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T Bucket Interiors

T-nuts would have been a better choice than those threaded inserts , easy to install , large flange , JMO

That was my first choice, but neither Lowe's, Home depot or Ace had them. So, I went with these. They work, just harder to install. I've had Tee Nuts pull out, but I thought they might work.
 
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Seat bottom 9-21-17.jpg Seat Suspension 9-21-17.jpg Seat Suspension 9-21-17.jpg Here is my suspension system. I used 1/16 welding rod and springs from a Sikorsky Helicopter Rotor Head Droop Stops. (note: they were timed out, replaced at every 3000 hour inspection.) I drove a staple in the edge of the 3/4 plywood and bent the wire to fit. This helped tremendously. Last week I drove 86 miles to a car show and back and was able to walk when I got there. I have 1 inch of Medium density upholstery foam over the top. I had 2 old floor mats that I put down before the foam.

One of my aims was to get the seat lower than with the solid seat and 2 inches of foam .It sure rides better.
 
View attachment 14306 View attachment 14307 View attachment 14307 Here is my suspension system. I used 1/16 welding rod and springs from a Sikorsky Helicopter Rotor Head Droop Stops. (note: they were timed out, replaced at every 3000 hour inspection.) I drove a staple in the edge of the 3/4 plywood and bent the wire to fit. This helped tremendously. Last week I drove 86 miles to a car show and back and was able to walk when I got there. I have 1 inch of Medium density upholstery foam over the top. I had 2 old floor mats that I put down before the foam.

One of my aims was to get the seat lower than with the solid seat and 2 inches of foam .It sure rides better.

Next time I'm at the air port, I'll look into those springs..:D
 
Today was a little redo day. Remember the inserts I used yesterday, to run my seat bolts into? Good. Today I replaced them with the type that you put it by drilling your hole and putting them in with a hammer. I think they'll hold just as good or better. Yesterday, no one had them. Well, today I was visiting a friend and he suggested a mom & pop hardware store near him. A quick trip and they had them! So, when I got home, I swapped out the others for these. The new ones are on the right. Why the swap? A couple of the brass ones broke, but still had enough thread to hold the bolt. Basically, using them was a half assed job and I kinda knew I could do better.
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They went in a lot easier and have a much cleaner appearance. I also replaced the washers.
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Then, it was time to do the webbing. This little project took longer than expected and I stopped working when I was done. It was pretty easy, but my hand is stuck in a "clenched fist" from using the stapler. I found some good, heavy webbing and I used 1/2" staples. Those straps are on for life.
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I'm letting the foam sit another day, as per the manufacturers instructions, so I probably won't cover the seats, until this weekend.
 
FYI, if you need more of those t-nuts with the spikes on them you can buy them at Menards. I have purchased them there before.
Bill
 
HF has a pneumatic stapler that shoots T-50 size staples for less than $30 ... well worth the money when you're doing the whole interior IMO
 
This is the interior I was going for, just different colors .... I didn't get! But you get what you pay for as they say.

My goal was to maximize my leg room while having a pleasing looking interior. I got the leg room!

RickMillerInteriorExample.jpg
 
Okay..... decided to install the foam and cover the seat and back. They came out good and I'll have pics tomorrow. But a problem popped up. The tee nuts won't hold.:( So, I've got an upholstered bottom and back, but can't figure out a way to attach them to the side braces. If I can't come up with something, I'll order some more vinyl, take everything apart and start over. Luckily, I have more time than money.

But I think I may have a solution. I'll run it past you guys, so tell me what you think. I could drill new holes in the brackets and use wood screws to attach them to the base and back. The wood is 3/4" so some 3/4" screws wouldn't come through the other side. I figure..... 4 or maybe 5 screws on each leg of the brackets would hold. As of now, that's the best I can come up with. Opinions?
 
Do you have a picture of the t nuts not holding? Not sure I follow.

There's a pic of them above. In post #104. They have 3 prongs. So, while the bolt won't twist out, there's no grip to keep the whole thing from sliding out. I should have noticed that.
 
Fred, are you talking about the tee nuts falling out when the bolt is removed? Not sure I am following either. When I used them on projects where it was not feasible to replace them, I put a layer of glass cloth over them, then opened the hole up again on the backside where the glass was.
 
Fred, are you talking about the tee nuts falling out when the bolt is removed? Not sure I am following either. When I used them on projects where it was not feasible to replace them, I put a layer of glass cloth over them, then opened the hole up again on the backside where the glass was.

I'm talking about them PULLING out. Bolt and tee nut together. There's nothing to keep them in the wood., like a thread. Maybe they weren't meant for plywood, but something denser. Doesn't matter why they didn't work, they just didn't, so I'm moving on. I'll use wood screws, which is what I should have used to begin with.
 
Just found out, I should have installed the tee nuts on the OTHER side (upholstery side). :oops: Total bonehead move. So, tomorrow, I'll use screws and put this ugly chapter and learning experience behind me. Thanks, guys.
 
This would have helped 24 hours ago.:D

 

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