Are Those Stupid Jumper Seats Necessary for NYS Inspection?

[rangerenthiusiast]

This one’s specifically for folks in the Northeast, particularly New York State.

I have a ’92 Ranger Supercab that I’m in the process of cutting the floor out of due to rot (that is, if I can ever find a replacement pan and not just front floor panels, which seems absolutely impossible).

When I’m done, I’m planning to coat things with POR-15 and do away with a bunch of the interior panels, since they’re ugly plastic crap anyway. Along those same lines, I’d love to do away with those stupid little seats in the back of the cab (jump seats, suicide seats, call them what you will) and their corresponding seat belts.

Does anyone know if removing them will cause a problem with New York State Inspection? Thanks.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

IIRC they were actually optional.

 

[adsm08]

Those seats were optional. I actually have a set of the base level quarter trims for my truck in the garage. They delete the seats and replace them with locking storage bins.

 

[rangerenthiusiast]

Sweet. I’m deleting those f@ckers. Always thought they were stupid, ugly, and useless. Also good to know that the base trim panels offer a way to cover the resulting holes, in case I ever decide to put some interior panels back in, rather than just slather everything in POR-15 and leave it with a stripped look.

Thanks, guys.

 

[planeflyer21]

Those jump seats were great!

When our daughter was 10 and under.

I'm thinking of fabbing up some sort of storage box that uses the jump seat mounts to fasten, strong enough for the dog to ride up on top of them.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Those jump seats were great!

When our daughter was 10 and under.

I'm thinking of fabbing up some sort of storage box that uses the jump seat mounts to fasten, strong enough for the dog to ride up on top of them.

I rode in the back of my uncles father in law's Ranger when I was like 6. My little 6yo self wasn't very impressed I had to sit and look at my brother.

 

[rangerenthiusiast]

I rode in the back of my uncles father in law's Ranger when I was like 6. My little 6yo self wasn't very impressed I had to sit and look at my brother.

Ha! Yeah, the came out when I was in my 20’s. Got in a friend of a friend’s truck (a 4Runner, maybe?) and had to ride bitch. I was like, “WTF are these things?? You want me to sit on that flimsy f@cker?? Will it even hold me???” I’m only 6 foot, 185 lbs and I was still scrunched up like a sardine back there. Never agreed to sit on one again. No idea how they can be legal - I’d feel safer riding in the bed of a Subaru BRAT.

 

[rangerenthiusiast]

Those jump seats were great!

When our daughter was 10 and under.

I'm thinking of fabbing up some sort of storage box that uses the jump seat mounts to fasten, strong enough for the dog to ride up on top of them.

Reminds me of that old series of Nissan commercials from the 90’s. “Dogs lovvvve trucks.”

And yes, I know. Nissans are sh@t.

 

[Plum Ranger XLT]

When I ordered my 2008 Ranger through the dealership, they were optional and ordered them for my Ranger.

 

[rangerenthiusiast]

When I ordered my 2008 Ranger through the dealership, they were optional and ordered them for my Ranger.

Don’t ask me why, but I’m picturing you driving around in the carpool lane with a child-sized stuffed animal strapped into each of them...

 

[adsm08]

Don’t ask me why, but I’m picturing you driving around in the carpool lane with a child-sized stuffed animal strapped into each of them...

I've done that. Not in a carpool lane, but the rest of it.

I also took my passenger seat out and put an office chair there once.

 

[rangerenthiusiast]

I've done that. Not in a carpool lane, but the rest of it.

I also took my passenger seat out and put an office chair there once.

Nice. Reminds me of using a plastic milk crate in place of a seat on the farm. You know, temporarily. If my damn back gets any worse, I may just leave the cab gutted and stuff my easy chair in there!

 

[Bgunner]

I have the next body style newer with the jump seats in it and the first time my, at the time, 8yr old hit her head on the window I went right to the ambulance station in my town (Berkshire County MA.), because they are the ones in the know about car seats for kids, and asked about them. They mentioned I should get a box, speaker or tool, to put back there and if stopped tell the policed that there is no room for her to be be back there.

Because she is still small-ish I put a speaker box behind me and left one seat open so when I take more than just her we are not shoe horning us like sardines into the trucks front seat. With my jump seats up I have room to keep tools and what not behind them for storage which is nice. Since I have not seen how they put the jump seats in the early 90's truck I can't be certain but it would seem like you could fab a storage box fairly easy that would cover the opening and look good to allow useful storage pretty cheaply.

 

[rangerenthiusiast]

@Bgunner: Awww, poor kiddo. Don’t blame you for not wanting her strapped into those things. I’ll probably just make some access panels out of sheet metal to cover things up after the jumps are gone. Can’t weld anything in place, as there’s a box with wires running to it in there behind the driver’s seat, underneath the rear speaker (which I assume is the computer). Maybe some self-tapping screws and a rubber gasket or silly-cone around the edges, so I can remove the panel if needs be.

Speaking of the computer, this brings up a stray thought. If I get using a MIG welder inside the cab, do I need to disconnect the battery in order to avoid damage to the computer from electrical shock traveling through the truck body? Or does all of the electrical current in the welder just get converted to heat? I’m assuming this is the case, otherwise we’d all go up like crispy critters...

 

[1990RangerinSK]

I happen to have a 1990 extended cab, so I can show you the jump seats in the early 90's (second generation) truck. I don't have pictures of how they're attached, but probably the same as in the later generations.

Left seat, open:
IMG_1689

Left seat, closed:
IMG_1681

The right seat is the same, but faces in the opposite direction.