Mounting Navigator Seat

Tikvah · January 04, 2015, 05:14:27 PM

I picked up a new-to-me navigator seat (and driver seat) for my MCI 102a3

It has a base with four holes (I guess about 10" apart. It has seat belt mounts on the base.

How do I mount this to my floor? I want it to be strong enough to at least give the impression that it's secure.

Should I drill all the way into the tire well below the seat? Is there anything there to hit? Are simple lag bolts strong enough to hold if they're into both my 1/2" plywood and the factory 3/4" plywood?

Best idea I've heard is a 30" sheet of 1/2" iron with threaded holes.... but I don't see myself doing that. My idea is to go into the wheel well and bolt to some steel.

Thanks,
Dave

bevans6 · January 04, 2015, 05:37:18 PM

In a perfect world you left in the stock seat rails, you make a frame that mounts to them and you bolt the seat to the frame. It would be sound, but probably not to a degree that would meet seat belt load safety ratings. In a real world there is pretty much no way to mount a seat in a manner that is actually stout enough to support seat belts (lap and shoulder belts) without significant restructuring of the floor. You can only go so far. I made a frame for mine and bolted it to steel, but I don't have illusions that it would meet any crash safety ratings. The steel is just thin sheet metal that is designed to bolt plywood to.

Brian

Oonrahnjay · January 04, 2015, 05:41:25 PM

Quote from: Tikvah on January 04, 2015, 05:14:27 PM
I picked up a new-to-me navigator seat (and driver seat) for my MCI 102a3

It has a base with four holes (I guess about 10" apart. It has seat belt mounts on the base.

How do I mount this to my floor? I want it to be strong enough to at least give the impression that it's secure.

Should I drill all the way into the tire well below the seat? Is there anything there to hit? Are simple lag bolts strong enough to hold if they're into both my 1/2" plywood and the factory 3/4" plywood?

Best idea I've heard is a 30" sheet of 1/2" iron with threaded holes.... but I don't see myself doing that. My idea is to go into the wheel well and bolt to some steel.

Thanks,
Dave

Dave, it doesn't do much to help you but I had to build a platform for my "navigator's" seat (also known as "The Management Seat") so I located where I wanted it to go, located a 1 x 2" steel tube rail under that area and welded in plates. There's "wiggle room" in the 10" square measurement (I haven't drilled and located the seat yet).
I wouldn't put lag bolts into plywood. I'd do machine screws (hi-grade) with at lease a 2" -- and I'd prefer larger -- diameter thick washer under the floor. What would be better would be a 12 x 12" plate -- it could be pretty thin -- under the floor. Best would be something welded to steel structure under there.

(Edit -- Yeah, I agree with Brian, too. The lever loads with seatbelt would be really high in a "OH GOOD GRIEF!!!" situation.)

Tikvah · January 04, 2015, 05:46:17 PM

Any thoughts on drilling all the way down into the wheel well?

Bill 340 · January 04, 2015, 06:10:04 PM

Dave we hinged ours and then attached the seat belts securely, , so if you use the seat belt the seat wont tip, but we have it madde to tip for a specific reason, things behind it..........

mung · January 04, 2015, 06:31:30 PM

I need a good drivers seat but don't want to spend a fortune. Anyone have any suggestions?

Bill 340 · January 04, 2015, 07:48:26 PM

Vern you missed a few at Arcadia, I think Dave may have bought some of them, but there were others, just don't remember who had them,

Ace · January 05, 2015, 12:30:52 AM

You can use lag bolts but to be safe, use an additional 1/4" or larger braided steel cable from your seat down thru the floor and looped around a steel framing member.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

luvrbus · January 05, 2015, 05:21:41 AM

Check to see how the drivers seat is mounted the seat belt is the main item the seat won't go anywhere with 4 bolts, I believe a 3/8 grade 8 bolt has a shear of 10,000 lbs x 4 in a single shear plane like a plate mounted on a floor

mung · January 05, 2015, 05:31:17 AM

I wouldn't have had room to take one from there anyway

Utahclaimjumper · January 05, 2015, 06:05:54 AM

I have mounted many by going thru the wheel well and use large washers under the nuts, very secure and works well.>>>Dan ( Use nilock nuts and spray an undercoating protectant on the nuts to keep from rusting, )

luvrbus · January 05, 2015, 08:18:54 AM

I have a new FlexSteel drivers seat 6 way power with the base in grey leather not ultra leather with seat belt through the back I am going to list in the spare tire section for 350 bucks if I can figure the photo posting thing out

eagle19952 · January 05, 2015, 08:48:06 AM

clifford, if you post it on FB, i can move it over here...
as far as mounting a seat goes, using large washers is a good idea beneath the floor, i would not want to use wood/lag screws. better would be a 12/14 guage steel plate templated to the seat mounting bolt pattern under the floor board, especially the one your wife might be navigating from....
unless your unhappy with her.. then i'd go with the lag screws ...

Quote from: luvrbus on January 05, 2015, 08:18:54 AM
I have a new FlexSteel drivers seat 6 way power with the base in grey leather not ultra leather with seat belt through the back I am going to list in the spare tire section for 350 bucks if I can figure the photo posting thing out

luvrbus · January 05, 2015, 08:52:22 AM

Thanks Donald I will do that today she wants it out of the house lol and has for a while

sledhead · January 05, 2015, 08:57:42 AM

Dave not sure if your bus is like mine but there is the hvac grill at the stairs that I took off to mount my co-pilot seat .I used a 3/16" plate about 12" sq and bolted to the org seat rail and 2 other bolts through the floor and put in large 3x3" plates that I can get at through the hvac vent at the steps.

dave