Bucket -> Bench Seat Swap (2nd/middle row)

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roachslayer

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I've got a 2001 Eddie Bauer with bucket seats in the middle row. Some searching indicates that Ford clearly made bench seats for the expy.

Questions:
  1. What year ranges are compatible? 97-2001?
  2. Do I need to remove the carpet? (I assume the mounts are located differently between bench and buckets)
  3. Are there different styles/models of benches? I'm seeing listings of 80/20 and 60/40 split seats in the junk yards. Is it all the same, they just aren't consistent in labeling?
Regarding Q. 1 above, what happened between 1999, 2000 and 2001? This page over in the ford trucks forum says

"You CAN'T easily add Rear buckets to a 2000 (and possibly 2001) X. Two mounting holes are missing and there is a rib molded into the floor right where a mount would go."​

I'm not sure if I am reading that right, or how applicable it is.

I found some pics online of various years/trims with benches, including a 2001 Eddie Bauer, yet my 2001 EB clearly came with buckets.


Screen Shot 2017-05-24 at 10.05.01 AM.png
^ 1998 Eddie Bauer

Screen Shot 2017-05-24 at 10.05.36 AM.png
^ 2000 XLT

Screen Shot 2017-05-24 at 10.12.57 AM.png
^ 2001 Eddie Bauer (looks like a bench to me!)

Can awesome folks here shed some light before I get into this project? Is there really a difference in floor mounts in 2001 between the above pictured bench, verses bucket seats? After which, my questions above become important. Thanks!
 

grantpa

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My '00 EB has the same "bench-style" seats as in your pic of the '98 & '01 EB's. Do most folks with the 3rd row remove that heavy anchor when just around town??? I would, but my wife won't let me. :(
 

juan214

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Post a picture of your buckets in your truck never seen one. In 2003 they started making the second row into three seats, two side benches and a jump seat in the middle. I'm thinking it's custom / transplanted into your truck. Are the seat designs different front to middle to back? It would be noticeable unless they changed them all. If the center of the back rest looks square those are 03 seats. Look at your carpet for extra holes for the bench seat especially in the middle. I thinking like six holes for the jump seat alone. The buckets have to be at least four holes. On the 01 there should only be 8 square holes. Unless they made a custom or transplanted the rug too.



As far as your question 97- 02 are the same gen, i would say 01 - 02 would be the same design and color
 
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roachslayer

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Post a picture of your buckets in your truck never seen one...

As far as your question 97- 02 are the same gen, i would say 01 - 02 would be the same design and color

I've looked at a dizzying amount of 97-02 Expeditions only to conclude that this is NOT a direct swap to go from Bucket to Bench or vice-versa. Dang it. The floor body is the same, but the bolts and more importantly BRACKETS are NOT the same - no bench utilizes the same mounts as the buckets. There are clearly places where they would go, but simply aren't there (factory differences).

Basically, it seems the bucket setup is like the right hand-seat, mirrored over to the left (as opposed to the left side being a wide 60 of a 60/40 split). See below, the mounts of my buckets match those of the right hand "40" part of the 60/40 split:

Screen Shot 2017-05-31 at 6.00.09 PM.png
^ Bucket seat, locking clips in the back, and 3 bolts in front (horizontal foot pattern on the right)

Screen Shot 2017-05-31 at 5.59.59 PM.png
^ Bucket seat from behind, the two locking latches/clips


Now see the floor, literally a mirror of what you see on the right bucket is a mirror for the let bucket match of the pair.

Screen Shot 2017-05-31 at 6.00.17 PM.png
^ Floor, pic taken sitting in front seat aiming toward the back. Notice TWO sets of bucket seats, mirrored. The left is similar/identical to the "40" of the 60/40 split bench.
IMPORTANT: what most critical thing missing is the vertical bracket for the wide seat latch. Look at the 4 horizontal brackets here, above the 3rd one over is the metal frame, and you can see a flat spot where a vertical bracket WOULD be welded in for the "60" part of the 60/40 bench.

And finally, with the carpet pulled back, you can see that the floor is the same as all ya'lls bench setups, except that the single vertical locking bracket for the "60" wide left hand side of the bench is missing, and the two horizontal brackets for a bucket are there. And the bolt near the center ridge where the wide seat (left hand seat) would bolt in.

Screen Shot 2017-05-31 at 6.00.32 PM.png
^ Carpet pulled back, this pic is taken from the rear facing forward. Note the bolt holes on the right are similar/identical to the "40" of the 60/40 split, BUT that same pattern wont work for the wide seat that would sit on the left here! On the left is yet another bucket i this case.

The frustrating thing about this is that situation is apparently not a problem for the FRONT seats, wherein apparently a F150 bench is swappable with Expedition Buckets!!! -> i.e. compatibility across different vehicles, rather than total incompatibility even within the exact year/make/model/trim for this dang 2nd row. What the heck man? Middle seat total rip-off. Change your mind about buckets and benches here - great, change vehicles, not seats. Lame. I so don't want to weld bolts and brackets - moving all sorts of underbelly things out of the way to do so. Way too involved.
 
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juan214

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I've got a 2001 Eddie Bauer with bucket seats in the middle row. Some searching indicates that Ford clearly made bench seats for the expy.

Not all expeditions were created equally in 01 to 02.

What color are your bumpers?

Got a TV/VHS rear-seat entertainment system in it?

Does it have a Moonroof on it?

What's the Badging on the truck?

On the door jamb is there an extra stickers near the factory? Usually faded and not readable anymore due to age and label quality. Sometimes missing as well but sticker residue remains.
 
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houlster

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Post a picture of your buckets in your truck never seen one. In 2003 they started making the second row into three seats, two side benches and a jump seat in the middle. I'm thinking it's custom / transplanted into your truck.

It's factory. Mine's the same way. 2001 EB Premier (all black, trim & all). I think the captains was part of the 'Premier' package.

IMAG2292.jpg


IMG_0559.jpg


captains1.jpg


--Dan
 
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juan214

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Yes it is, Less the bumpers being black you would have had a NO Boundaries Edition he has the Premier Edition.
 

z168

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What a timely project. My brother with a 99 XLT is doing the reverse. He is switching from 1st and 2nd row bench seats to bucket seats. We recently pulled the seats from a Lincoln Navigator so it also has a center console for the 2nd row. The seats are now headed to a restoration shop to figure out the mounts then its off to the leather shop.
 

juan214

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When you pulled the seats should have cut out the floor pan / panel out, or at least the mounting bracket points.
 
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