything bad would happen and I haven't noticed anything different about the car's handling but I sure do feel better having this brace installed.

 

[MikeCallery]

My concern wasn't so much the handling, it was two fold. First, IF there was any cracking anywhere, my warranty would likely not hold up without the brace being there. Second, if there was an accident and an issue, insurance would use that against me.

 

[adamdz]

My concern wasn't so much the handling, it was two fold. First, IF there was any cracking anywhere, my warranty would likely not hold up without the brace being there. Second, if there was an accident and an issue, insurance would use that against me.

Well, yeah, valid concerns.

 

[elitek9]

Just a hint on the floor plate install for the Havis unit..

I assume you have read the install guide:

http://www.havis.com/data/1-Mountin... Duty/C-TTP-INUT-1/C-TTP-INUT-1_INST_4-13.pdf


If you have any issues with the use of the large zip tie to secure it to the cross tube - I would opt for upgrading to a HD Pipe clamp or rubber isolated pipe clamp.

Also if you are not planning to get the rubber mat or something - I suggest carpeting the top of the metal floor - it is very slick when only powder coated.

Thanks for the advice I'm going to use a pipe clamp for sure.... with the -40c temperatures here right now, a zip strap wouldn't last too long.

We are going to get the entire back line-x'd.... floor, and side panels. Otherwise it will be too slippery for the dogs.

 

[Levittown Ford Parts]

Guys this brace ships Free in the U.S with our current promo!

http://www.levittownfordsupercenter.com/ford-explorer-third-brace-p-2000.html

As well as any order over 150.00!

Thanks,
Benny

 

[elitek9]

Finally found the time to remove the 3rd row seats, and install the x-brace and Havis plate in our 2014 Explorer Sport. It took about 1.5 hours total to do. Seats came out no problem, and the x-brace fit in perfectly. The Havis plate took the last 20 minutes and came fully assembled, and was very easy to install. I did not have to do any modification whatsoever to the trim, carpet, panels, etc. and everything went in using the original Ford hardware. The Havis plate gives you quite a bit of (locking) storage space underneath between the spare tire and the plate. All we have left to do now is get the trunk area Line-X'd. It is quite impressive that the accessories for the Interceptor Utility all seem to fit the Explorer Sport no problem!

BEFORE

HAVIS PLATE INSTALLED

HAVIS PLATE "OPEN" POSITION (YOU CAN SEE THE X-BRACE)

 

[Levittown Ford Parts]

Nice install, thanks for the pics!

 

[bburzycki]

Looks good.. I have to do mine in about a month...