Switching out solid rear bench with 60/40 rear seats 2017 1500 SLT

[Paul Grant]

Good afternoon Ladies and Gents,
I apologize if this has been answered elsewhere previously, but I was looking for the most updated information.
I have a 2017 1500 SLT with a solid rear bench and want to install a 60/40 split bench so I can keep the baby's car seat in and still fold up for space. I have three questions if you'd all be willing to help -
- 1. What years are compatible with the 2017?
- 2. I've heard there's only four bolts I need to remove. Is this true? I don't want to switch rear seats and make my truck unsafe for passengers.
- 3. Anything special I need to know or additional parts I'll need? I was going to go to the local salvage yard and pull the best looking 60/40 seat I could find and go from there.

Thanks for your help,
Paul

 

[kad]

Good afternoon Ladies and Gents,
I apologize if this has been answered elsewhere previously, but I was looking for the most updated information.
I have a 2017 1500 SLT with a solid rear bench and want to install a 60/40 split bench so I can keep the baby's car seat in and still fold up for space. I have three questions if you'd all be willing to help -
- 1. What years are compatible with the 2017?
- 2. I've heard there's only four bolts I need to remove. Is this true? I don't want to switch rear seats and make my truck unsafe for passengers.
- 3. Anything special I need to know or additional parts I'll need? I was going to go to the local salvage yard and pull the best looking 60/40 seat I could find and go from there.

Thanks for your help,
Paul

1 - I believe anything 2014-2018 with the same cab as yours (Quad or Crew) will fit. The seat depth is different between the two cabs.
2 - You will remove 2, but you will need 4 to install the new seats. The 60/40 is actually two pieces and each piece has 2 bolts. The additional holes will be there already, hidden under two cutouts in the carpet. You can get the bolts for a few dollars each from the dealer.
3 - Just the bolts, locktite and possibly a breaker bar, the stock bolts are are locktited in.

This post on adding a fold-flat-floor to an express shows the bolt hole locations and part numbers: http://www.ramforum.com/threads/how-to-add-fold-flat-floor-to-an-express-with-the-bench-seat.114962/

-K

 

[sam-aye-am]

I was looking for info on the same thing - trying to upgrade tradesman interior to laramie and going from flat rear bench seat to a 60/40 split.

Contrary to what the fold flat floor thread says - my truck doesn't appear to have holes with nuts tack welded in on backside where the inboard side of the seat would bolt down towards the front. Cutout in the carpet is there and there are depressions in the sheet metal that line up with the inboard forward seat bracket holes. Any one else come across this?

 

[kad]

I was looking for info on the same thing - trying to upgrade tradesman interior to laramie and going from flat rear bench seat to a 60/40 split.

Contrary to what the fold flat floor thread says - my truck doesn't appear to have holes with nuts tack welded in on backside where the inboard side of the seat would bolt down towards the front. Cutout in the carpet is there and there are depressions in the sheet metal that line up with the inboard forward seat bracket holes. Any one else come across this?

Looks like you've got a 2500 or 3500? (You've got a 6.7CTD listed). Perhaps that is the difference, I believe the HD trucks are made at a different plant. They may not punch the holes on the lower trim HD trucks.

-K

 

[sam-aye-am]

Looks like you've got a 2500 or 3500? (You've got a 6.7CTD listed). Perhaps that is the difference, I believe the HD trucks are made at a different plant. They may not punch the holes on the lower trim HD trucks.

-K

Yep, 3500. Think you may have narrowed in on the difference. Totally makes sense being a different plant and the likely higher ratio of 2500/3500 trucks not having 60/40 compared to 1500s.

I just gotta figure out what to do.


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[DeereGuy]

My 2500 had the correct holes in place for the split rear seat. I’ve helped a lot of people do the seat upgrade in all models and years of trucks including 4500s and 5500s and nobody has ever said they didn’t have the extra holes. Very strange.


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[sam-aye-am]

My 2500 had the correct holes in place for the split rear seat. I’ve helped a lot of people do the seat upgrade in all models and years of trucks including 4500s and 5500s and nobody has ever said they didn’t have the extra holes. Very strange.


