The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Interiors AD Bench seat..removing the bounce.

Having recently got my truck on the road i'm finding the original seat has excessive bounce,it's like a full scale game of Buckaroo in the cab!

I noticed when the seat frame was stripped it originally had burlap/hessian 'dampers' in the springs,these obviously were well rotted out after 60+years.

Do any of you have any suggestions on a cure,as trying to replicate the original set up would be tricky if not dang near impossible.(for me at least)

Yep, mine were too. I made sure I had no broken coils then scavenged some wire to run through the coils, looping each coil's edge as I came to it and keeping it snug as I could by hand. I didn't want it too tight so there is give. I covered that with a garden burlap sheet, then a plastic weed blocker sheet then foam,then seat cover. It is not show quality. All this was stuff I had laying around. It suffices for me.
I think the key is keeping the coils aligned.

hey Drew, I would love to see some pictures? I will have to do mine soon.

Drew,thankfully the frame and springs are in good shape and only minor repairs were required.
I'll have a look at the weekend and see what I can do.....tbh i've got some more pressing 'handling issues' to attend to at the moment but thanks for your input.

A buddy of mine put a sheet of semi-rigid plastic about the thickness of a good sturdy city trash can (one of those square types with the wheels and attached lid - see link below) between the burlap and the dense foam. His theory was that it would spread the weight across more springs. Worked out really well in my opinion.

[edit] ...the type of plastic like they use on these trash cans - http://www.harvestofdailylife.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/04/city-trash-can.jpg

I may have gotten lucky (or unlucky) but my springy seats were not in my truck when I got it. Instead these seats came with it and are full foam from a later truck. They seem to be on the original seat frames (they come out just like the originals do). Really quite comfortable. Maybe this is an option (?)

Joe [URL=http://s1035.photobucket.com/user/mendonjo/media/image_zpsc4e558f6.jpg.html]Seat[/url]

I have a 49 3600 flatbed truck. I don't mind the bounce so much in the seat as I wish it was about 4 inches lower. I'm 6' tall and with the fulton visor I find myself leaning forward or sliding my butt forward at times so I can see where I'm going. I have considered building my own seat frame using the existing seat back and bottom and just put the factory seat frame in the barn. Any suggestions????

Silly question - Is the look of the visor worth not being to see?

I think it is, it looks great and I really don't want to mess with it. I can see fine on flat ground but hills are another story.

Totally worth it. Only thing hard to see is hanging traffic lights.

BlueMeanie

What is the red convertible in this photo I found in your photos?

Red convertible in front of Car Quest

Ritchie 54 - It's a '53 Buick Roadmaster Skylark. Totally random meeting. I was at the shop next door getting my new tires mounted and he pulled in heading to CarQuest.

Best, easiest way to eliminated the bounce; go to a harwdware store and get some twine (hemp colored about 1/8 - 3/16 thick). For as many rows of springs measure and then double that and cut that many strands. One strand per row (fron to back)
Starting at either the front or back at the edge wire (the perimeter hard wire mainting the form) tie a double clove hitch. More than likely you will tie in the edge wire and one edge of a spring. Then go across the spring top to the opposite top edge of same sprin and tie a single clove hitch. Now, determine the distance between that first spring and the very next sprint (approx 1 1/2 to 2 inches) tie that edge with with a single clove hitch and now repeat across each row of springs ending at the opposite edge wire and spring.

One other way.... measure width of rows and measure height of springs. The back row should be lower. Cut as mny pieces of burlap 2 inches more than height of springs. Fold one edge forming a loop to slide some twine the full width of the burlap and have someone sew that in. The twine side is hog ringed to the top edge of each spring and then at the bottom span of metal that holds the springs. Start in the middle spring of each row and alternate left to to right top to bottom keeping same height to each spring. Remember the back row is about an inch or short shorter than the from rows. These are baffles and used in 1948 trucks.
Hope this helped. My email is dcammjr@gmail.com. We can converse there and arrange a tutorial even....

Drew C (I see there's a Drew P, some I'm the other Drew (NEW))

Hello Jim Sears!

Hey Drew,

Drew is doing the seat rebuild for the '48 2 ton. The seat was a mangalled mess, broken springs, bent wires.

His attention to detail on restorations is excellent.

The burlap baffles are easy to over look because they can be shredded by the time the seat is taken apart.