# Swapping a bench seat for captain's chairs in an F-250? Anyone done it? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 18, 2021, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swapping-a-bench-seat-for-captains-chairs-in-an-f-250-anyone-done-it/933184 "2021-02-18T00:51:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2021, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swapping-a-bench-seat-for-captains-chairs-in-an-f-250-anyone-done-it/933184/1 "2021-02-18T00:51:03Z")
I have a 2003 F-250, extended cab, manual, plain jane diesel work truck. It has a bench seat that is killing my back/sciatica/pirformis and I reaaaaallly want to swap out the seat, if possible, to something a lot more comfortable and adjustable. I don’t really need the electric goodies, but just basic slider and recliner functions would be a help. Is it possible to do without handing it over to the $$dealer$$ ? For once my Google and YouTube searches haven’t gotten me quite what I need to know. I’m moderately handy on my own, and my husband definitely likes doing this sort of thing --IF he has time-- so this would need to be a fairly simple project. Am I nuts? ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2021, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swapping-a-bench-seat-for-captains-chairs-in-an-f-250-anyone-done-it/933184/2 "2021-02-18T01:41:35Z")
I’ve never tried it, but as I understand it the seats will swap out fairly easily. Ford uses the same cab parts (floor, etc) for all of the different seat versions, so the only thing you will need to do is drill out some holes that weren’t drilled for the bench seats and the captain seats should bolt right in. Where you might run into trouble will be the seat belts. I believe those attach differently for the different style seats. They used basically the same seats for quite a few years so finding decent captain seats shouldn’t be that difficult. ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2021, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swapping-a-bench-seat-for-captains-chairs-in-an-f-250-anyone-done-it/933184/3 "2021-02-18T12:17:20Z")
Well that sounds hopeful, at least. My truck has the belt mounted from the wall, not the seat, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to adapt ( I hope). Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2021, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swapping-a-bench-seat-for-captains-chairs-in-an-f-250-anyone-done-it/933184/4 "2021-02-18T18:22:12Z")
If you have a ‘Self Service’ wrecking yard, (Pick n’ Pull or something like that), take an afternoon and go poking around, dismantling, serveying, seeing what fits where and what you’ll need to do before tearing into your own truck. A great way to educated yourself and ‘practice’ before starting projects like this. You might also find a decent seat on the cheap. Good Luck! (I’ve got an '88 f-250 with the captain’s chairs. They ain’t bad.) ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2021, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swapping-a-bench-seat-for-captains-chairs-in-an-f-250-anyone-done-it/933184/5 "2021-02-19T01:44:14Z")
Oh that’s a great idea! I was thinking junk yard for the seats, but not for actually rooting around and seeing how stuff goes together. That could be fun! ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2021, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swapping-a-bench-seat-for-captains-chairs-in-an-f-250-anyone-done-it/933184/6 "2021-02-19T02:14:56Z")
I don’t know where you are, but you can check this company: [Home | Pick-n-Pull](http://www.picknpull.com/) and see if there is a location near you. Cost a couple bucks to get it, but its well worth it. When I’m not skiing or off-roading, you can find me there, prowling around for interesting stuff. As an aside, you would not believe what people leave in cars when they sell them to the junkyard. And I can usually collect enough change out of cars to cover admission! Have fun. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2021, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swapping-a-bench-seat-for-captains-chairs-in-an-f-250-anyone-done-it/933184/7 "2021-02-19T17:31:05Z")
I know people who have done it. As posted already the floor should have all the correct pressings that support whatever seats that you could order. They may or may not have holes drilled with plastic plugs installed. I swapped the seats in a Dodge van I had but both sets were bucket seats. ---
**Author:** ![Bonum\_Legatum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bonum_legatum/32/6183_2.png) [@Bonum\_Legatum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bonum_Legatum)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2021, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swapping-a-bench-seat-for-captains-chairs-in-an-f-250-anyone-done-it/933184/8 "2021-02-21T12:31:33Z")
Be VERY careful about a few things: Check the underside of the truck for reinforcement plates, especially if you have to relocate the attaching fasteners. You definitely don’t want the seat to tear away from the floor in an accident. Some seats are bolted down with tapping bolts. (Here’s a link for a company that developed and licenses one product: [TAPTITE 2000® | REMINC & CONTI Fasteners](https://taptite.com/products/taptite-2000)) These tapping bolts have to be longer than you might realize. The “high hardness zone” (page 2 of the brochure) does the tapping, but should not carry the load once installed. That zone should stick from the nut or from the extruded hole. ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2021, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swapping-a-bench-seat-for-captains-chairs-in-an-f-250-anyone-done-it/933184/9 "2021-02-22T12:05:23Z")
Great info, thank you! ---
**Author:** ![48Willys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/db5fbb/32.png) [@48Willys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/48Willys)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2021, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swapping-a-bench-seat-for-captains-chairs-in-an-f-250-anyone-done-it/933184/10 "2021-02-27T11:35:59Z")
Look for van seats. Vans are more likely to come with “Captains chairs”. IME, Vans and pickups have the same factory holes drilled / stamped in them for seats. Good hunting!