New Air Ride seat installed for under $20.00

[pizzaguy]

I finally got around to getting my new air ride conversion done. I followed 4SHORTS example of cutting the seat pan and welding in filler panels to level the pan. I had a Bostrom 910 air ride seat I had purchased years ago that I bought and used in a GMC Top Kick company vehicle. It had terrible seats and if I wanted something better for my back I purchased it myself. Truck is long gone but since I bought the seat I kept it and put original back in. Back to topic, I adapted the original Kubota seat to the pedestal of the Bostrom air ride complete with the swivel part. This also allowed me to keep the factory seat safety switches in place. BIL had a 2 gallon air tank he gave me that I cleaned up and mounted under step which I can fill when needed. Air system is leak free and 2 gal of air will run the seat for a long time. Temperature will affect the pressure more than seat will use. Tractor is always used at home so I can fill it from shop compressor easily. Here are some pics of the install. Thanks to 4SHORTS for posting his pics and giving me the idea to do this to mine. I had everything laying around to do this and all it cost me was a little mig wire and paint

Competed seat installed

Kubota swivel base adapted to Bostrom pedestal

Exterior Air Tank

One last picture

 

[4shorts]

Now that's just plain cool. Nice install and even a better price! Looks great and I bet your back with love you for it. Thanks for the credit as well. Much appreciated :thumbsup:

 

[My Hoe]

pizzaguy,

Awesome install! And I REALLY like the price. :thumbsup:

Also, very nice "factory paintwork" on the modified seat pan, and air tank.

And yes, we all owe 4shorts a debt of gratitude. And this is one welding project of his that might just be simple enough for me to copy! LOL (And since it's under the seat, it's low visibility, which makes my welding look better). :laughing:

I've often wondered if a used air ride seat from a semi, or a straigtjob, could be used. Obviously, it can. Does anyone know if ANY air ride seat would work, or must we be on the lookout for particular brands?

Anyone got any ideas about where to find such seats, other than ebay? (I'd just like to avoid the $1,100. price tag of a new one, if possible).

Pizzaguy, what would you estimate the weight of the seat and seat base to be? Just wondering how difficult the "wrestling phase" of the install will be.

Thanks, and congrats on saving $1,080. dollars on your air ride install!

 

[pizzaguy]

pizzaguy,

Pizzaguy, what would you estimate the weight of the seat and seat base to be? Just wondering how difficult the "wrestling phase" of the install will be.

I would guestimate the weight of the seat pan and air ride base to be around 40-50 pounds. I bolted the seat pan to base and wrestled that into tractor and put seat on the base after everything else was in and fastened.
Yes, we all do owe 4SHORTS a debt of gratitude for posting his excellent work and giving us the ideas to replicate in our tractors, Even though the quality of my work will never compare to his. Thanks for the kind words.

 

[My Hoe]

I would guestimate the weight of the seat pan and air ride base to be around 40-50 pounds. I bolted the seat pan to base and wrestled that into tractor and put seat on the base after everything else was in and fastened.
Yes, we all do owe 4SHORTS a debt of gratitude for posting his excellent work and giving us the ideas to replicate in our tractors, Even though the quality of my work will never compare to his. Thanks for the kind words.

pizzaguy,

Thank you--that weight sounds more manageable than I would have supposed.

And you're welcome for "the kind words." They are well deserved, and I enjoy giving credit where credit is due. If you hadn't said otherwise, I would have thought I was looking at a 4SHORTS install. :thumbsup:

Oh--almost forgot: what is the approximate travel in your air ride seat? I've seen specs of "3.1" for one model, and wondered if that was a little, a lot, or what. Thanks.

To all: does anyone know of an air ride seat from a big truck that won't fit, for some reason? Like, it's too tall (headroom under the ROPS), or too big in some other dimension? I'm looking at either a B2630 or moving into the "L's" (which I know nothing about).

Also, still interested in where to find a good, used air ride seat, other than ebay, if anyone has any ideas.

Thanks to all.

 

[pizzaguy]

My Hoe, I would start by looking at a semi dealer or a large salvage yard that deals with semi's and large trucks. Once you get a air ride base you can fabricate the seat to fit. Good Luck!

 

[94BULLITT]

Nice job:thumbsup: I like how you were able to keep the swivel and factory seat.

 

[My Hoe]

My Hoe, I would start by looking at a semi dealer or a large salvage yard that deals with semi's and large trucks. Once you get a air ride base you can fabricate the seat to fit. Good Luck!

Those sound like great ideas. Was your seat a Grammar, like 4shorts? IIRC, they looked similar.

When you suggest getting a base, then look for the seat, I'm getting the idea that one can fab up whatever plate or mounting hardware might be required, to fit one brand of seat onto another brand of air ride base. Is that a fair statement?

Thanks again.

 

[4shorts]

Yes, we all do owe 4SHORTS a debt of gratitude for posting his excellent work and giving us the ideas to replicate in our tractors, Even though the quality of my work will never compare to his. Thanks for the kind words.

Thank you very much but I bet your work is as good as anyone's :thumbsup:

 

[pizzaguy]

Those sound like great ideas. Was your seat a Grammar, like 4shorts? IIRC, they looked similar.

When you suggest getting a base, then look for the seat, I'm getting the idea that one can fab up whatever plate or mounting hardware might be required, to fit one brand of seat onto another brand of air ride base. Is that a fair statement?

Thanks again.

My seat was to original Kubota seat that came in the tractor. I used the base from a Bostrom 910 and adapted the Kubota seat and swivel platform to it. There are many air ride seat pedestals that will work. My 2012 International that I am driving now would even work. Just do some measuring to see what will fit on your tractor's seat platform. Once you find what fits, the rest is just a matter of getting them married together.Good Luck!