Rear seat mounts in cargo and crew

Inertiaman

Well-known member
Can someone who has pulled their floor in an NCV3 tell me if the M12 nuts are installed in the chassis under the marked (but unused) seat mount locations?

I have a 2014 Crew. I pulled and sold the rear bench seat. The floor/chassis has a pair of M12 nuts welded in the floor under each seat mounting bracket. So I'm wondering if the same nuts are present in the other two more rearward "potential" seat locations in my crew where seats/brackets were not mounted.
 

Inertiaman

Well-known member
I drilled the holes 858mm behind the front bench mount holes with a step drill; being careful not to damage the threads on the nut. Worked perfectly.
Precise! Thanks for the info. Nice photo of the nut, too (not an easy angle to get a well-lit, in-focus shot).
 

Slowly

New member
Using AutoCAD, I measured 858mm between the front 2 benches and 850mm between the second and third (hard to believe that these are different measurements). Ended up being spot-on for me. Good luck!
 

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Inertiaman

Well-known member
Ah, so the DXF files obviously have far more detail in them than the PDFs?
Can you recommend any free/easy SW to view DXF files? I don't have autocad or similar.
 

DieselFumes

2015 4x4 2500 170 Crew
Ah, so the DXF files obviously have far more detail in them than the PDFs?
Can you recommend any free/easy SW to view DXF files? I don't have autocad or similar.
DXF file viewing software is almost by definition not easy, but I can give you free...
https://inkscape.org/en/

It's a vector graphics editor. It's less designed for CAD than for visual design, but it should at least show you the file (haven't checked with the MB DXF files being referenced here though).
 

savagesierra

New member
I have just ordered a 2016 4x4 Cargo. A friend has a bench seat and the floor brackets and hardware from a 2014 Crew I may pick up for future flexibility options. Being somewhat of a Luddite and trying to avoid the DXF files, I thought I'd ask in this thread if anyone knows if the M12 nuts (first post in thread) are installed in the Cargo vans as well.

Another friend has moved his 2015 crew bench back one row and found the nuts by info in this thread I believe. He is pretty certain the cargo vans should have the nuts as well but suggested I look around the forum here. This is my first post. Thanks!
 

rb3232

Member
I have just ordered a 2016 4x4 Cargo. A friend has a bench seat and the floor brackets and hardware from a 2014 Crew I may pick up for future flexibility options. Being somewhat of a Luddite and trying to avoid the DXF files, I thought I'd ask in this thread if anyone knows if the M12 nuts (first post in thread) are installed in the Cargo vans as well.

Another friend has moved his 2015 crew bench back one row and found the nuts by info in this thread I believe. He is pretty certain the cargo vans should have the nuts as well but suggested I look around the forum here. This is my first post. Thanks!
Your friend is wrong. The Cargo van will not have the nuts. However a Cargo van with the OEM crew seat option will have the nuts.
 

amac

New member
I also have just ordered a 2016 4x4 cargo. I want to add one rear seat with 3 point seatbelt. I want to locate it on the RHS in front of a 6ft (front-to-back) platform bed. Ideas on a suitable (comfortable) seat and a safe/secure way to do this would be much appreciated. Thank you.
 

SEA_Sprinter

New member
I just want to confirm that the 858mm dimension that Slowly posted works for a 2016 crew van for the 2nd row. For those of you trying to figure out if the cargo may or may not have the nuts, all of the nuts are inside the main front-to-back frame members where the side-to-side "rungs" of the ladder frame meet them. Crawling under my van I was able to see a few of them with a flashlight and some luck before I committed to drilling.

I measured using the mounts as a template for a 1st check, then again using a tape measure. I used a 3/16" bit as a pilot - you will punch thru only 1 thin piece of sheet metal with ease. I then used a 1/2" bit to open it up - the 1/2" is a bit larger than the threaded hole so you won't accidentally drill threads out. The whole thing took 10 minutes after I had the flooring removed.

Good luck. Many thanks to Slowly.
 

Inertiaman

Well-known member
Can anyone confirm they've found the nuts for the third bench seat at a position 850mm behind the second bench seat?

I'm working in my 2014 Crew 144 now, and was able to drill out the 6 holes for the second bench no problem, 858mm was right on the money for the holes. However, using the same process to locate the next bench 850mm back as @slowly spec'd earlier in the thread, I didn't hit any nuts, just thick steel.

Is this an anomaly of a 2014? Of a Crew? Of a 144?

I know @ddunaway had the same experience in his 2014 Crew 144. Any guidance on if/how/where others have found the back row M12 nut positions would be much appreciated.
 

