Crazy Interior Idea...

[Expeditionary]

Okay its been a little while since I've been on the forum but I have decided to get back into my truck, the summer was all about fishing, working, and friends. Now that every one is going back to school and work is much more steady now I have some ideas for the Big Green X
here goes, 2nd and 3rd row seats facing each other!
Meaning turning the 2nd row around so that its rear facing and putting the 3rd row back in and facing forward.
Now I was looking at my dad's truck and on his it would be really straight forward just drilling some holes in the floor and through bolting them. (03 eddie bauer with power fold 3rd row)
BUT on the first gens the "hump" as I call it starts where the 2nd row bolts at the rear of the seat to the floor and the 2 seat bench attaches with a center d ring.
What im thinking is cutting off the D ring (once everything elese is figured out and bolted in) and drilling new holes in the floor behind the front seats to accommodate the seat mounting bolts.
If you guys are still with me I want some ideas on how to:
1 Keep the seats from folding down on their own with out that d ring
2 mount the seats so they sit level
3 make sure the bolts that hold the seat in are going to hold
4 how is this going to work?
Anything helps because this plan is still on the drawing board and I need some people to help me out, if your confused about what I mean on some of this stuff go out to your first gen and fold the second row flat and imagine how to mount it backwards hahah
Thanks all

 

[sgtowing]

Take the seats apart and weld all the joints.

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[JUST4FUN]

I know this sounds good ,and a fun project to do but if you have seatbelt laws like we do facing a seat backwards might be bad. seat backs might break in a frontal crash causeing the front seats to fold forword . the driver/front passenger might be crushed to death from the seat belt and the extra force put on it by rear facing passengers,

 

[splintrcel]

I agree with JUST4FUN on the hazard of crashes but it sounds like an awesome idea actually. I have a 2001 as well. Having worked in shops for awhile i don't think the seat flip is really out of reach. The only thing i see is the seats prob wont fit if you want to fold them in the reversed position but i could be wrong. If i were you i would for sure weld the front pivot brackets of the seat to the frame and move the d clip so the seat is functional in the reversed position. For bolt sizes pick something that is just a good size diameter. A 1/4-20 is prob way to small for something like that but a 1/2-13 might be more appropriate. The real strength comes from the number of threads you have. More the better. Another approach to this idea is you could just get different seats for the middle that are more like captains chairs. This way you wouldn't have to deal with the folding issue and they would prob just bolt in. I dont recall off hand if the 1st gens ever had second row captains chairs. It would prob be way safer too because they have full support. Mock some stuff up and find something you like and that is safe and then you can throw some detail questions out like bolt specs and what not. Good luck and i admire your creativity.