What bucket seats will fit an 88 Ext. cab Ranger?

[MeanMark87]

I'm thinking about swapping seats on my 1988 extended cab (currently has the 60/40 bench) and I'd like to know what seats will work the best, and install the easiest. From what I've been able to search out in past threads, a lot of people have had success with Exploder seats but I haven't seen a lot of discussion on installing them in 1st generation Rangers. Any help at all on what might be my best bet for what to bolt in?

 

[Mark_88]

I think there was a tech bulletin on what seats fit...but you can make just about anything work if you have the right tools...main thing is the brackets...the two for the driver seat should work for a bucket seat and the one on the outside passenger side should be fine...not sure about the inner but it will probably be useable...

The main thing is the width of the seat...up to 92 explorers used the same brackets...so you can swap the seats and brackets right in...I just took a pair out of a 92 and they were identical for the driver side...I looked at the passenger side and it looked useable also.

If you have to mix and match the seat mounts can be drilled and tapped if needed...as long as they are wide enough...so you may want to measure the distance between the two brackets and try to match that on the seats...

I've put Tempo seats in my old Ranger and they were a nice fit...just got to watch that the seats will perform the same way so you can access the back...that means they tip forward...and recline as much as you need...

It's a pretty easy thing to do...but if you want to take some pics and post up your findings in a tech bulletin there is plenty of room for good information...I would have done it but I only recently acquired a half decent camera that I can carry with me (my phone)...

 

[MeanMark87]

Thanks for the info; I found a topic somewhere else that said first generation explorers will go right into 83-97 rangers. Somehow I doubt that there's a perfect fit every time though.

Any other info from anyone will be appreciated; and I certainly will take pictures when/if this goes down and post them for others to see.

 

[nitrofan1]

Any seat will fit as long as you use your original seat tracks. Unbolt the seat from the track. Take the seat you want to use and line it up on the track. Most likely the seat's bolt holes won't line up but no biggie. Mark the holes for the seat from the track, drill the holes and use grade 8 hardware. POOF! Bucket seats!

Or you can spend a lot of $$$$ with Corbeau and other aftermarket seat companies.

 

[MeanMark87]

Any seat will fit as long as you use your original seat tracks. Unbolt the seat from the track. Take the seat you want to use and line it up on the track. Most likely the seat's bolt holes won't line up but no biggie. Mark the holes for the seat from the track, drill the holes and use grade 8 hardware. POOF! Bucket seats!

Or you can spend a lot of $$$$ with Corbeau and other aftermarket seat companies.

Actually that makes a lot of sense. I just took a look at my bench seat and it looks like each seat is held to the tracks by 4 bolts. As long as I can find a seat with roughly similar width I should be able to drill in some holes and re-bolt the new seat to the tracks.

 

[nitrofan1]

Yuppers!

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

My standard cab had dimples in the floor where Ford would have drilled the holes if it had been built originally with buckets. It is easy to drill them out, it is a PITA getting the front PS bolt started in a nut because there is a heatshield below it... has to be done by feel and right to the limit I can stuff my hand between the cab floor and heat shield.

I have a couple things I don't like about Explorer seats:

1. The drivers side has no tilt at all, the seat to the back angle is preset and is a click or two too far upright for my liking.

2. Since they are almost always power they are intended to be angled off the floor by the power tracks, if they are just stuck on manual tracks they are darn near parallel to the floor, I did not care for that.

3. On manual tracks the slider lever interferes with the bent rod that sticks out of the front.

4. The tall back hit the back window in my standard cab in my regular cab (non issue for you)

 

[MeanMark87]

My standard cab had dimples in the floor where Ford would have drilled the holes if it had been built originally with buckets. It is easy to drill them out, it is a PITA getting the front PS bolt started in a nut because there is a heatshield below it... has to be done by feel and right to the limit I can stuff my hand between the cab floor and heat shield.

I have a couple things I don't like about Explorer seats:

1. The drivers side has no tilt at all, the seat to the back angle is preset and is a click or two too far upright for my liking.

2. Since they are almost always power they are intended to be angled off the floor by the power tracks, if they are just stuck on manual tracks they are darn near parallel to the floor, I did not care for that.

3. On manual tracks the slider lever interferes with the bent rod that sticks out of the front.

4. The tall back hit the back window in my standard cab in my regular cab (non issue for you)

Hrm, that's really good to know. Maybe the explorer wouldn't be the way to go after all. Sounds like there are plenty of other options out there with Tempos, Mustangs, etc. I don't really care, as long as it's a bucket seat that's comfortable and is roughly the right width for my tracks.

 

[nitrofan1]

Don't relagate yourself just to Ford seats. I've seen all brands of seats in RBV's.