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How to install/what to install as Astro cargo bench seat

11K views 25 replies 6 participants last post by  95TexasSafari 
#1 ·
Hi,
I have had some pointers on how people have installed bench seats in their cargo vans.
I'd like to know mainly - where can you get the floor bars to clip in regular Astro passenger bench seats? Anywhere besides the junkyard? If only at the junkyard, is there anyway to get them out of there without having to go under the van?
I see this discountvantruck website seems to provide them with their OEM seats, I'll see if they would sell just the bars.

Assuming it would be a hassle to get original ones from the junkyard, it seems that the Econoline OEM floor base brackets are pretty easy to find - would it be a good idea to go for an Econoline seat instead?
I really just need 2 places back there, so I'd want something not too big, and I want to be able to take the seats out as well.

As far as installation goes, it seems like bolting them through the floor and then through an added metal plate would be a good way to do it. That implies dropping the fuel tank as I understand it.

Thanks for any pointers - I'm new to this and have read a couple of threads on the subject, hopefully I'm not asking too many stupid questions.

Phil
 
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#2 ·
There's a guy selling "couch seat long brackets" for 2005+ Chevys... I have a 2004, but I guess the year doesn't matter much since I'd be doing my own installation anyway.
Is this what they're supposed to look like?



He sells them for 270$ each which seems pretty steep to me... I guess I could just get one and cut it in two? Are they symmetrical that way?
 
#5 ·
Hmm... these pictures show what it looks like when looking from inside a passenger van, but could it be that those tracks are installed on the metal floor, then another floor with carpet sits on top of that and has pockets that show just these specific spots in the bars?
The eBay picture shows them all from the underside which isn't too convenient to figure out what's going on on the other side, but maybe it's clipping points all the way like every feet or something?
 
#6 ·
We just had a conversation about this on the other forum, Stan who is also a member here said,
HPbyStan said:
This is my solution to have enough seating for a car license in Wisconsin and still have room for two BSA race bikes.
I welded nuts to straps and pop riveted the straps under the floor so the 3ed seat unbolts just like the front two.

http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm17 ... CF0061.jpg
If you don't have stock pockets in the floor and don't want to spend the time to put them in this is the way to go. This way the bolts run down into the floor and when the seat is not installed there are no protrusions from the floor.
 
#7 ·
Oh so I see where these pockets are then:

I do have the same pattern on my metal floor except there are no holes... any chance the anchors are still under there if I cut through the metal?
It's not that I'm not willing to install them, it's that I can't find the parts :) Not sure I understand how they're secured in there either... I guess I should just hit the junkyard, try to find a passenger van and try to figure it out right then and there.

As for what Stan did for his third seat, I do understand he riveted those things:
under the van, but not so sure I understand what it looks like on the other side.
 
#8 ·
If you are willing to do the work and have a welder, you can buy nuts with washers drill your holes then drop the fuel tank have the amount of 1/8 inch steel plates already pre drilled and weld the nuts/washer to the plates het under the van have a friend thread the bolts through to the plates with nuts/washers then tac weld the plates to the floor underneath. Then fab the seat to have a place for the bolts to bolt them to the coresponding bolt hole you welded in. This way the seat can be bolted in and removed by unbolting it and it will be safe and easily covered if need be. I have done this in a 4x4 truck bed for off roading years ago and even in the rust belt (northeast I never had a problem.
 
#9 ·
Correct Phil, those are not there in the cargo version. As to what it looks like on the other side it's the same as the top, reversed. Its just sheet metal, not double wall or anything fancy. Maybe some cross members but where the pockets belong there is just flat sheet metal.

The pieces Stan (DRZ here) made simply get fastened to the underside, in the photo they are inverted to the position they would be under the van, nut is closest to the road.
For the seat you can use anything that fits because the astro benches have hooks, they need modification anyway. I have an electric bench / bed from a conversion van that will soon find it's way into the back of my '93, maybe,,, :pray:
 
#10 ·
Thanks guys...
Here's what I got back there:



And here's what it looks like under the van:


I'll double check this later today, but it would make sense that this bar would be lined up with the pockets, and then couldn't a hole be drilled in the bar, a stud passed right through and welded there?
 
#12 ·
WoodButcher said:
Yes but then when the seat is out you have a stud sticking up to catch / scratch or damage your cargo. The whole point of using a nut welded to the strap or backer that you attach to the underside of the sheet metal.
I meant a stud that goes through both sides of the bar to replicate the pockets and use an unmodified bench seat... Also, I don't really mind having something that sticks out on the other side, I just wanted to figure out a way to make it look as stock as possible, which is why I'm interested in doing the pockets.

I think I might just go with Econoline seats with this kind of fixture if I can't figure out how to do the pockets:



Sorry about being so picky, as discussed in another thread they're pretty uptight about any car modifications where in Quebec and I'm trying to go as stock as possible with my solution...

Thanks a lot again for all the tips.
 
