2006 Need some help with these seats

[Bouma]

I am looking for any input I can get. I have done some searching on these trucks and seams the seats are an issue for lots of people. My truck has 43,000 or so on it and the seats are badly broke down, mainly the drivers seat. The seat is uncomfortable and feels like you are sitting on two 1 inch wide pieces of steel. Is these a fix for these seats? I can order a factory cushion for around a hundred bucks but it will do the same thing again. Has anyone installed aftermarket seats? I have a 2005 Chevy 2500HD also (Company Truck) great seats. I don't know what to do #@$%! I have the truck built to take the long haul but the seats kill your ***** in a hour or 2. Do I just plan on every 30,000 ripping the seats apart and installing new foam? Are all the Seats the same? I have owned many dodge rams, put 200,000 plus on them, never had seat issues like this :{ I am not a small guy but not what I consider huge. I am 6' 4" and weight 255. Please Help!!!

 

[ABorgardt]

I am on my second 06, both with over 60k on them. never had a problem with the seats on either one of them. Id say replace the foam and assume what you had was defective?
my . 02.

 

[ScottLewis]

Many, including myself, have posted complaints about the seats on the '06s.

I followed a suggestion to place pieces of carpet and foam between the wire springs and the factory foam. It helped quite a bit although I still wouldn't say they're great.

Do a search and you'll find a lot of feedback.



Dan

 

[Forrest Nearing]

yeah, I recently did the foam and carpet mod on my '06



it's still pretty crummy, but a good sight better than it was.



I'm planning on swapping in some seats from a GM or some pure aftermarket seats. It's a joke that a company that's been building cars and trucks for as long as Dodge has can't design an even SEMI-comfortable seat for a $30-50k truck!

 

[CDonaldson]

First, get new foam from the dealer, then find/get a better quality foam to put under the stock foam - like 1" memory foam, you can squeeze up to 2" under the frame/springs, then add the carpet. Basically, this is what most ALL upholstery shops due when they try to solve problems like you are experiencing.



I have 35K on my truck, the seats are not a problem. Although, I have fitted fleece seat covers, they may have made a difference. I recently got a couple pieces of memory foam and carpet for both seats, I plan to beef them up anyway.



Most stock seat foams these days can't seem to handle the job. Chrysler changed to a different type of foam for the 2008's & up, since it is the same seat, you might want the newer foam. They look the same appearance wise, but they ARE a different density foam. The density change probably has to do with ALL the complaints and many that were replaced under warranty in the 2007/2007 trucks.



CD

 

[Forrest Nearing]

we've got four 08's here at work, and the seats in them are junk too IMO

 

[Buffalo]

I have an '03 & my seats were killing my "sit-down parts". Do a search for "Spooled-up's" seat fix. It gives you directions on how to take the seats apart & install extra foam.



I followed his instructions except for the foam. I went to an upholstery shop warehouse & bought the carpet samples ($1. 00/ea. ) & the owner recommended 1/2" CLOSED CELL foam. It worked beautifully & does not create a bulge in the seat that you would get with 2" foam. Total cost was less than $10. 00 & I still have foam left over.



Regular foam collapses when you sit on it. The closed cell foam collapses very little with the same pressure. It's like the foam they use on gym floors for wrestling or tumbling events.



My experience was that after about 1-1/2 hours of driving, my right leg felt like it was going to sleep & ached, a lot. I would fall out of the truck & was able to walk it out after a few minutes. This past Oct. , I drove over 3600 miles in 11 days with out having any problem with the seats. This fix WORKS!!!



Joe F.

 

[Forrest Nearing]

FWIW, there is no need to remove the seat or remove the springs underneath. Just pull the cloth cover from the sides and front and peel it back. accomplishes the same exact thing, but it only takes about 5 min per side

 

[Bouma]

I thought I would add. I spoke to a local auto upholstery shop today. They were well aware of the problem with these trucks seats and said they would fix the seats for 100 dollars each. I don't think thats to bad. My truck does in Monday, I will post the results.

