Adding comfort to a Square cab?

[Old65C10]

Let me start by saying that I love my square. Its a 1985 K30 service body. However on a trip this weekend a couple of issues came up.
The interior is not as comfortable as I would like it to be.
To start, I am 6 foot, and have long legs and arms. The seat is too close to the pedals, and the steering wheel is too close to me.
Is there a way to move the steering wheel farther away? Collapsible steering column? From what? Any steering wheels that would move the wheel farther away?
Second issue, the seat. It is in near perfect condition, the truck has 19,000 original miles on it and the seat looks like new. However, it just is not good for long trips. Is there a better seat, like form a new truck that would fit and be more comfortable? Any chance it will sit farther back from the pedals and steering wheel?
I use this truck for towing a larger travel trailer and need it to be more comfortable.
The other issue is the gas mileage, but it is something I am going to have to live with, it is what it is.

[sweetk30]

find a mid size gm car steering wheel from mid 90's era . smaller dia bye a bit make it better for you .

as to seat i bet your truck has a basic work truck seat . a silverado level bench will be much better . i have sat in a few basic and silverado seats and there much better .

my 1 truck i took and unbolted the seat from the tracks . then made a 1x1 square tube frame and bolted it down to the sliders . add a 1/4" nut in the middle of front tube for the link cable to slide threw for the truck sliders since the seat cant do it anymore . then i got a set of mid 00's chevy venture can mid row rear seats and take off there bracket system and bolt down to the mounting tabs i placed on my frame . there huge head rest / 2 arm rests per seat / drivers has built in 2 cup holder unit . they recline and fold down flat except the drivers with head rest hitting the steering wheel . the center 4 tabs are for my troy console comand center unit to bolt down on .

these seats are firm yet cumfy and have some small side bolstering to hold you in the seat a bit more like a glove .

i am also 6ft and long in the legs . this combo got me a bit closer to the roof but still o.k. and also got my legs less of a 90* angle to the pedals .

here is a few pics . . . . . and yes there is 6 shifter levers in that cab .

[Dead Parrot]

2nd on the seats. I had the basic Scottsdale bounce-o'matic bench seat. Replaced with a custom bucket seat setup I found at the state fair of all places. (the guy that made them is long since retired). Huge improvement in comfort and long trip endurance. And they have held up very well.

Get a new seat first then worry about adjusting the column/wheel.

Tilt column? That can make a big difference in wheel placement.

[TKCR]

Don't know if your truck has tilt, but that would help, along with a smaller steering wheel.

[Justins76]

If you have tilt, you can loosen the bolts on the column and push it in towards the firewall. I gained maybe a bit over an inch. You have to drill out the 2 plastic pegs in the shaft under the hood to allow that part of the column to collapse in a bit.

[Old65C10]

Thanks for the suggestions. Is the 88+ bench seat better than the 73-87? I have seen a few in other trucks over the years and wondered if they would be any better. I hate to loose the bench seat. I bring a dog sometimes, and other times my adult daughter comes with us. 2 buckets would not work well.

[13jraven]

Have done a few things.

Put a PRP bench seat in my K30. Seat is really comfortable and I am sitting low with plenty of head room. I am 6'5" and there is no issues in a single cab. I have a tilt manual column which makes a difference with a manual.

The K30 I am presently working on I put a set of Mastercraft military suspensions seats in. I boxed part of the floor to get the seat farther back. Used a 14" steering wheel with a tilt column with a manual.

Really comes down to how far you want to go.

13

[TKCR]

Originally Posted by Old65C10

Thanks for the suggestions. Is the 88+ bench seat better than the 73-87? I have seen a few in other trucks over the years and wondered if they would be any better. I hate to loose the bench seat. I bring a dog sometimes, and other times my adult daughter comes with us. 2 buckets would not work well.

Mine had the seat your questioning. It was nice, but I wanted the original back in the truck, so I took it out. But it did give you more room. It sat lower in the seat because of the way it was built versus the 81-87 style. Here's mine before the color change and seat swap. The after photo is dark and the console is on the seat too, but if you compare the 2 pics, you can see how the maroon seat sat a bit lower and back further. Look at its position in reference with the door panel. And this pic was before the smaller wheel was added.

[D13]

Interesting. One of the things I love about my squares is the seat - much more comfortable to me than my '90, '99, or '17. I like that the vinyl benche allows me to position myself where I want. Oh, 6'1" and I wear 35" inseam and 36" sleeve, so I get the positional thing. Tilt really does help. Personally I am not a fan of smaller wheels, probably because I grew up on non-power steering trucks. THe one thing my dad hated about his 81 was the tiny wheel with no power steering. This from a 6'6" 300# farmer.

[cruizin01]

gmtiltsteeringcolumn.com can build you a tilt wheel that moves the wheel 2" closer to the dash. I have one and its great.

[SunSoaked]

Originally Posted by cruizin01

gmtiltsteeringcolumn.com can build you a tilt wheel that moves the wheel 2" closer to the dash. I have one and its great.

Only if it's for an auto. Wayne hasn't been able to build me a manual tilt yet. Guess it's a Unicorn?

[MalibuSSwagon]

Originally Posted by SunSoaked

Only if it's for an auto. Wayne hasn't been able to build me a manual tilt yet. Guess it's a Unicorn?

A manual trans tilt column is a unicorn but they do exist. I have one stashed in my basement that came out of a 90 K5 blazer.

[justin_jj_Taylor]

Originally Posted by SunSoaked

Only if it's for an auto. Wayne hasn't been able to build me a manual tilt yet. Guess it's a Unicorn?

I once bought a truck only for the manual tilt column haha, have 3 now, even 1 73-80, which is extra extra rare

[sweetk30]

i have 2 with wiper on them . but they are rare .

[HunterRotten]

I put a 88-93 silverado 60/40 split bench in mine and it is a very comfortable setup in my opinion. Everything else in the cab is more or less in the stock locations. We made a bracket that mounts to the stock bench seat mounting points, and then cut the original sliders down for the 88-93 seats and fastened them to the brackets. That way it's easily reversible if I ever decide to go some other way. There's a post somewhere in my thread about it.