More or less legroom with bench seat?

[frank88]

Quick question, do you think there is more or less legroom with the standard bench seat in a single cab compared to using a fixed seat?

 

It's very difficult to get hold of a bench seat in the UK but I might have tracked one down. I want to know if it's worth buying.

 

I bought some mx5 (miata) seats but even they seem to put me too close to the pedals. I'm 6ft.

 

Cheers

Edited February 19, 2019 by frank88

[2wheel-lee]

A fixed seat or a sliding seat doesn't determine the leg room. The thickness of the seat back does. I vaguely recall the Miata seats having a thin seat back. The bench seat kind of works because the back sits below the rear window protrusion, but many bucket seats will extend above it. I will be removing my bench and installing Porsche 914 seats, since they have a thin seat back.  I could also cut off the seat back just below the rear window protrusion to get it further back. But I kind of like the seat back....and the stock bench doesn't have one. Have you ever accelerated and shifted so hard the passenger hits their head against the back window? Yeah, that can hurt. Even worse if you're rear ended. 

 

 

Edited February 19, 2019 by 2wheel-lee

[frank88]

Thanks for your input. Yea I know it's a silly question because it depends on the seat, the miata seats have a fairly small back to them but the fact they hit the window limits room unless the seat is bolt upright.

 

Does anyone have a good side shot of a bench seat so I can see the rake on it?

[wayno]

In my opinion in the regular cab trucks you cannot do better than the stock bench seat, legroom is determined by a few factors, how thin/thick the seat back is, and how high the seat bottom is off the cab floor, the higher it is the more legroom you have, the closer to the cab floor your butt is the less legroom you have.

My first question is how high are the Miata seats off the floor and how much headroom do you have?

If you have 6 inches of room between your head and the cab roof, raise the seat 4 inches, also if you raise the front of the seat up a little that will also give you more legroom, the higher your knees are the farther away your feet are from the pedals.

I used to be 6'1" and my 521 truck bench seat was just tolerable, I have checked out others with bucket seats in their 521 trucks, I can not see how they can stand it being scrunched up like that, and this is the very reason why all my fun 520/521 trucks are now kingcabs with bucket seats, I sit around 4 inches farther back than stock, I like to have legroom.

[5t341tH]

I used subaru legacy seats in mine and I had to remove the head rest and also mount the set more bolt upright to fit me. The bench seat I used before from a toyota pickup seems to have given me more leg room than the subaru seats. I'm only 5'9

[hobospyder]

Having had both after modifying the seat back on the bench seat in my 73 to where it was just a thin layer of foam over the springs I much prefer that over the buckets in my 79 longbed. But I'd much rather the center console over a bench seat personally. And either way I'm folded up rather like a pretzel to fit in either. They just are small cabs, gotta take that into account, it would almost be better to just attach some foam to the back of the cab and lean against the wall if you really want the most room possible. Almost 6'6, so I know the pain of fitting into a smaller vehicle all too well

[frank88]

Cheers guys. Sounds like the bench seat would be worth a go if I can actually purchase the one I've found.

 

The seats I have now aren't currently mounted so I've been playing around with positions. I don't have a centre consol nor will I be able to source one so in that respect the bench would be ideal.

 

Ill keep people informed when I eventually make a build thread 

[Seeker > 620 KC]

At 6'4" tall I like a high back seat to help protect my head and neck from hitting the rear window if I ever get rear ended ;)