location of bucket seat reinforcements

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str12-340

str12-340

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I'm working on a 1970 Dart GT. It has factory bucket seats. It has no reinforcements for the inside bolts for the seats. That seemed odd and they seem like a good idea so I bought the pieces pre-cut. It seems logical that the plates go under the floor (so the bolt doesn't pull through in a wreck) and the location is obvious, but I have seen threads here that seem to say that people are installing them inside the car. Just checking to make sure what is correct.
 
My ‘71 GT

C75BFE71-0796-4F62-8278-C7BC9941BC66.jpeg
 
The floor actually has little shallow indents for the plates on the inside.
 
^ Yup, what 72blu and others said. The outboard side is already strong, 4 plug weld with the plates on the inside helps level the seat also, and way easier to weld.
 
Floor pan is pretty weak sheet metal out in the middle of the field. The plates spread the load to prevent flexing/sagging, eventual cracking. Typical roads and driveways weren't always as slick as they are today. Some of my rural neighbors still have long washed out ruts for driveways.
The plate thickness wouldn't make a noticeable difference in seat level.
For what its worth... I have a 66 model drivers bucket seat base that was cracked through a factory hole in its outer side. The drivers clutch pedal leg caused it. No other imaginable explanation. So engineers ensured the floor pan wouldn't fail there. Something else did.
Flat washer reinforcements welded onto both seat base frames. Cracked one moved to passengers side.
 
383Scampman said:
I would use them inside AND use large flat washers on the bottom . It could save your life .[/QUOTE
This is still a mystery to me - why they didn't put the plate under the floor pan. It's where the reinforcement for the outside holes are. I'm going to put the plates in the original location and then do just what was suggested here - a big honkin' washer (maybe two depending on what washer configurations and thicknesses are available) under each bolt UNDER the floor pan
Click to expand...
 
If there were some number of instances where a seat pulled off the floor in collisions... D.O.T. would have forced improvements. I would venture to say not even the empty passengers bucket has left the floor.
D.O.T. does have statistics on improperly stored bumper jacks, spare wheels, etc... flying through vehicles.
 
RedFish said:
If there were some number of instances where a seat pulled off the floor in collisions... D.O.T. would have forced improvements. I would venture to say not even the empty passengers bucket has left the floor.
D.O.T. does have statistics on improperly stored bumper jacks, spare wheels, etc... flying through vehicles.
Click to expand...

Very good point! I had a friend very severely injured in a crash by sandbags in the trunk for traction in the winter. The sand bags crashed through the rear seat and hit her. I think some about how I position stuff in my car when going on trips since that.
 
Can anyone provide the hole to hole spacing on the passenger side bucket seat holes for a 71 Dart. The outboard dimples are there. I need the 2 dimensions from the outboard hole to the inboard hole. Also the front to rear dimension on the inboard holes. Thanks.
 
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