power 3rd row seat weight

[Old Ford dave]

For performance reasons, we're considering removing unneeded 3rd row power seats to save weight in a 2016 explorer sport. How much weight can we save? Looks heavy. Could make a few bucks selling them, too.

 

[peterk9]

Welcome to the Forum Dave.
If you remove the 3rd-row seats I believe you will have to install a cross-brace as the seats provide structural strength.

Removing 3rd Row Seats & Installing Cross Brace

There is another user on here that beat me to removing the 3rd row seats and in his comments gave me some ideas of what I needed to do. I just finished the job of removing the third row as well as the 3rd row seat belts and it really was not as bad as I thought it would be. Why Ford insists...

www.explorerforum.com

Peter

 

[texsn95]

You shave a 10th off your 1/4 mile time for every 100lbs you remove or gain the equivalent of approximately 10 hp. You will feel nothing and it's not worth the effort.

 

[Old Ford dave]

Thanx for the reply, not so much looking at 1/4 mile times, as much as handling. I'm weird, I can feel the difference of a full tank of gas in back. I can't find a number on line, but I figure removing seats, belts, ect, might save 150-200 lbs?

 

[J_C]

I can't feel a tank of gas on my '14 but can on my '98 so I say go for it, no sense hauling around an extra 150+ lbs of weight with gas prices the way they are now.

However, I'd probably keep the 3rd row stored somewhere, in case I ever wanted it back in again, or to sell the vehicle later, can't help resale value to have 3rd row missing and instead a DIY flat panel to level out the cargo area. Keep that in mind too, that after a cross brace, and a panel to cover the hole where the 3rd row was, you are not saving more than maybe 100lbs if that, but the weight will be lower on vehicle center of gravity which is good, and yet the weight is also lower if you just fold down the 3rd row seats. Your call.

I agree with peterk9, if you remove them (especially for *performance* reasons) then you should install a cross-brace, whether it is the Ford part # meant for it, or DIY weld (or bolt) up tubes and plates wouldn't be too hard either if you have fabrication experience.

 

[goalieThreeOne]

If you do end up taking them out and have some way to weigh them, it would be awesome if you posted what they weighed so that it's available for everyone's information.

 

[Old Ford dave]

I saw on Ebay the boneyards are getting around $750 for them, so that's some incentive, now I just have to sell the wife on the project. They are so cool to play with, but we have had the beast for about a year, never used them.

 

[peterk9]

I saw on Ebay the boneyards are getting around $750 for them, so that's some incentive, now I just have to sell the wife on the project. They are so cool to play with, but we have had the beast for about a year, never used them.

You may just want to keep them around for when you sell or trade the Explorer.

Peter

 

[J_C]

I saw on Ebay the boneyards are getting around $750 for them, so that's some incentive, now I just have to sell the wife on the project. They are so cool to play with, but we have had the beast for about a year, never used them.

Maybe. How many are selling though? I'm pretty sure I could get them directly from my local junkyard for a lot less than that, same as anything else I see on ebay that's used, especially when you consider what it must cost to ship that.

 

[walkjp1]

Does anyone have the procedure for 3rd row seat removal 2018 Sport with pictures please? Seems as if all the picture links I find no longer work.

 

[J_C]

^ Just take the bolts/nuts off at the legs? Maybe a plastic trim piece that snaps off before doing so.

 

[peterk9]

Does anyone have the procedure for 3rd row seat removal 2018 Sport with pictures please? Seems as if all the picture links I find no longer work.

Although the pictures are gone, the description is still there; Removing 3rd Row Seats & Installing Cross Brace
Also, there is this thread; How to: - Explorer 3rd row delete & police package install
The reason so many pictures disappear are that members use 3rd party hosting sites and the pictures are not saved to the forum servers.

Peter

 

[walkjp1]

Although the pictures are gone, the description is still there; Removing 3rd Row Seats & Installing Cross Brace
Also, there is this thread; How to: - Explorer 3rd row delete & police package install
The reason so many pictures disappear are that members use 3rd party hosting sites and the pictures are not saved to the forum servers.

Peter

Thank you, But this is car pron. Would be better with pictures.