Stock Early Bronco Seat Question

[ElMustachio]

Folks I have really been struggling trying to find parts and/or information for stock seats and am hoping for some help.

I just picked up a pair of seats that I was told had come out of a '77 bronco, and am trying to figure a few things out (first two are trivial things just for the sake of knowledge, last two are important). I've attached a link to an album with some images of the seats (first time trying to post pictures, so I hope it works).

https://www.flickr.com/photos/184639802@N05/

-First, I have a question regarding the seat covers. All of the stock seat covers I have seen have had ribbed centers (some vertical and some horizontal) with a smooth outside on the seat and back. These have just vertical ribs. Was that ever an option or are these just non-original seat covers? I'm not really concerned about this, just curious.

-Next, I am wondering about the location of the levers on the sides of the seats. I've seen some that are high like on the seats I have and some that are down lower, but I can't find any guideline for what was offered and when. Does anyone have a breakdown of the handle location by year or style? Again, I'm not real concerned with this, just curious.

-Third, I have found that both seats angle to the right when the backs are folded forward. This makes sense for the drivers seat, but the few pictures I have found of the fold and tumble passenger front seat look like they fold straight forward. Is this the case, or should both seats angle to the right like mine?

-Finally, I am trying to figure out how the passenger seat should attach to the footman's loop. Based on the pictures I've seen it looks like the latch for that seat should be longer and extend down behind the back of the seat so it can reach the loop. It seems like the passenger seat I have has the same type of latch as the driver side.

The brackets on the bottom are correct (slider for driver side and different length rotating brackets in the front for the passenger side), but I am wondering if the internal hardware, hinges, and seat back latches are both from driver side seats. If both of these seats are a driver side configuration is it possible to buy a passenger side system to convert what I have to a true fold and tumble seat? Or maybe it is just better to keep the driver side, sell the "passenger" seat as a driver side without the slider, and look for a true passenger seat?

Thanks for the help,
Matt

 

[thegreatjustino]

The covers on the seats in the photos are not stock.

No clue on the year of change to the levers, but have noticed the same - that there are lower and higher mounted ones.

Stock EB buckets are both the same (two driver side seats) for folding and climbing into the back on the passenger side.

You have two actual driver side seats with the internal locking mechanism. For what it's worth, the footman loop didn't appear until at least 1970. 66-69 seats didn't have the hook to latch on the footman loop.

As stated, both sides are the same. If the passenger seat folded to the left, you couldn't tumble it forward as the folded down back would hit the tunnel cover. The only difference between the two is the internal locking mechanism.

 

[ElMustachio]

The covers on the seats in the photos are not stock.

No clue on the year of change to the levers, but have noticed the same - that there are lower and higher mounted ones.

Stock EB buckets are both the same (two driver side seats) for folding and climbing into the back on the passenger side.

You have two actual driver side seats with the internal locking mechanism. For what it's worth, the footman loop didn't appear until at least 1970. 66-69 seats didn't have the hook to latch on the footman loop.

As stated, both sides are the same. If the passenger seat folded to the left, you couldn't tumble it forward as the folded down back would hit the tunnel cover. The only difference between the two is the internal locking mechanism.

Thanks Justin! This is just what I was looking for. Sorry to follow up a bunch of questions with another, but any thoughts on where to find a passenger side locking mechanism, new or used? I have looked over a bunch of the bronco parts retailers and can't find anything.

Thanks.

 

[jckkys]

The seat upholstery is not OE. All EB bucket seat frames are Mustang driver's seats. Broncos in '77 had a lever on the pass side seat that's much lower. It disengaged the hook in the footman loop. The hinge covers are black on every Bronco I've seen. The seats you have will fold and tumble. I added '69 Mustang head rests to mine and the pass. seat still tumbles against the dash to allow rear seat access.

 

[thegreatjustino]

Thanks Justin! This is just what I was looking for. Sorry to follow up a bunch of questions with another, but any thoughts on where to find a passenger side locking mechanism, new or used? I have looked over a bunch of the bronco parts retailers and can't find anything.

Thanks.

As far as I know it's all built into the frame. You'd need to find the correct passenger side seat back from the correct year.