Thinking about new seats for the Pete.............

[mr. cob]

Howdy All,

Thinking about new seats for the Peterbilt, we don't have much in the way of truck shops in my area that have seats on the floor to try out, "4 State Trucks" is now having a sale on seats so have been thinking of talking to them.  I don't need heat-massage, swivel, or many of the gadgets on some of the seats, just comfort and the basic air controls.  One thing that I do want is a lower seat mount, not to look cool-stupid depending on your point of view but for comfort and the ability to SEE things like traffic lights when stopped.  The seats in my truck now even with the air dumped don't allow a good view of many traffic lights when looking under the sun visor that and when I am driving I am using the seat in the lowest position that still gives a bit of air ride, when I air the seat up all the way my head comes close to the roof of the cab must have been a short driver who owned the truck at one time.

So what brand of seat would you folks recommend, leather seems cold to me most of the time, cloth seems more comfortable but if a person is going to spend $750-1,000 dollars plus on a seat it would be nice to now your getting good value as well as comfort.  Thanks for any suggestion yu can give.

Dave

[Darryl&Rita]

Low ride seat bases are available for the hood trucks. If your seats are in decent shape, something to consider. The seats themselves don't affect ride position as much as the bases.

[Star Dreamer]

We prefer 2nd row GM cloth mini van seats with arm rests! $50 is what I paid for the pair and I was able to use our air ride bases. One even came with a drink holder which I use on my driver's seat.

[mr. cob]

5 hours ago, Darryl&Rita said:

Low ride seat bases are available for the hood trucks. If your seats are in decent shape, something to consider. The seats themselves don't affect ride position as much as the bases.

Howdy Darryl,

My seats need some work, I checked with a couple of local uppostlery (sp) shops and for the price they wanted to redo the seats I could buy brand new ones with more stuff like arm rests.  There aren't any big truck junk yards around so its either buy new, live with what I have or spend more then I will to have them redone.

Dave

[mr. cob]

51 minutes ago, Star Dreamer said:

We prefer 2nd row GM cloth mini van seats with arm rests! $50 is what I paid for the pair and I was able to use our air ride bases. One even came with a drink holder which I use on my driver's seat.

Howdy Star Dreamer,

Can you post some photos of these seats, where did you get them?

Dave

[Sculptor]

6 hours ago, mr. cob said:

So what brand of seat would you folks recommend, leather seems cold to me most of the time, cloth seems more comfortable but if a person is going to spend $750-1,000 dollars plus on a seat it would be nice to now your getting good value as well as comfort.  Thanks for any suggestion yu can give.

Hi Dave, don’t just buy the first thing you find, that would be a ...

knee-jerk reaction.  Nyuknyuk. 
 

I signed up for the MATS show in the spring. Rumor has it there are many seat displays. In the mean time I am going to un-lace the seat and insert a store bought gel cushion. I decided I don’t need more functionality than i already have. The seat “bun” is the worst part. So really I just have that complaint. 

Edited November 12, 2019 by Sculptor

[DesertMiner]

You really need to put your butt in the different seats to see how they fit! 

This is one of those things you need to do in person! and so should the co-pilot!

 

Edited November 12, 2019 by DesertMiner

[mr. cob]

4 minutes ago, Sculptor said:

Hi Dave, don’t just buy the first thing you find, that would be a ...

knee-jerk reaction.  Curly Howard chuckle here. 

Howdy Kevin,

Not knowing anything about seats and not living where such things are easily available this is a big step for my old well new knees.

Dave

[mr. cob]

Just now, DesertMiner said:

You really need to put your butt in the different seats to see how they fit! 

This is one of those things you need to do in person! and so should the co-pilot!

 

Howdy DesertMiner,

Your 100% right, just hard to do where I live.

Dave

[Sculptor]

Just now, mr. cob said:

Howdy Kevin,

Not knowing anything about seats and not living where such things are easily available this is a big step for my old well new knees.

Dave

I added a bit and saved again. Try a home made fix for the comfort part. I can’t help about the height tho. 

[Star Dreamer]

23 hours ago, mr. cob said:

Howdy Star Dreamer,

Can you post some photos of these seats, where did you get them?

Dave

We got them off of Craigslist. I mounted the air ride switch to the plastic trim on the seat base and modified the mounting to work with our seat bases.

[Star Dreamer]

Here is passenger seat

[mr. cob]

2 minutes ago, Star Dreamer said:

Here is passenger seat

Howdy Star Dreamer,

Those are some nice looking seats.  I never though of mounting another seat to the truck mount, did you take any photos of how you did this?

Dave

[Star Dreamer]

1 minute ago, mr. cob said:

Howdy Star Dreamer,

Those are some nice looking seats.  I never though of mounting another seat to the truck mount, did you take any photos of how you did this?

