Rear Seat Retainers For M38A1

madmike · Post by **madmike** » Sun Jan 06, 2013 11:21 am

I just painted the rear seat frame and installed the replacement pads. When I installed the frame in the tub, I realized I do not have a picture or recall how the retaining brackets for the seat are oriented. They can fit tab up or tab down, but that makes it difficult to install them. It seems that these retainers are made to move so the seat can be removed without removing the bolts. But I have not been able to orient them to get the seat installed with them in place.

Don't know what I am missing here other than maybe a brain and two more hands to help do a simple job. And I searched the manuals and photos but do not see an installed picture of these.

Please help.

Post by **wesk** » Sun Jan 06, 2013 2:18 pm

Not sure what you mean by tab up or tab down and to which of the thyree per side brackets you are referring.

The only options for the seat back clamps is to loosen, bend or remove one to get the seat in.

madmike · Post by **madmike** » Sun Jan 06, 2013 7:34 pm

In the first picture (blue tub) the bracket on the right has what I am referring to as a tab. In your picture there is a rusty headed bolt. I installed mine as the picture shows but I could only do that after placing the seat in the slots. It seems that the tab is intended to lock the seat in position so that it won't bounce out. But the tab has raised areas on the back and could be installed 180 degrees different. I thought maybe the piece was supposed to remain in free travel so that the seat could be removed without removing the bolt.

I was not able to get that concept to work so my question is if the seat were in the tub, would that locking tab be in the position shown and is it to be tightened snugly.

And thank you for the info on the seat back retaining bracket. I did not know that you had to remove one. That explains why I was fighting mine.

Mike

Post by **wesk** » Mon Jan 07, 2013 10:34 am

The seat is meant to stay in and not be movable without bending a hook for the back or removing one tab on the wheel house to remove the bottom.

I am right handed so I remove the tab on the left (driver's side) wheel house and the hook on the left side of the tailgate. I tilt the seat and stick the right pivot shaft in the "U" shaped bracket while making sure the seat back goes into the right hook then drop the left side of the seat in it's brackets and bolt the left tab and the left hook back on.

If raising and lowering the seat back frequently is necessary then just bend the hooks as needed so only a slight bending is need on each side to free up and refasten the seat back.