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That doesn't make me feel any better...but, yes, very strange indeed. Right now, and for the foreseeable future, I only have the pass side (60% portion) installed as I have a mount that holds an ARB fridge/freezer where the drivers side (40%) portion goes. So maybe only 60% of an issue

I'm specifically lacking holes for the inboard fwd mounts. Can feel the depression where they should be. Maybe it is just paint buildup? What I didn't do is crawl underneath the truck to see if there were nuts tack welded to the body...maybe I'll do that in the next couple of days....or maybe I'll go back out there in next day or two and give those depressions a good whack with a center punch.

 

[kad]

That doesn't make me feel any better...but, yes, very strange indeed. Right now, and for the foreseeable future, I only have the pass side (60% portion) installed as I have a mount that holds an ARB fridge/freezer where the drivers side (40%) portion goes. So maybe only 60% of an issue

I'm specifically lacking holes for the inboard fwd mounts. Can feel the depression where they should be. Maybe it is just paint buildup? What I didn't do is crawl underneath the truck to see if there were nuts tack welded to the body...maybe I'll do that in the next couple of days....or maybe I'll go back out there in next day or two and give those depressions a good whack with a center punch.

Just something to check, mine had a heavy duty butyl rubber type tape over top of them, if that's there it was heavy enough that you'd think there were no holes in the sheet metal underneath, but they were there.

-K

 

[sam-aye-am]

Just something to check, mine had a heavy duty butyl rubber type tape over top of them, if that's there it was heavy enough that you'd think there were no holes in the sheet metal underneath, but they were there.

-K

So I finally got most of my other projects done and went back at this today while I was installing new to me front seats and some sound damping material.

Managed to punch right through and there were indeed threaded holes.

Pic should show no hole on Saturday de that would have the drivers side portion of the rear seat. It was in fact a painted over piece of butyl tape.

 

[Paul Grant]

Gents,
Thanks for your previous responses. I finally came a across a 60/40 split bench in the same color as my original and bought it this weekend. However...
I have a 2017 quad cab 1500. The 60/40 bench came from a 2016 crew cab. As many people wiser than I already found, the CC mounting brackets are longer than the QC brackets and won't line up with the anchor stud or the bolt holes.
I went through the trouble of removing the 60/40 seat cushions from the crew cab brackets and attempted to attach those to my original quad cab brackets after removing those from my solid bench. When I went to bolt it in the bolt holes line up of course (they were the originals from my QC), but when I folded the seat bottom up, the retaining hooks on the seat back rose too high and the seat back flopped forward.
Not to mention, the fold flat floor from the CC is a bit deeper and I'd have to tap new holes in my QC brackets to move it backward.
Long leadup to a simple question: do I need to use the original crew cab seat brackets with the 60/40 bench in order to allow me to fold the seat bottom up and not have the top fall forward? I'm prepared to enlist the help of a friend and grind off about 2" from the rear of the CC brackets and drill new holes in the bracket to make it fit my QC. I just don't understand why the seat back flopped forward when I retrofitted the 60/40 cushions onto my original CC seat brackets.
Then again, since I need 6 total brackets to mount the 60% and the 40% seats, I'd end up 2 brackets short anyway. So it seems that I have to mod the CC brackets?

Thanks for your thoughts,
Paul

 

[RAMSHARK]

Does anyone have the part number for the extra 2 bolts needed to install in a 2018 1500 tradesman? Thank you in advance

 

[kad]

Does anyone have the part number for the extra 2 bolts needed to install in a 2018 1500 tradesman? Thank you in advance

My 2014 used 14mm bolts, others have reported different sizes on different years and even different sizes on the same year. Your best best is to call your local dealer parts dept and ask them to look it up for your specific truck. Or contact Benny @AllMoparParts.com here and ask him.

-K

 

[RAMSHARK]

Thank you for your reply @kad

 

[hellopeople123]

Will a 2015 rear split fit in the express 2012

 

[bruce219]

I put a 2012 quad cab leather split seat in my 2015,straight fit,no problems.

 

[HTXRamExp]

Does anyone have the part number for the extra 2 bolts needed to install in a 2018 1500 tradesman? Thank you in advance

My 2014 used 14mm bolts, others have reported different sizes on different years and even different sizes on the same year. Your best best is to call your local dealer parts dept and ask them to look it up for your specific truck. Or contact Benny @AllMoparParts.com here and ask him.

-K

From Benny at AllMoparParts: "I believe they are part # 6511069AA , this was found looking under a 2500 model.
The thread size is M12 x 1.75 x 55mm long

-Benny"

These are the bolts I used for my 2019 1500 Express Classic.


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