Dave

I don't think I have any pictures. It will probably vary based on the seat and the seat base, but on ours if I remember correctly, I used a 1" steel square tube running side to side at the front to transition from the seat mounts to the seat base which also helped to tilt the seat up the front. At the rear I used 2 steel angles on each side that made into a Z shape to do the rear mounts. I do not recall which seat tracks I used but I think it was the ones that came with the seats.

[mr. cob]

1 minute ago, Star Dreamer said:

I don't think I have any pictures. It will probably vary based on the seat and the seat base, but on ours if I remember correctly, I used a 1" steel square tube running side to side at the front to transition from the seat mounts to the seat base which also helped to tilt the seat up the front. At the rear I used 2 steel angles on each side that made into a Z shape to do the rear mounts. I do not recall which seat tracks I used but I think it was the ones that came with the seats.

Howdy Star Dreamer,

Thanks for the information I can pretty well envision what you did.  I'll take some measurements and then see if I can find anything that might work.  The 379 has a smaller cab area then what you had to work with so doing as you have done may not work in my case but I can see where you have some nice seats at an extremely good price with a bit of labor to make them work in your application.

Dave

[porky69]

I put some Bostrom Wide Ride's with the low pro suspension, high seat back and dual arm rests in my 2000 379 Pete and loved them, but that was 15yrs ago. They were towards the lower end of the price spectrum but very comfy and well built.

 

Unless you can find someone who has a particular seat installed in a similar model truck to yours it is just about impossible to tell how they will be in the real world just by sitting in them, something as simple as mounting them forward an inch can completely change how comfortable they are.

 

There are a couple of things to be aware of with some lo-pro seat suspensions in some trucks......when I took the air out of mine, your butt was only about 6inches off the floor, I am 5'10" and could just nicely see over the dash and window sills (ie HAD to have air in them when driving in traffic or pretty much anywhere but open road) which to some insurance companies is a very bad thing....which is possibility #2 ... loss of insurance coverage due to the seats potentially not allowing proper visibility. Yes it is a long shot but we all know how insurance companies like to try and get out of paying. 

 

If you are going to adapt some automotive seats to air ride suspension, and I am not in any way condemning this, make sure you mount them at the right front to rear slope, if the front edge is to high and puts pressure on the back of your legs it can reduce blood flow to your lower legs and if it is to low you will always feel like you are sliding out. This is a purely personal thing, I like to have mine flat to slightly high, lots of people are the other way.And makesure the seat belts are securely mounted.

[mr. cob]

41 minutes ago, porky69 said:

I put some Bostrom Wide Ride's with the low pro suspension, high seat back and dual arm rests in my 2000 379 Pete and loved them, but that was 15yrs ago. They were towards the lower end of the price spectrum but very comfy and well built.

 

Unless you can find someone who has a particular seat installed in a similar model truck to yours it is just about impossible to tell how they will be in the real world just by sitting in them, something as simple as mounting them forward an inch can completely change how comfortable they are.

 

There are a couple of things to be aware of with some lo-pro seat suspensions in some trucks......when I took the air out of mine, your butt was only about 6inches off the floor, I am 5'10" and could just nicely see over the dash and window sills (ie HAD to have air in them when driving in traffic or pretty much anywhere but open road) which to some insurance companies is a very bad thing....which is possibility #2 ... loss of insurance coverage due to the seats potentially not allowing proper visibility. Yes it is a long shot but we all know how insurance companies like to try and get out of paying. 

 

If you are going to adapt some automotive seats to air ride suspension, and I am not in any way condemning this, make sure you mount them at the right front to rear slope, if the front edge is to high and puts pressure on the back of your legs it can reduce blood flow to your lower legs and if it is to low you will always feel like you are sliding out. This is a purely personal thing, I like to have mine flat to slightly high, lots of people are the other way.And makesure the seat belts are securely mounted.

Howdy porky69,

Thanks for your detailed post, I really appreciate it.  I am 6 foot even so when sitting at a stop light if there is the slightest down grade I have to bend over to see under the sun visor which is in the PERFECT location for anything other then seeing things like traffic lights on a down slope.  If I could drop the seat three inches and still have a air shock cushioning the road bumps I would be a very happy camper.  So from what I have read having the low mounts aired about half way up would put me right about where I would like to be.

Dave

[jenandjon]

Picked these up at Peterbilt for $700 apiece. The low rider seats are more expensive but with the Pete and as tall as you are you need them. I am pretty sure the base is interchangeable.

 

[mr. cob]

10 hours ago, jenandjon said:

Picked these up at Peterbilt for $700 apiece. The low rider seats are more expensive but with the Pete and as tall as you are you need them. I am pretty sure the base is interchangeable.

 

Howdy Jon,

Those are some nice looking seats.  My local Peterbilt dealer is about worthless carries next to nothing other then what is needed for the simplest maintenance.  I did stop in at the local Freightliner shop today and they have a very nice selection of National brand seats, one called the Commodore has just about every type of adjustment you could ask for on a seat about 1,000 dollars per seat with out shipping.  I asked if they could give me an out the door price a pair with the low seat brackets and any adapters that might be needed to install them in the Pete, I will make darn sure I am sitting down before he gives me the price.