#13 ·
Gottcha, are you thinking to change the registration designation to a passenger van? If that's the case using the ford bracket should work but with that you'll still need reinforcement on the underside and the seat belts all need to function as stock.
I think if that is your intent you'd be best served to get the astro pockets cut from the junkyard, get the plastic trim, seatbelts and seat all in one shot. The pockets are pretty straight forward simply welded to the bottom of the sheet metal.
 
#14 ·
Ha!
Welded to the bottom... that's what I wanted to know.
Actually I don't need to change the registration for some reason - I'm just liable to be sent to inspection if I get pulled over and they don't like how it looks, then I have to hope the guy who inspects it likes what he sees. The rules of the inspection are pretty fuzzy on that end, it says it needs to be done according to the rules of the art. I've read some inspectors aren't too sure about the rule either, so having the correct brand and not a Ford logo would probably help.

Ok then, so here's my plan:
-try to get the pockets, seat and belt from a junkyard (or at least just the pockets), getting the pockets welded under my van professionally (I don't own a welding machine nor do any of my friends)...
-If I can't locate that then I'll got with the Ford brackets + seat + belt and bolt on the brackets, adding metal plates under there for reinforcement.
As for the Ford seatbelts - would they fit the Astro anchor?
 
#17 ·
the post I made above tells how we did it in a truck and the seat we used I believe came from a 2 door sedan like a malibu or something and have 4 bolt holes and the seat belt came with the seat and I believe were actually bolted to the seat itself (lap belts only) My point is search and you shall find something like this in a salvage yard. what I would do is do all the work yourself by using self tapping screws to hold the small plates in then take it to a welding shop and have them weld it in for you then remove the screws. this way you pay for the welding and no actual engineering and such. Good luck Mark
 
#18 ·
Alright,
found a donor nearby... I can get the whole deal for a 100 bucks. Seat, seat belt, anchors.
I need to take them out myself, but I'll try to get a grinder - if not I'll just try to do it with a hammer and chisel.

I'll get the welding done professionally - that should be pretty expensive but since I get the stuff for cheap overall it shouldn't be that big a deal.

I'll let you guys know how it turns out and show some pics of the results.

Thanks
Phil
 
#19 ·
markmitch said:
the post I made above tells how we did it in a truck and the seat we used I believe came from a 2 door sedan like a malibu or something and have 4 bolt holes and the seat belt came with the seat and I believe were actually bolted to the seat itself (lap belts only) My point is search and you shall find something like this in a salvage yard. what I would do is do all the work yourself by using self tapping screws to hold the small plates in then take it to a welding shop and have them weld it in for you then remove the screws. this way you pay for the welding and no actual engineering and such. Good luck Mark
Good idea! Since this has to go under, I'll just pre-cut the holes so they the don't have to figure out how to align everything.
 
#20 ·
chevymaher said:
PhilGreg said:
Ha! The rules of the inspection are pretty fuzzy on that end, it says it needs to be done according to the rules of the art. I've read some inspectors aren't too sure about the rule either.
At least that narrows it down to just about anything under the sun.
:confused:
Yeah well that's the good ol' peoples' republic of Quebec for you.
 
#21 ·
Alright!
Chiseled the 4 back pockets out of a donor, they're almost all pristine except for one where I cut off a corner a little bit. Got the 2nd row bench seat and the matching seatbelts. Got the plastic pieces in the carpet, although I'm not sure I'll be able to install those cleanly.
Now on to the next step...

I found a good professional welder that a friend of mine knows, so I'm sure he'll have some ideas about that, but the problem is that the two pockets away from the sliding door are within the frame beam. So the floor sits on top of the beam, and in between is the pocket plate, and the pocket is within the beam.
I don't think there's anyway I can install it under the floor like they did at the factory, so I think I'll have to settle for welding it on top of the floor.

I'm certainly no welding expert, but does it sound like (if done professionally), this would be a valid solution?
 
#24 ·
An update - I'll post pics later.
So I found a good welder who would do the job not too expensive.
He worked from the top - he cut out the holes so that the pockets would drop snugly through the floor (the pocket plates are about two inches all around the pocket hole).
He spot welded 12 times each pocket to the top of the floor. He then cut out 2 sheets about the same gauge as the floor itself and welded them on top of either side of the bench (so one sheet for two pockets) to cover the whole pockets - he welded those with the other kind of welding (not spot but... the one that's a full line).

Looks pretty darn good and solid, and the seats fits right in. I'll add some flooring (I even cut out the plastic cover things from the donor van) on top of all that and I think it's gonna look as factory as you can get.
I'll just need to add the seatbelts now - I do have those but I have some upholstery that covers the metal frame back there - before I cut it out I'd like to know where to cut precisely (I guess I should have taken pictures of that at the junkyard). Could anybody give me measurements or pictures of that?

Thanks,
Phil
 
#25 ·
Hey, great job on figuring this out. I want to add stock seats into my cargo and this helped a lot. Thank you. Any way you could upload some pics? Thanks
 
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