DieselFumes

2015 4x4 2500 170 Crew
Can anyone confirm they've found the nuts for the third bench seat at a position 850mm behind the second bench seat? ... I didn't hit any nuts, just thick steel.
2015 170 4x4. I drilled and found the third bench seat position. If you are hitting thick steel, you're probably on the very edge of the nut, drilling through its thickness. My first hole did that too. I blamed my poor measurement, but maybe the posted numbers are actually incorrect. Try a hair forwards or backwards from your current position. For me, it was about 5mm backwards.

I'm guessing you've already crawled around underneath trying to spot the bolts through holes in the frame members?
 

Inertiaman

Well-known member
Did you use 858 or 850 for your measurement for the third row?
For the second bench to third bench offset, I used 850mm, based on the earlier post/specs from @slowly above in the thread.

But is seems he was measuring actual seat position in the CAD, and the third bench (in 144) is a different configuration (4 person) than the front two benches, so perhaps the offset of the brackets is still 858mm just like the front ones? That would reconcile with @Diesel fumes experience to some extent.

I was hoping to get confirmation from someone that 858mm (or any definitive number) would located the nuts before I start blindly drilling again. I guess one more drill attempt at 858mm is worth the "risk" even without confirmation??

I have tried to get a visual from underneath without success. Even if one can see them, it isn't going to help you locate them from above +/- 5mm or 10mm . . . although it would at least confirm they are present.
 

Inertiaman

Well-known member
Did you use 858 or 850 for your measurement for the third row?
One other comment on this. I've seen some folks describe the first bench seat as the "second row" (counting the driver/passenger bucket seats as the first row). By this convention, I had factory brackets for the second row, successfully located nuts at 858mm offset for the third row, and unsuccessfully tried to located nuts at 850mm offset for the fourth row.

I was intentionally referencing bench seats rather than "row" to avoid the ambiguity with regard to counting the driver/passenger as a row or not. FWIW.
 

Inertiaman

Well-known member
2015 170 4x4. I drilled and found the third bench seat position. If you are hitting thick steel, you're probably on the very edge of the nut, drilling through its thickness. My first hole did that too. I blamed my poor measurement, but maybe the posted numbers are actually incorrect. Try a hair forwards or backwards from your current position. For me, it was about 5mm backwards.
Third bench in 170 is a 3 person or 4 person?

Did you also drill out the nuts for the second bench, or skip straight to third?

FWIW, I drilled about 3/16" deep, so could still be in the main chassis frame member, not the nut. But definitely too deep to be the ~ 3/64" thick corrugated top sheet.
 

Inertiaman

Well-known member
OK, I got "brave" and drilled another hole at 858mm offset and bingo! its there. I drilled out my third bench row and I can definitively say that the third bench bracket nuts are offset 858mm from the second bench bracket nuts, exactly as the case for second relative to first.

Many thanks to @slowly for determining the 858mm originally. Not sure why he deduced the offset was 8mm less for the last row based on the CAD drawings, but apparently that is not the case. So any other folks reading this thread in the future can plan accordingly, 858mm for all.

Also for reference, if anyone may be using these as floor connections and doesn't have OEM brackets/bolts for measurement, the threads are M12 x 1.50.
 
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pilotarix

Member
Hello all,

my Crew Van 4x4 144" low roof, has arrived in the country and is currently located at the upfitter facility.

Now I have to make some final decisions. I would like to have a "2.5" position for the second row of seats, like in the well known OSV video.

https://youtu.be/8XWbpogrmqc

However I would like not to lose the ability to mount two rows of seats (second and third row) if needed.
For that purpose, the "2.5" position needs to go exactly between the second and third position. The plan is to use the original front mounting point of the third row and then make a new mounting point between the rear and the front mounting points of the second row. That way I could use 3 different mounting positions - second row - second and a half row- and third row. I just have to move the brackets, because only one set of brackets can be in place. The remaining open mounting positions could be covered with long custom made plastic caps.

This only works if there is no interference between the rear mounting position of the second row and the front mounting position of the second and a half row. Unfortunately that is exactly what I don't know because I don't know what the distance is between the mounting holes of the bracket.

If somebody would know that or is able to measure it I would really appreciate that.

I took some measurements on the documents from the MB upfitter resource page, but there is no information about the screw positions.
 

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LooseRocks

Active member
858mm for all. ...
the threads are M12 x 1.50.
So to be clear. I have a crew with one row of bench seat (second row of seats). The next set of bolts (for the third row) is 858 mm straight back. The ones behind that one (for the fourth row) is also 858 mm straight back again. Correct?
 
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