Dave

[Star Dreamer]

2 hours ago, mr. cob said:

Howdy Jon,

Those are some nice looking seats.  My local Peterbilt dealer is about worthless carries next to nothing other then what is needed for the simplest maintenance.  I did stop in at the local Freightliner shop today and they have a very nice selection of National brand seats, one called the Commodore has just about every type of adjustment you could ask for on a seat about 1,000 dollars per seat with out shipping.  I asked if they could give me an out the door price a pair with the low seat brackets and any adapters that might be needed to install them in the Pete, I will make darn sure I am sitting down before he gives me the price.

Dave

For $1000 per seat, I will try to find you some seats like mine, and if you want to drive my way or come to the ECR next spring, I would even install them for that price!

[mr. cob]

20 minutes ago, Star Dreamer said:

For $1000 per seat, I will try to find you some seats like mine, and if you want to drive my way or come to the ECR next spring, I would even install them for that price!

Howdy Jon,

Thanks for the offer if I lived 1,500 miles closer I just might take you up on it but the fuel cost would be a deal killer I am not driving a Slippery truck. 😀

Dave

Edited November 14, 2019 by mr. cob

[Alie&Jim's Carrilite]

Here is a set of Van 2nd row take outs.  There is a place in the Phoenix area that does handicap conversions.  https://www.ebay.com/itm/2019-NEW-TAKEOUTS-Bucket-Seat-gray-leather-TRUCK-VAN-BUS-HOTROD-RV-SPRINTER/312768941939?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160908105057%26meid%3D7591722dbe3e414590697c6b47ffa9ca%26pid%3D100675%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D15%26sd%3D333374823415%26itm%3D312768941939%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2380057&_trksid=p2380057.c100675.m4236&_trkparms=pageci%3A5eaa1d7c-0687-11ea-a1d0-74dbd180041a|parentrq%3A67c3aa0616e0ad31c3a420a8fff4af82|iid%3A1

 

Last year I found a pair of mini van seats for $20.  No tears, hardly used.  I used 2 pieces of 1/2" aluminum plate 4 or 5 inches wide cut to length that I drilled the hole pattern for the for the Volvo bases, and then the pattern for the seat.  Worked out great.  But if I had some spare cash, I might find a set of Sears Elites or such that had all the lumbar massage, heat and cooling, etc.

[porky69]

In the aftermarket seat world under $1000 is a relatively cheap seat truck shops don't bring in the expensive stuff cause it is a hard sell but you get what you pay for.....had a driver in the drilling rig moving company I managed who needed a "good seat" for his back and it cost us $3500cdn.....without heat or cooling.

[mr. cob]

19 hours ago, Alie&Jim's Carrilite said:

Here is a set of Van 2nd row take outs.  There is a place in the Phoenix area that does handicap conversions.  https://www.ebay.com/itm/2019-NEW-TAKEOUTS-Bucket-Seat-gray-leather-TRUCK-VAN-BUS-HOTROD-RV-SPRINTER/312768941939?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160908105057%26meid%3D7591722dbe3e414590697c6b47ffa9ca%26pid%3D100675%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D15%26sd%3D333374823415%26itm%3D312768941939%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2380057&_trksid=p2380057.c100675.m4236&_trkparms=pageci%3A5eaa1d7c-0687-11ea-a1d0-74dbd180041a|parentrq%3A67c3aa0616e0ad31c3a420a8fff4af82|iid%3A1

 

Last year I found a pair of mini van seats for $20.  No tears, hardly used.  I used 2 pieces of 1/2" aluminum plate 4 or 5 inches wide cut to length that I drilled the hole pattern for the for the Volvo bases, and then the pattern for the seat.  Worked out great.  But if I had some spare cash, I might find a set of Sears Elites or such that had all the lumbar massage, heat and cooling, etc.

Howdy Jim,

Those are some nice seats, but the description says that they are 13 inches high from the floor to the top of the cushion, by the time they were somehow mounted on a air-low seat mount they would be much higher then what I now have in the truck.  Thanks for your post and the idea.

Dave

[mr. cob]

8 hours ago, porky69 said:

In the aftermarket seat world under $1000 is a relatively cheap seat truck shops don't bring in the expensive stuff cause it is a hard sell but you get what you pay for.....had a driver in the drilling rig moving company I managed who needed a "good seat" for his back and it cost us $3500cdn.....without heat or cooling.

Howdy Porky69,

Your right about the after market truck seat prices, I have been looking for the last two weeks in every truck shop catalog that sells custom parts and seats start at $500 for the cheap stuff, $1,000 is about the bottom for what I think would be a good seat, if you want, heat-massage, leather and all the other bells and whistles you can easily spend close to $4,000 for a seat.

Dave