Crafted
Elite Explorer
- Joined
- March 18, 2024
- Messages
- 9
- Reaction score
- 3
- City, State
- Garner, NC
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 2015 Interceptor
Hello all - thought I'd share what I found out when swapping my 2015 PIU 2nd row factory vinyl bench to OEM leather captain's chairs from a 2015 civilian model.
Unbeknownst to myself, Ford offered optional "inflatable seat belts" beginning with the 2011 Explorer. Not only are the seat belts themselves different (in more ways than just being inflatable), so are the buckles!
The metal insert or tongue or whatever you want to call it on the seat belt itself is longer than standard, so the buckle has a deeper mechanism and will not engage (lock) a standard seat belt into place. So let's look at what has to be done to make it all work:
Option 1: Pick up a set of inflatable seat belts and have fun installing those. *or*
Option 2: Swap out the buckles. <<< This is what I did. Here's what you need to know:
1. The buckle housings are *nothing* alike. The "inflatable" set is beefier and has a metal housing that (rather than mount flush to the seat frame) sits over a stud-type attachment point. It also has a larger hole where it sits over the stud for mounting.
![IMG_20240423_135354069[1].jpg](https://www.explorerforum.com/forums/attachments/img_20240423_135354069-1-jpg.451821/ "IMG_20240423_135354069[1].jpg")
![IMG_20240423_135413791[1].jpg](https://www.explorerforum.com/forums/attachments/img_20240423_135413791-1-jpg.451822/ "IMG_20240423_135413791[1].jpg")
![IMG_20240423_135423676[1].jpg](https://www.explorerforum.com/forums/attachments/img_20240423_135423676-1-jpg.451823/ "IMG_20240423_135423676[1].jpg")
![IMG_20240423_135445946[1].jpg](https://www.explorerforum.com/forums/attachments/img_20240423_135445946-1-jpg.451824/ "IMG_20240423_135445946[1].jpg")
2. The mounting bolt is different as well. It is fatter and much shorter than the standard.
![IMG_20240423_135429699[1].jpg](https://www.explorerforum.com/forums/attachments/img_20240423_135429699-1-jpg.451825/ "IMG_20240423_135429699[1].jpg")
3. Because the mount point on the standard buckle is smaller, it will not fit over the mounting stud on the seat. This means if you try to swap the standard PIU vinyl seat buckle in, two things are immediately evident:
a. The buckle itself will not lock into place on the seat frame because it sits on the head of the stud.
![IMG_20240423_135615007[1].jpg](https://www.explorerforum.com/forums/attachments/img_20240423_135615007-1-jpg.451826/ "IMG_20240423_135615007[1].jpg")
![IMG_20240423_135517759[1].jpg](https://www.explorerforum.com/forums/attachments/img_20240423_135517759-1-jpg.451828/ "IMG_20240423_135517759[1].jpg")
b. If you're running an OEM 2nd row center console, it will rest solidly against the console. Folding the seat back down is no problem obviously, but tumbling the seat is an issue. Because the buckle sits farther out than the original inflatable buckle - it will hit the console lid and front trim, so you'll have to take care and push things around a bit to tumble the seats.
![IMG_20240423_135513573[1].jpg](https://www.explorerforum.com/forums/attachments/img_20240423_135513573-1-jpg.451827/ "IMG_20240423_135513573[1].jpg")
Is it possible to drill out the standard buckle's mounting hole so that it sits over the stud? Sure. But then the buckle will slide freely along the stud. And (to a degree) you're sacrificing the integrity of the mounting plate.
Could you do that (drill it out) and then use some sort of metal spacers to keep it from sliding around? Sure.
I may snag a buckle from a donor somewhere and try that at some point. But for my purposes, it will probably be rare for anyone to ride in the back of my PIU anyway, so what I've detailed here will suffice for now in mine.
MORAL OF THE STORY:
To save yourself time, effort, and money - before purchasing a set of captain's chairs for the 2nd row of your '11-'15 PIU, first find out if the donor vehicle had inflatable seat belts!
Additional notes:
I have no idea if this applies to '16+
These are my findings and results - yours may vary
Many thanks to @richey for all of his assistance and guidance in this matter as well as his overwhelming knowledge and expertise in the PIU world overall! My "build" would have taken longer than a weekend and caused way more headaches without his videos!
Unbeknownst to myself, Ford offered optional "inflatable seat belts" beginning with the 2011 Explorer. Not only are the seat belts themselves different (in more ways than just being inflatable), so are the buckles!
The metal insert or tongue or whatever you want to call it on the seat belt itself is longer than standard, so the buckle has a deeper mechanism and will not engage (lock) a standard seat belt into place. So let's look at what has to be done to make it all work:
Option 1: Pick up a set of inflatable seat belts and have fun installing those. *or*
Option 2: Swap out the buckles. <<< This is what I did. Here's what you need to know:
1. The buckle housings are *nothing* alike. The "inflatable" set is beefier and has a metal housing that (rather than mount flush to the seat frame) sits over a stud-type attachment point. It also has a larger hole where it sits over the stud for mounting.
2. The mounting bolt is different as well. It is fatter and much shorter than the standard.
3. Because the mount point on the standard buckle is smaller, it will not fit over the mounting stud on the seat. This means if you try to swap the standard PIU vinyl seat buckle in, two things are immediately evident:
a. The buckle itself will not lock into place on the seat frame because it sits on the head of the stud.
b. If you're running an OEM 2nd row center console, it will rest solidly against the console. Folding the seat back down is no problem obviously, but tumbling the seat is an issue. Because the buckle sits farther out than the original inflatable buckle - it will hit the console lid and front trim, so you'll have to take care and push things around a bit to tumble the seats.
Is it possible to drill out the standard buckle's mounting hole so that it sits over the stud? Sure. But then the buckle will slide freely along the stud. And (to a degree) you're sacrificing the integrity of the mounting plate.
Could you do that (drill it out) and then use some sort of metal spacers to keep it from sliding around? Sure.
I may snag a buckle from a donor somewhere and try that at some point. But for my purposes, it will probably be rare for anyone to ride in the back of my PIU anyway, so what I've detailed here will suffice for now in mine.
MORAL OF THE STORY:
To save yourself time, effort, and money - before purchasing a set of captain's chairs for the 2nd row of your '11-'15 PIU, first find out if the donor vehicle had inflatable seat belts!
Additional notes:
I have no idea if this applies to '16+
These are my findings and results - yours may vary
Many thanks to @richey for all of his assistance and guidance in this matter as well as his overwhelming knowledge and expertise in the PIU world overall! My "build" would have taken longer than a weekend and caused way more headaches without his videos!
