Is there more room on the drivers side then passenger side? (seat install)

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myasylum

myasylum

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I know it may seem crazy, but while trying to install my new seats, the drivers side fit perfectly, the passenger side??? Not so much! The best I can do, the seat slightly goes over the center hump, and the bracket that makes the seat fold forwards hits the hump. I'm going to have to fabricate a part to raise it up, or raise the rails. It sucks because I wanted to get a center console, but now I'm not so sure it will fit... or center on the hump at least. There just seems to be more room on the Drivers side because there was no issue at all... hmmm??

Does anyone know the width of the center console between the seats so I can measure if this will work?

Thanks!!
 
My seats have the same issue. The left side of the passenger seat rubs the hump. The seatbelt even gets caught in it on occasion. The original hinge cover was bent and cracked from the close quarters.
 
Yes, I actually used a Dremal tool and cut off the hinge cover. I didn't want too, but it wouldn't work at all otherwise. I also tightened the big bolt on the hinge, I'm hoping that will help a bit too, because it moved the bracket in a little bit.
 
The entire drivetrain, engine, transmission, and center housing on the rearend are offset to the passenger side. One of Ma Mopar's quirks.
 
It isn't for no reason, its drive train geometry. Other mfgrs have one axle lomger than the other to accomplish the same thing.
 
I've heard two theories but never a definitive, "this is the fact" answer. One is to give the driver more room in the floor area for pedals, comfort etc. The other one I've heard is to give more room in the engine bay for the steering gear and left side exhaust system. Knowing how tight the driver side is under the hood on many of these Mopars, I would tend to believe the second. Maybe a combination of both. What about cars made overseas with RH steering? Did they make any? Love to hear the final answer on this too.
 
myasylum said:
So then maybe the center console will fit?
Click to expand...
You have another thread running, which puts this question in context:
http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=195523

Apparently you have a 73 Duster and want to put bucket seats from a maybe Aspen RT. I assume you will get a 73 Duster console.

You are probably in uncharted territory. I can just tell you that the Sebring seats fit in my 65 Dart with its original console, since I did a test fit. The early A's are narrower, I think. However, later consoles were wider, I think.
 
Robj said:
I've heard two theories but never a definitive, "this is the fact" answer. One is to give the driver more room in the floor area for pedals, comfort etc. The other one I've heard is to give more room in the engine bay for the steering gear and left side exhaust system. Knowing how tight the driver side is under the hood on many of these Mopars, I would tend to believe the second. Maybe a combination of both. What about cars made overseas with RH steering? Did they make any? Love to hear the final answer on this too.
Click to expand...

Well then, let me throw a third theory I've heard but also unsubstantiated: the driveline was offset slightly to the passenger side to offset the weight of the driver.
Like I said, totally without substantiation. I think it sounds like the weakest of the three theories.
 
ocdart said:
Well then, let me throw a third theory I've heard but also unsubstantiated: the driveline was offset slightly to the passenger side to offset the weight of the driver.
Like I said, totally without substantiation. I think it sounds like the weakest of the three theories.
Click to expand...

Heh heh... With the average size of today's American driver it could be an advantage.
 
I ran into the same issue when I converted my duster to buckets. actually just today someone asked me why it looked like my seat was slightly off center from my steering wheel, so I had to explain the whole offset driveline to them.

I was under the impression that it was like this for 1: to make more room for the exhaust,brake booster and steering.

and 2: for torque transfer purposes from the engine.

it could be for a number of things I guess.
 
I don't know about Ford, or other GM cars, but 63-82 Corvette is like this as well. Aprox 2 inches offset.

George
 
Now aim curious to see a stock Duster with buckets and see where the holes are located! It must be Mopar magic? :)
I'm going to work on it today, perhaps I'll post pics...
 
even a non factory bucket car has "dimples" in the floor pan where the bolts holes would be located. also factory bucket cars have added support on the holes of the floor pan to beef the floor up where the seats mount. On my duster, I found the factory dimples in the pan, drilled them out, then took plate steel and drilled them to match,then welded the plates to the floor pan. Then used a set of power leather seats I picked up and built my seat framing to match the bolt pattern of the floor.

There is a link in my signature below to my dusters build thread and I covered how I did the install and with pictures too. maybe you might want to give it a look see and it might help give you an idea of what I am talking about.

might take you some searching though as there are quite a few thread pages lol.
 
Something else to consider when checking for console fit.
The factory console does not mount directly centered over the floor hump, it is mounted sliightly offset towards the drivers side, so even though the floor hump is not in the center of the car, the console will be.

Good luck

I also have installed late model bucket seats out of a Scion TC, and I have purchased a used console, but haven't gotten around to mounting it yet, so I may end up with problems too.
 
The widest point on the factory console is right about even with where the number 2 is on the gear indicator. The console also gets wider from top to bottom. So at the widest point it is 7-1/2" wide at the top and 11' wide at the bottom.

Hope that helps
 

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Kick *** guys!! Much needed info!!

What do you guys use to fill in the old holes??
 
on my duster I built my own seat brackets, so I utilized the outside mounting holes on each side of the car that already existed (bench seat mounting holes) and drilled out the dimples for the inner holes (trans hump side of the seats). if you check out my build thread like I previously mentioned you will see how I made the brackets to work with the floor. I basically used 1" square stock steel for 3 of the 4 corners of my seats frame (2 shorter legs in the back of the seat,one longer one on the front transmission side of the seat and the front outter I did not weld any leg onto.....it flush mounted to the factory bench seat hump) ....kind of hard to explain exactly what I personally did so the best i can say is check out the thread and it might give you a few ideas on your project.

hope to see you get it all done!
 
ocdart said:
Well then, let me throw a third theory I've heard but also unsubstantiated: the driveline was offset slightly to the passenger side to offset the weight of the driver.
Like I said, totally without substantiation. I think it sounds like the weakest of the three theories.
Click to expand...

I will suggest a 4th theory: Could it be that Ma foresaw the "growth" of the collector hobby in later years, as in the "girth" of the collectors? (I can only speak for myself). Apologies to myasylum for contributing absolutely nothing to help solve the problem.:eek:ops:
 
We should use only 1 foot ( right ) for throttle and brake so the brake pedal should be far enough right to do that. I think we humans need the brake pedal close to centered under the steering wheel. This means the throttle pedal needs to move farther right for seperation/space between the 2. This suggests that the hump could have been centered if it was about 4 inches smaller in width.
 
From doing my convertible build I think it is 1 1/2" offset. Do you think that the right hand drive is different?
Jim
 
Hmmmm..... That might work! Now all you have to so is sell me that console! :)

Now does anyone know how to fill in the old holes? I don't have a welder, can I just use rubber grommets? I kind of wonder how many holes you can have before it's structurally unsafe? Then again a suppose there are people beating around in there cars with rotted out floor boards, and they seem just fine.
 
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