I finished installing a sprinter seat in my 2500 159wb today and thought I would share how it went.
I purchased two older (but unused) sprinter seats--a two person and the wider three person bench. I purchased a set of three seat brackets to mount them, as well. The two person seat uses two of the three brackets, making it possible for me to install one or the other in the same location. With the two seater, it's easy to get to the back of the van. With the three seater, not so much.
I mounted the brackets to the three person seat and took careful measurements for making a template and also checked to see how the seat could be positioned in my van. This led to a really pleasant discovery. The side to side spacing of the brackets actually matches up perfectly with the recesses in the corrugated floor. This was tricky for me to figure out since my van came with the factory wood floor.
The bad news was that the muffler and heat shield were in the way of using the factory holes at the front of the floor brackets. I decided to add my own holes in the brackets so that they avoided any obstacles under the van and captured the flange of the structural beams connected to the floor.
First, I drilled the three rear holes for each bracket from the underneath up. Then I positioned a template made from 1/2" mdf over the area and used a router with pattern bit to cut holes in the wood floor. I inserted my brackets into the cutouts, got everything aligned, and drilled the front three holes of each bracket from inside down.
The sprinter brackets are about 1/2" too tall for the Promaster floor height with the factory wood floor. I had some scraps of white 1/2" Corian available, so I made some trim pieces to finish off the install and prevent any injuries from the brackets.
I used grade 8, 3/8" x 24 bolts, nuts, and lock washers with 1/4" x 2" x 2" galvanized square washers and torqued everything to 50 ft/lbs. Hex bolts for the rear and socket cap in the front of the brackets. (The location of the front holes I drilled into the brackets was too tight for hex caps.)
I used silicone to seal everything including between brackets and trim, and trim and floor.
I haven't mounted the two person seat yet. I'm going to drive this one around for a while first.
I made CAD drawings of my template and of the bracket trim in case anyone wants them.
I purchased two older (but unused) sprinter seats--a two person and the wider three person bench. I purchased a set of three seat brackets to mount them, as well. The two person seat uses two of the three brackets, making it possible for me to install one or the other in the same location. With the two seater, it's easy to get to the back of the van. With the three seater, not so much.
I mounted the brackets to the three person seat and took careful measurements for making a template and also checked to see how the seat could be positioned in my van. This led to a really pleasant discovery. The side to side spacing of the brackets actually matches up perfectly with the recesses in the corrugated floor. This was tricky for me to figure out since my van came with the factory wood floor.
The bad news was that the muffler and heat shield were in the way of using the factory holes at the front of the floor brackets. I decided to add my own holes in the brackets so that they avoided any obstacles under the van and captured the flange of the structural beams connected to the floor.
First, I drilled the three rear holes for each bracket from the underneath up. Then I positioned a template made from 1/2" mdf over the area and used a router with pattern bit to cut holes in the wood floor. I inserted my brackets into the cutouts, got everything aligned, and drilled the front three holes of each bracket from inside down.
The sprinter brackets are about 1/2" too tall for the Promaster floor height with the factory wood floor. I had some scraps of white 1/2" Corian available, so I made some trim pieces to finish off the install and prevent any injuries from the brackets.
I used grade 8, 3/8" x 24 bolts, nuts, and lock washers with 1/4" x 2" x 2" galvanized square washers and torqued everything to 50 ft/lbs. Hex bolts for the rear and socket cap in the front of the brackets. (The location of the front holes I drilled into the brackets was too tight for hex caps.)
I used silicone to seal everything including between brackets and trim, and trim and floor.
I haven't mounted the two person seat yet. I'm going to drive this one around for a while first.
I made CAD drawings of my template and of the bracket trim in case anyone wants them.
