recovering 3b front seats

[tow hook]

i got covers for the seats last year, and was going to have some one do it for me. after a few people said 300$ or more per seat i was floored. i understand its a craft/ trade skill, but for there time and some burlap. that's a lot. esp scene i already have the covers. so i'm doing it my self. east wood is out of hog ring pliers till april, i'm going with summit racing and getting this kit, 150 should do my for both seats 
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sdk-plierset-p

 i'll stop a joann fabric later this week for burlap. any tips to put the covers on ? lay them in the sun ? i scene a few u tube videos, and i'm ready to try it i know you put them inside out and roll them down. the frames need blasted a repainted first. and the driver side springs are broke. i hope that i can weld it to gether, seat springs for that model year seem to be hard to find. working now to have it ready for the n.h. old iron run in june.

time for more u tube, that place is a rabbit hole . lol

[Rus Curtis]

Yes, those rabbit holes are many and deep!  I know.

Not being an upholstery expert, I got my stuff from Beachwood.  They have options all the way from bare frames to all the original internals in serviceable condition.  Since I scored some nice seat pans to replace the plywood the jeep came with, I opted for getting foam to fit these that would sit on the frame. 

I documented how I did mine on my thread on the old 3B Forum:
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/cj3b_bulletin_board/green-gruntt-t4658-s40.html

Also used 3B Page article to get ready:
https://cj3b.info/Tech/KamunenSeats.html


Not knowing what you're about to get into, I can only describe what I did.  I noticed the drawstring seam pocket didn't have the durability to pull the covers tight (I did try and almost ripped the vinyl).  My fix was to invert and compress (stand on the pan and smash the foam padding) so that the seam fit under the open tabs, without stress, before pulling the string snug (not tight!) so that I could coax each pointy tab down into the seam to hold it.  Note about my seat pans:  Since these were manufactured for a mil vendor (for M38 - at the time, no civilian vendor was offering these), I needed to sand the pointy tabs so they weren't so sharp and had to also pre-bend them open and then with a curve to bend back down into the material when closed.  Unlike the 3B Page article, my tabs were NOT delicate.  The back covers were much easier but start at the top in the middle and work down each side alternating otherwise the material may get lop-sided.

I don't think the later models were as difficult (they appear to be "slip-over" type).

[derekredmond]

Hi Rus -- you saved your threads from the old BB, right?  This and probably others would be good pages for CJ3B.info!

Derek

[Rus Curtis]

Everything is saved.  I got backups of the backups.

[tow hook]

after a ton of u tube videos, i found very few that was in the realm of what i needed. but i found 2 that helped a lot. joann fabrics has burlap, and the cotton batting i need. i have yet to see both in person. so that may change ? i'm working on videos of a broken seat spring repairs. after the steering box is done, the seats will be next. the seats in a 62-64 is like a cj 5

[Marla.the.V35]

You might also be able to find large bolts of canvas at surplus stores? Burlap sounds itchy!

[tow hook]

You might also be able to find large bolts of canvas at surplus stores? Burlap sounds itchy!

thanks for the idea....  for doing seats the burlap goes over the springs first, then the cotton baton over the burlap, an then the vinyl cover goes on last.

[Marla.the.V35]

Ooooh, I misunderstood. I thought you were going to have the burlap be the cover lol!