When dealing with older trucks, one of things you might find worn out is the seat. Whether it's an old beater workhorse or just an aged truck that has seen better days, chances are the seat material and inner foam have deteriorated. My '62 GMC's original upholstery was worn out. The foam gave out on the driver's side, and once that happened, the vinyl cover had no chance on its own and tore under the pressure of being sat on. The vinyl was so weak that it was also tearing at all the seams and had holes in it.
Because it was very uncomfortable to ride around on the bare seat springs, I knew something had to be done. To fix the situation, I turned to Brothers to find a replacement vinyl seat cover. The company carries a wide variety of covers in various colors and styles for '47-'91 Chevy and GMC pickups and SUVs. Since my truck build is going to be mild, I chose a simple medium gray cover. The cover cost $189.99 and is a direct replacement for the original.
Though the covers I got from Brothers came ready-to-install, there was still a problem of replacing the foam. For that, I turned to the professional help of LB Threads of Long Beach, California. Fourth-generation upholsterer Mike Sutton and his talented crew have the skills to attack any interior that needs fixing or requires extensive customizing. Though they are able to make the covers themselves, going to them with a kit makes for a more cost-effective fix. Also, the simplicity of the job means that it can be done within a day and your truck won't have to be out of commission for long. In my case, I was able to drive my truck to LB Threads in the morning and by the afternoon I was able to drive it back home.
What is In The Box
Here we have the new vinyl seat covers, which we bought from Brothers. Though they have wrinkles in them from being rolled up in a box, they will straighten out with the heat of the sun. The covers also came with a set of clips, hog rings, and hog ring pliers to attach the cover to the seat frame.
Old: Gone, New: On
As you can see, the original seat covers and foam were destroyed with time and use. In order to fix the seat, it needs to come out of the truck. To do so, eight bolts on the base of the seat were removed. Once out of the truck Mike removed the tracks from the seat and separated the cushion from the backrest.
1a. GM attached these old...
1a. GM attached these old covers with a bunch of metal clips. Mike simply pried them off with a pick (inset). With all of the clips off, Mike proceeds to pull off the original covers, foam, and burlap backing.
1b.
2. Since this backrest arm...
2. Since this backrest arm will still be exposed, Mike painted it in a matching gray color to help it blend into the covers when complete.
3. Part of the problem with...
3. Part of the problem with the old burlap was that it became weak over time and split. To ensure this doesn't recur, LB Threads employee Jorge, made a new backing out of some leftover material. Then, he attached it to the frame with the provided hog rings.
4. On the bottom side of the...
4. On the bottom side of the backrest, and around the edges, Jorge used contact glue to adhere the excess material.
5. Since the backrest has...
5. Since the backrest has a lot of springs for support, Jorge wrapped the frame with two layers of soft foam that received contact glue to keep them in place.
6. At that point, the cover...
6. At that point, the cover for the backrest was laid over the new foam.
7. Then, the backrest is flipped...
7. Then, the backrest is flipped over and hog rings are used to attach it to the frame. Jorge paid close attention to the alignment of the cover to make sure it went on straight.
8. On the seat bottom, Jorge...
8. On the seat bottom, Jorge laid out another piece of backing material and secured it to the frame. Afterward, he glued on a layer of high-density hard foam.
9. Then, a layer of medium-density...
9. Then, a layer of medium-density foam was glued on top of the high-density foam. Because these layers of foam are stiff and hard, they needed to be trimmed so that they don't create any lumps in the seat.
10. To give some cushion in...
10. To give some cushion in the seat bottom, a layer of soft foam is wrapped over the other two layers. Then, it is all enclosed with the new vinyl cover.
11. While installing the cover,...
11. While installing the cover, Jorge noticed there were spot welds in the frame that were poking the new cover. Over time these could tear the new cover, so Jorge covers the area with a thin strip of foam. If you run short on materials you can also eliminate the problem by grinding the welds flat.
12a. Next, the cover is stretched...
12a. Next, the cover is stretched over the frame and secured with the provided clips.
12b. During this step, it's...
12b. During this step, it's a good idea to get a friend to help push down on the frame while you attach the cover because it goes on pretty tight. While the clips were being attached, Jorge used a tape measure to ensure that the cover went on squarely.
13. After all of the clips...
13. After all of the clips were on, the excess vinyl material can be cut off with a blade. Then, the tracks and backrest can be reattached to complete the seat.
14. Since the bench seat is...
14. Since the bench seat is flat and somewhat smooth, I decided to install a set of seatbelts I got from Brothers. That way I will be secure in the seat and not slide around during sharp turns. Because my truck never came with seatbelts, there were no holes for the hardware. So Mike measured out the floor and drilled out four holes to secure the belts.
15a. As you can see, we doubled...
15a. As you can see, we doubled up the belts on the two center holes so that we can add three belts without making any extra holes.
15b. Then, the provided bolt...
15b. Then, the provided bolt went through the mounting brackets and through the floor. From under the cab, the provided washer, lock washer, and nut were secured to the bolt that holds down the belts.
16. With the belts installed,...
16. With the belts installed, the newly reupholstered bench seat can go back into the truck and be attached to the floor once again.
The Final Word
Since I have no experience replacing foam or installing a seat cover, it was a good idea for me to rely on the experts at LB Threads. The staff did a nice job and had me rolling in no time flat. Brothers' replacement seat cover worked out great and had my seat looking good once again. Though the seat became a little stiff after the install, the foam eventually softened up, improving the overall comfort.