Swapping seats????

[lactrain]

I own a 97 explorer sport with manual bucket seats. Well they are shot drivers side recline is broke and cuishons are spent. I mainly use this truck for putting around towing my ute trailer making dump runs ... its my second vehicle not my first.

I have recently considered purchasing another set from the local bone yard. My problem is that manual seats are a hard find most are power. Would be nice to park my fancy in a plush set of leather buckets seeing the bone yard will sell them for (175.00 per set) but my concern is im preety sure that my whip doesnt have the hookups to run the power seats.

Im wondering if anyone has or heard any negatives of swapping out the power seat frames and sitting a 99 power leather bucket on the manual frame from my 97.

I was tipped off on the fact that the power lumbar could be a problem ... if its pumped up ....

here are some questions...

Anyone have a sport with leather manual lumber?

Can this be done?

Should can the novice mechanic expereinced handyman handle this task?...

Len

 

[410Fortune]

EASY AS PIE TO CONVERT THEM TO MANUAL, the frames will bolt on.
However you can also just run the power wires. most Explorer's are wired for power seats, at least half way....

You can also try a search, this topic is actually covered quite a bit here.
I have 99 heated leather buckets in my 1988 bronco II if that tells you anything about the compatability of seats in these trucks.
I also recently converted a 96 pass side bucket from manual to power in about 8 minutes time (4 bolts, simple wiring)

 

[lactrain]

What do you mean wired at least half way? ..... I have heard from others that the wiring harness could very well be buried under the rug and these seats could be plug and play ..... Are you reiterating the fact.

 

[skoal_mint]

just look under the seat...their will be a wire about 4-5 inches long with a connector on the end, just plug and go...might have to change the connector end if its diffrent on the others seat

 

[lactrain]

no wires under my seat .... Ill have to drop the power seat onto the manual bracket .... not a big deal as long as the lumbar is manual ...

 

[skoal_mint]

well if the new seats fit then just run your own power and ground wire

 

[410Fortune]

Okay my 88 BII came with the air support lumbar seats. I upgraded to 1997 Explorer 4 door buckets a few years later, when I did I ran the power and - for the air lumbar to the new seat tracks, it worked just fine. However when I installed my 99 buckets I ran a new + and ground to the new buckets, adding a new fuse to my power dist box, new wires etc, it is not rocket science. Ford is really smart instead of making seats with switches on the dash and a ton of signal wires,their seats are self contained, so all they need to operate is a constant 12V+ and a ground signal.
When Ford built your truck when it was in the early stages on the assembly line they did not know if it woudl get power seats or manual , so all the trucks have the same main wiring harness, meaning worst case in order to add the power for your new seats you just have to add the part of the power harness that is missing. When it comes to power seats that usually means not much! It is likely there are wires under your carpet or at the next plug in spot, under the truck. So finish the wiring harness to the seats, add the missing fuse and GO

 

[lactrain]

Thanks fellas ... you guys are just theinspiration i need .... i think i will go for the 99 power leather ....

Thanks a bunch

Len

 

[lactrain]

OK took the plunge today .... purchased the grey leather interior out of the 99 wreck in the boneyard ... Second look wasnt so bad ... the pasenger side front seat was a bit weathered for my liking but I still seem to feel i that i got a preety good deal ....

Like the saying goe its not the deal you get its the deal you think you get ....

2 front buckets and rear seating for 200 beans ... at this point ill be installing them on the manual bracket and using it manually.

Like I said this is the boy truck ... used mostly for boy fun like home improvement, dump runs, and back and forth to work ... so its not neccesary for it to be a show piece, just needs to be nice enough to not be ashamed of.

It will never be a rockhopper like your bronco II, 410 fortune, cause its only a two wheeler ... but it has been a trusted steed pushing the 120,000 mile and still lookin, and running well enough for me to dump 200.00 beans on boneyard leather interior ....

But hey it's my A@# and it deserves to be pampered....

Anyone know where i can get wiring diagrams just in case i feel the need to power it up someday ... is there any place online ...

Len ....Thanks Again!

 

[lactrain]

Figured I would follow up on this thread to close it out.

I installed the leather interior on the manual brackets ... piece of cake even for the novice. The only curveball that got thrown at me was the threaded holes on the manual bracket did not line up with the screws on the seat.

What it was, is there were a series of three holes on either side of the manual and power bracket... the old seat screwed into the center hole on the manual bracket and the new seat required the usage of the first hole ... but it wasnt threaded .... so i needed to tap and thread the first hole and it bolted right in...

I saved the manual bracket and when things slow down a bit ill try my luck at wiring it up... then ill reinstall the power bracket.

Len