Just swapped my rear bench for buckets

[bulldogcountry1]

The 2012 is getting some miles on it, but still cruising right along, save for a couple sets of strut mount bearings. The wife has been asking for a new Expedition because we have 3 kids, but that's out of the question right now. She finally said, "Well, at least find some second row buckets so we don't have to fold the seat every time."

The challenge was on. After spending all summer looking for some buckets with same interior (perforated stone gray), I finally scored a set for $250. I happily drove 3.5 hours away today to get them and bolted them in this afternoon. I was ever more excited that they were on sliders and had a soft close hydraulic support.

Then, we all got in the car to go eat supper and discovered the seat latches are different. The seat supposedly came out of a 2015, but it never occurred to me that the latches would be different. A simple swap of latches from the bench didn't work because it's a different mount, complete with electronics. I'm digging around trying to find the best solution. Any suggestions would be appreciated, but I thought the board might be interested in my experience.

 

[Odrapnew]

Are you talking seal belt latches?
Could it be one has inflatable belt latches and the other standard?

 

[bulldogcountry1]

Yes. The bucket seats I got were for inflatable seat belts. I never expected them to have different buckles.


The standard ones just had a simple bracket with a bolt that screws into the seat frame.

The inflatable ones had a buckle with wires and a large hole. The whole thing slides over a metal tube that comes through the seat frame. After some investigation, I found that this tube is connected to the seat belt inflator vessel. All I had to do was remove on small screw and clip a couple wires, and this thing was loose. It slid out between the seat cushion and frame relatively easily.

At that point, I was left with essentially the same mounting surface on the frame with a larger hole. All I had to do was get some 10mm split washers to serve as spacers to make up the difference between the old hole and the new hole. I used the original 10mm bolt, the spacers, a fender washer, and at 10mm nut with thread lock.

I got pictures, but I can't figure out how to post them.

 

[66 Galaxie]

Looking forward to pictures?

How hard do you think it would be to put air bag latches on a non air bag seat frame?