NCSUDucker
Senior Member
Quick question. Have upholstery on order as well as all wiring harnesses. Obviously the seat will need to come out to reupholster and I imagine it will make life easier for rewiring. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.
NCSU, I replied to your PM but it seems it didn't send. I sold my 38 tonner 25 years ago and it's been mostly newer ford since then. If it's like the jailbar trucks, which have a similar mounting atop the tank, there are 2 straps, one each side between the seat base and the tank's surrounding 'skirt'. These are at the rear of the seat 's cushion. At the front edge of the seat base it sits on a couple of steel pegs, shaped like bullets that are attached to the tank's skirt frame. Looking at the front edge of the seat cushion from the underside there are two steel strips, maybe 1 1/4" x 3", each having 3 holes for seat's fore and aft adjustment. In other words, the bullet pegs locate the seat in your choice of three positions. You have to lift the front of the seat off the bullets and slide it forward or back. The seat back, if like the jailbar trucks has a sort of hinge on both sides at the top. Simply pull the hinge pins and lift the seat back out. I hope this helps.
Just a word about seats of this era... I know that pickup seats are a breed of their own, but seats in general are considerably more comfortable than modern car seats. My own '38 was such a pleasure to drive, the seats so comfortable, my wife and I felt refreshed after a 600 mile drive rather than how tiring a similar drive in a modern car would be.
All this to say, don't even think about ditching the coil springs for sponge rubber, and if your upholstery shop tells you sponge rubber is better, run don't walk out the nearest exit.