 

[silverram03]

While having my seat heaters installed on Monday I had my upholstery shop rework both the driver and passenger seats. What they did was build new foam from 90# foam then they built up the bottom near the rails and spring and wire mesh with 1" 90# foam and then the lined the bottom of the foam with cordura instead of carpet for increased durability and sag control against the spring and wire mesh . For what its worth the factory only uses 40# foam for our seats, what a joke. I will tell you that I am not by any means a small guy at 6'-2" and 225 and these seats feel awesome now and no more leg numbing pain.



Greg

 

[ENafziger]

Does anyone know how this works in seats with the factory seat heater?

--Eric

 

[ScottLewis]

Eric:

No affect. Since the additional padding is below the heater elements, everything works as normal.



Dan

 

[ENafziger]

No affect. Since the additional padding is below the heater elements, everything works as normal.

Thanks... I think I'm getting confused, because there seems to be two different "fixes" that people are doing.

The one I assume you're referring to is inserted between the springs/wire support and the bottom of the factory foam.

I have read about others taking the factory upholstery loose, and insterting foam directly under the cloth/leather on the top of the seat.

Thanks! Eric

 

[Forrest Nearing]

Thanks... I think I'm getting confused, because there seems to be two different "fixes" that people are doing.



The one I assume you're referring to is inserted between the springs/wire support and the bottom of the factory foam.



I have read about others taking the factory upholstery loose, and insterting foam directly under the cloth/leather on the top of the seat.



Thanks! Eric

Eric,



it is the same fix... when you take the upholstery loose and flip it back, the foam stays attached to the fabric, and you are left looking at the springs... the carpet and foam goes between the springs and the factory foam... but if you simply peel the fabric back, it takes about 5 min per side and the only tool you need is whatever you use to trim the carpet and foam.

 

[Bouma]

I think they are fixed!!!!

I took my truck to a local auto upholstery shop. They are a father and son team that does a lot of custom work. They had a T bird in there they were building a custom convertible top for. They had a 32 Ford they were putting a leather head liner in. I was looking at this and thought these guys could fix the seats in my 06!! They pulled the seats out of my truck and tore them down to see what was going on. They told me they have done lots of these trucks. Then I saw a 09 GMC with 2,000 mile getting the same thing my truck was. I forgot my camera so no pics(SORRY) They had the seats down to the frame, they took a grinder down the sides of the frame to take off any of the sharp edges. Next the glued a 1/4 inch thick pice of leather all the way gown the frame rails. Next they took the seat foam and glues it together were it had split. The foam was by no means wore out just ripped because of the sharp edges of the metal frame. They also noticed that I had a spring in the frame that was never installed. Then they installed cross springs to better support the foam. Then they glued a very heavy duty piece of canvas on the bottom of the seat foam. They then put the seat back together. They did this to both sides of the truck. They said if it didn't hold up, bring it back they stand behind there work. They charged me $300 dollars. I think thats very fair. What do ya think, I haven't head of this way of fixing these seats yet.

 

[ENafziger]

Eric,

it is the same fix... when you take the upholstery loose and flip it back, the foam stays attached to the fabric, and you are left looking at the springs... the carpet and foam goes between the springs and the factory foam... but if you simply peel the fabric back, it takes about 5 min per side and the only tool you need is whatever you use to trim the carpet and foam. <!-- google_ad_section_end --> <!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

Thanks... As soon as I can find some closed cell foam, I'll be trying.

Thanks again, Eric

 

[Buffalo]

BOUMA,



I, sincerely, hope your 'fix' works. If not, try what I did in my post #7. It DID work & cost less than ten dollars & I still have enough closed cell foam to do two more seats.



This post is in 'no way' meant to be an "I told you so". But, it seems like adding the "heavy canvas" is the main thing they did to prevent this problem. If it's thick enough to support the foam so that it will not collapse around the wires that make up the "ladder" then, it should work. I hope it does. If not, time to go to Plan B. My stock foam was not cracked, at all. It looked OK, in fact.



I'm still amazed that Dodge, since installing seats in probably every vehicle that they have built since the start of the company (probably 100 years, or more), STILL can't manufacture a proper seat. What were the engineers responsible for constructing the seats doing when they were in school??? Probably sitting in a bar!!! And, the barstool was probably more comfortable than OUR seats.



Joe F.

 

[Forrest Nearing]

I agree Joe... my foam was not compromised, it was just plain uncomfortable