Seat Foam


The old and reliable.

Yard Art
Yard Art

Posts: 62

Joined: Wed Aug 02, 2017 11:17 am

Post Tue Sep 12, 2017 12:41 pm

Seat Foam

I rebuilt the wood frame and found some cowhide to refinish the seat in my KB-7. But the foam is in rough shape. With no springs in the seat bottom, I assume the foam density is important. I cannot find anything locally. Any suggestions on finding new foam in the right shape and density for my seat project?

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 487

Joined: Sat Mar 23, 2013 6:36 pm

Location: Pocono Summit , Pa

Post Tue Sep 12, 2017 1:15 pm

Re: Seat Foam

I'm not familiar with the '7 seat frame and how it was constructed originally and the fact that it has no springs. Older vehicles usually had coil springs tied in a series, then at some point zig-zag springs replaced the coils and were used as the foundation. Foam came sometime later, I don't really know when it became popular, but I suspect some time in the '60's. Burlap and horsehair matting was used over the springs, cotton batting, then the cover material. I'm guessing someone removed the springs and used a plywood bottom with foam as a replacement? Certainly works. That said, I don't think you will find foam in a molded shape like is used in modern vehicles for your application. You can try an upholstery supply company that sells it by the sheet, usually 24" wide by 6 or 7 ft long, 2,3,4,or 6" thick in soft firm or extra firm. The stuff at craft stores is way cheaper, but garbage IMO for what you want. It will collapse and deteriorate quickly. You can glue different thickness pcs together. 3M # 77 in a spray can works well. An electric knife (like you use to carve a turkey) works well to cut foam. (Just don't tell the wife). You can form rounded edges by buffing the edges with a Roloc disc on an angle grinder or similar tool if that's necessary. Hope this helps.
User avatar

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 4922

Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2012 11:47 am

Location: Bothell, Washington

Post Tue Sep 12, 2017 4:37 pm

Re: Seat Foam

IHC offered two styles of seats in the 40s trucks,

one is springs wired together with "horsehair mat" described by MACGIVER, and second one solid foam like you have, why they offered 2 types is anybodies guess,

not sure where to get "proper foam" that will not compress too much or wear out too soon,,,maybe dice up a Leesa mattress?
Gentle Men! you can't fight in here! This is the war room!

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 487

Joined: Sat Mar 23, 2013 6:36 pm

Location: Pocono Summit , Pa

Post Tue Sep 12, 2017 5:25 pm

Re: Seat Foam

Learnin' all the time BRJ, I've done more than a few seats in my time, never saw foam in a '40's seat, but then they weren't IH's either. Thanks for the info! Would love to see a pic of your frame BrianZ if you can put one up.

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 328

Joined: Fri Mar 18, 2016 9:16 pm

Location: Dallas, TX

Post Tue Sep 12, 2017 5:59 pm

Re: Seat Foam

Most any Upholstery shop will have the foam you need.
User avatar

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 4922

Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2012 11:47 am

Location: Bothell, Washington

Post Wed Sep 13, 2017 10:14 am

Re: Seat Foam

MACGIVER wrote:Learnin' all the time BRJ, I've done more than a few seats in my time, never saw foam in a '40's seat, but then they weren't IH's either. Thanks for the info! Would love to see a pic of your frame BrianZ if you can put one up.


yea, IHC is a constant source of ???????WTF??????????

my seat in my KB-6 is springs and horse hair, my buddy has a foam one in his KB-6,
Gentle Men! you can't fight in here! This is the war room!

Pile of Parts
Pile of Parts

Posts: 37

Joined: Mon Sep 02, 2013 8:12 pm

Post Wed Sep 20, 2017 1:27 pm

Re: Seat Foam

I just had my K6 seat rebuilt. The seat bottom was a flat wooden frame with a foam bottom with a horse-hair like substance and a cotton filled pad on top where you sat. I took the frame and the seat cover to Mike Kiamy upholstery in Piqua, OH who used the seat cover as a guide to have foam laser cut to fit. He then used "school bus grade" upholstery covering to cover. The back of the seat has coil springs. The foam was odd in that it had holes up through the foam. The drivers side was all worn away but the middle and right side looked virtually new! Reworking the seat wasn't cheap....the foam alone was about $175. But it looks good and rides good so far.

Pile of Parts
Pile of Parts

Posts: 37

Joined: Mon Sep 02, 2013 8:12 pm

Post Wed Sep 20, 2017 1:31 pm

Re: Seat Foam

Oh, one other thought. My truck was titled as a 1945 and I found a Ft. Wayne newspaper in the back of the seat from October 21, 1944. It was also a straight bed hauler for Commercial Freight of Indiana....so perhaps the foam was an option for long haulers?

Golden Jubilee
Golden Jubilee

Posts: 487

Joined: Sat Mar 23, 2013 6:36 pm

Location: Pocono Summit , Pa

Post Wed Sep 20, 2017 7:53 pm

Re: Seat Foam

If the foam has holes in it is most likely real rubber latex foam-good stuff! That's what was used before the more common poly foam that is used today came to be. Latex has a great "feel" and support IMO, and yes ,expensive. You may have paid a bit more, but you got a quality seat. It is prone to dry out in sunlight, and will turn to dust after years but won't collapse like poly.

Yard Art
Yard Art

Posts: 62

Joined: Wed Aug 02, 2017 11:17 am

Post Thu Sep 21, 2017 11:34 am

Re: Seat Foam

The truck is a KB-7, so a pretty big unit. The seat is exactly as bswank describes. Wooden frame that sits on the slide assembly mounted on top of the gas tank. A metal panel is attached to the frame, covering "rear end sized" holes in the wooden frame. I'm guessing for springing action? The foam is very dense good old foam rubber, date stamped September 1947 by Goodyear and it does have a bunch of holes of various depths drilled in the bottom of the foam, all covered by horse hair, batting and what's left of the cover. Also the seat back is as bswank notes, a spring assembly with the horse hair, batting and a cover.

The upholstery shops don't have anything like it. I am heading to Hershey next month and thinking if I find a vendor selling those black foam knee boards and mattresses, I can make one as suggested with my wife's electric carving knife. No sense in wasting my good knives on this. I will try to get some pictures posted. As suggested I am also considering contact cement to build it out of a few pieces as the foam is wedge shaped with rounded corners.
Next

Return to K and KB

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 9 guests

Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group
Designed by ST Software for PTF.