Back Seat

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006633" TEXT="#F7F7FF" bgproperties="fixed" background="079005a0ddvuru.png"> <div> <A HREF="http://www.vernco.com/index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.vernco.com/index.htm"><U><B>home</B></U></A><B>     |     </B><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B>Vern</B><B>co.com</B></FONT></div> <div> back to<B>  </B><A HREF="http://www.vernco.com/id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.vernco.com/id18.htm"><U><B>Projects</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.vernco.com/id173.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.vernco.com/id173.htm"><U><B>Site Map</B></U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=150 BGCOLOR="#669966" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <A HREF="http://www.vernco.com/rearaxle/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.vernco.com/rearaxle/"><U>Full-Floating Rear Axle</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.vernco.com/frontaxle/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.vernco.com/frontaxle/"><U>Front Axle Rebuild</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.vernco.com/powr-lok/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.vernco.com/powr-lok/"><U>The Mighty Powr-Lok</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.vernco.com/od/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.vernco.com/od/"><U>Warn Overdrive</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.vernco.com/pto/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.vernco.com/pto/"><U>PTO Winch Installation</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.vernco.com/fuel/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.vernco.com/fuel/"><U>Fuel System</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.vernco.com/brakes/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.vernco.com/brakes/"><U>Brake System</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.vernco.com/heater/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.vernco.com/heater/"><U>Harrison Heater</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.vernco.com/backseat/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.vernco.com/backseat/"><U>Back Seat</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.vernco.com/spare/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.vernco.com/spare/"><U>Spare Tire Carrier</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.vernco.com/crb/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.vernco.com/crb/"><U>Canine Restraint Bar</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.vernco.com/jack/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.vernco.com/jack/"><U>Hi-Lift Jack Mount</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.vernco.com/exhaust/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.vernco.com/exhaust/"><U>Performance Exhaust</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.vernco.com/sparks/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.vernco.com/sparks/"><U>Chasing Sparks</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="http://www.vernco.com/tips/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.vernco.com/tips/"><U>Tips and Tricks</U></A></div> <bR> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> Many Jeeps never had a back seat when originally purchased.  Unless there was a need to haul the extra passengers, a back seat cut into cargo carrying room.  But today, many vintage Jeeps see duty as a family fun vehicle.  Due to the limited supply with increased demand, it is very difficult to find an original style back seat.</div> <bR> <div> This non-stock back seat came from another CJ-2A being parted out.  I have learned that it was made by Husky, who also made a copy of the Warn overdrive back in the 1960's.  If you have seen another like it, <A HREF="mailto:kr98664@yahoo.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:kr98664@yahoo.com"><U>please let me know</U></A>.  It has been reupholstered in Rich Corinthian Leather (Okay, vinyl) to match the front seats.  The stock rear seat mounted on the floor, but this is suspended from the tops of the rear wheelhouses.  Note the armrests, something the original didn't have:</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id292.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Rear seat side view"><U><IMG SRC="446966d0.jpg" border=0 width="150" height="109" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <bR> <div> The seat assembly is supported by two small brackets, one hanging from each wheelhouse.  These brackets are welded together from pieces of .125" x 1.5" x 1.5" angle iron.  The piece under the armrest is turned to rest on the top of the wheelhouse.  The armrests are simply padded strips of plywood.  Flathead screws from underneath the brackets thread into T-nuts inside the armrests.  Two small bolts secure each bracket to the wheelhouse sides:</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id293.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Seat frame"><U><IMG SRC="448af3f0.jpg" border=0 width="175" height="63" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <bR> <div> There is no sort of frame that runs between these brackets, only the seat bottom and back.  The seat bottom and back are made from plywood with padding.  T-nuts in the plywood catch the mounting bolts.  Underneath the bottom, shown here, I added a piece of angle iron to prevent sagging.  That piece mounts underneath the brackets on each side:</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id294.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Underneath seat bottom"><U><IMG SRC="44a965e0.jpg" border=0 width="150" height="94" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <bR> <div> This rear view shows how the seat back is secured to the frame uprights.  Like the bottom, there are T-nuts inside the seat back.  Note the seat belts coming up from the floor.  Since I generally reach under the seat from the front, the seat belts don't get in the way:</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id295.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Back seat rear view"><U><IMG SRC="44c964b0.jpg" border=0 width="150" height="75" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <bR> <div> Here is a close-up of the seat belt mount in the middle.  Two straps are connected to this center bracket.  The seat belt manufacturer provides a small bracket designed to be secured by a single bolt.  I fabricated a new bracket from .125" thick steel.  This bracket is bigger and connects to two of the bolts for the drawbar and pintle hook.  The slot for the straps has the same dimensions, and the straps are threaded through the bracket per the manufacturer's instructions:</div> <bR> <div>   <A HREF="id296.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Center seat belt mount"><U><IMG SRC="44eaf390.jpg" border=0 width="175" height="57" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <bR> <div> This close-up shows the new outer brackets for the seatbelts.  Just like the center bracket, these new brackets are bigger to connect to existing bolts.  There are two of these mounts, one under each tailgate hinge bracket.  This moves the tailgate slightly aft but that is not a problem:</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id297.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Side seat belt mount"><U><IMG SRC="450af490.jpg" border=0 width="175" height="73" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <bR> <div> These seat belt mounts stick up slightly from the floor but that has not proved to be an issue.  With the tailgate closed, the mounts are in the corner and out of harm's way.  If you carried a lot of cargo with the tailgate down, you'd have to figure out something different.</div> <bR> <div> If you have been holding out for a stock rear seat, you may want to consider making a seat like this in the meantime.  The upholsterer had a good idea to add a hump in middle of the seat bottom.  That goes a long ways towards keeping the kids separate so they don't fight.  For cool evenings, try wrapping each kid separately with big old blankets.  They look like giant tortillas before they sit down and are buckled in.  The kids still haven't figured out that it keeps their arms and legs somewhat confined to prevent fights.</div> <bR> <div> In the normal scheme of things, after installing this seat I came across a stock rear seat, which I have since sold.  The Husky seat is far more comfortable, by the way.  According to an <A HREF="http://www.film.queensu.ca/cj3b/RearSeat.html" TARGET="_blank" TITLE="http://www.film.queensu.ca/cj3b/RearSeat"><U>article about rear seats</U></A> at the CJ3B Page, this type was used from 1947-1949.</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id300.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="3A seat 34 view"><U><IMG SRC="46364610.jpg" border=0 width="100" height="97" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <bR> <div> Here is a side view, showing how the bottom cushion fits inside the frame:</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id301.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="3A seat side view"><U><IMG SRC="465647d0.jpg" border=0 width="100" height="125" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <bR> <div> Here is a close-up of the seat legs.  The front legs fits in a recess in the floor.  The rear legs have a cast iron tip that plugs into a spring socket in the floor:</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id302.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="3A seat leg closeup"><U><IMG SRC="467643d0.jpg" border=0 width="100" height="61" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <bR> <div> The bottom cushion is secured at the front edge by five screws.  The cushion has been flipped out to show the seat pan and springs:</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id303.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="3A seat bottom springs"><U><IMG SRC="469966c0.jpg" border=0 width="150" height="108" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>