How To Replace A Worn Out Driver's Bucket Seat From A Car With A Used One From A Salvage Yard

The fabric and cushioning used to make car seats can wear out over time in older vehicles and make sitting in them really uncomfortable. You can buy an expensive brand new seat in most cases, or if you are trying to save money, you should be able to get one that is still in good shape from an auto salvage yard. Replacing the seat is not that difficult and you don't have to be a car mechanic to do it. If the driver's side bucket seat, or the passenger seat for that matter, is worn out and uncomfortable, here is how you can replace it.

Remove the Rail Bolts

You will usually need a 10mm socket and ratchet to remove most seats on a domestic car. Look down on the rail that the seat sits on. There is a 10mm bolt at the front of both rails, one is in the middle of the rails and another two are at the back of each rail. You will need to move the seat up and down the rail to expose the front and back bolts. You will need a small 3-5" extension on the ratchet so you can get the socket to fit into the rail to get out the middle bolts.

Remove Rail Cover

At the back end of each rail is a small cover you have to remove and reach the final two bolts at the back of the rail. You will need a Phillips-head screwdriver to remove the screw on the cover. Remove the screw and lift the cover off. Now, remove the two bolts on the back of each rail.

Remove Seat Belt

The seat belt is connected to a bracket on the side of the seat. Pop off the plastic cover over the bracket with a flat head screwdriver. There will typically be a 16mm bolt (the size of the bolt could be different depending on the type of vehicle you own) connecting the seat belt to a seat frame bracket. Remove the bolt to release the seat belt from the bracket. You can now lift the seat out of the car.

Install New Seat

Position the new seat into the car so the bolt holes for the seat belt  lines up with the seat frame bracket. Bolt the seat belts to the bracket and replace the cover. Line up the back rail holes with the hole in the floor of the car. Put the bolts in the back of the rail, but keep them loose for now. Line up the front bolt holes and replace the bolt. You can now tighten all the bolts down to finish replacing the seat.