Rear seat back support

[dunlaps3]

Can anyone take a picture of the bar bracket that the rear seat back hooks to?
My 170B has not had a back seat installed for many years. Looks like that part is lost. I can not even find it in the Cessna IPC. My son wants to fabricate one and I told him we need to see one first. Andrew

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

What year? There are two different versions. One is a saw tooth design that attaches to the side of the fuselage engaged by a rod on the seat back. The other is a saw tooth design bracket on the seat back that engages the hat shelf.


The early one for serial 18003 to 26995 is on fig 23 item 15 in the 170B IPC. You can't see it well enough in the IPC to make one.The later version for serial 26996 and on can be seen on fig 31, item 2. On fig 31 you can also see the rod that engages the early type.

The early type is a source of frustration as it is a pain to engage both sides and the rod tears up the interior panels. The later style requires the hat shelf be installed. The receiver for the later style that hangs from the hat shelf is not shown i the IPC.

[cessna170bdriver]

Theae aren't super clear after you zoom in, but you can get an idea of what they look like. These are in a 1955 B-model, sn 26541.

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Miles is showing you the early type.

[cessna170bdriver]

Miles is showing you the early type.

When did they change? I've always thought of my airplane as a "late" model 170...

[Ryan Smith]

When did they change? I've always thought of my airplane as a "late" model 170...

They say that the mind is the first thing to go.

[n2582d]

Can anyone take a picture of the bar bracket that the rear seat back hooks to?
My 170B has not had a back seat installed for many years. Looks like that part is lost. I can not even find it in the Cessna IPC. My son wants to fabricate one and I told him we need to see one first. Andrew

Andrew, Here's a picture of my latch (early style) and what I think is the late style bracket that attaches to the hat rack. Based on your serial number this is what I think you should have in your plane. Maybe someone could confirm that this is the late style. I found the hat rack at a salvage yard and don't know what it came out of. If these brackets are what you are looking for you can have them for $20 including S&H.

What I don't understand is how the early and late style have the same part numbers in fig. 23-15.

Early Style

Late Style

Fig. 31

Fig. 23

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Gary, that last picture is the late style for 26996 and later. I did not find it listed in the IPC at all however the hat shelf assembly is a different part number than the early one of which also has several part numbers.

I don't think Andrew has said what his serial number is.

Miles, your airplane may be a late airplane considering the production run, but it has the first style rear seat adjuster, not the second so, you have the early version.

Gary, yours and the one I use to have probably came from 26996 or later OR likely a 172.

[cessna170bdriver]

So, I've just added another item to the list of differences between the '55 and '56 models.

[n2582d]

Gary, that last picture is the late style for 26996 and later. I did not find it listed in the IPC at all however the hat shelf assembly is a different part number than the early one of which also has several part numbers.

Bruce, I too have been unable to come up with a part number for the late style bracket. Here's a better picture of it.

$65 on E-scam. I'm not charging enough!

s-l225.jpg (4.41 KiB) Viewed 16934 times

In the early 172 IPC it is part of the baggage shelf assembly. There it calls for four AN3-3A bolts to mount these brackets (which are riveted to the shelf). Take a look at fig. 23-15 in the C-170B IPC. There listed is a "bulkhead assembly". This part includes the nut plates which these four AN3-3A bolts attach the bracket/shelf to the side of the fuselage.

Bulkhead Assy.

Bulkhead Assy..jpg (23.6 KiB) Viewed 16934 times

I don't think Andrew has said what his serial number is.

I found Andrew's s/n in the directory.

Gary, yours and the one I use to have probably came from 26996 or later OR likely a 172.

I agree, probably from an early 172, 180 or 182. This topic was covered here nine years ago. That's what's great about getting old -- it's all new to me!

[dunlaps3]

Thank you guys, that helps. Both my planes are a mixture of old and new. A 52 and 56 model. Neither has had a back seat for years.

[n2582d]

Andrew, Are the two attach points--what Cessna calls "bulkheads"--with the two nutplates in each still in your '56 at station 90?

Like you many of us don't fly with the rear seat in place because with only one passenger it's dead weight. And my guess is most of us that still have the seat in place have removed the hat shelf because without it's easier to access behind the rear seat. But from a safety stand point the rear seat back and hat shelf form a cage in the baggage compartment. In the event of an accident they should keep the extra oil cans, extra tailwheel, spark plugs, beer, etc. from becoming projectiles. If we store stuff back there that would dent a cranium and we don't have a hat shelf it probably should be tied down with a net. Or else remove your shoulder harness so in a crash your head will hit the panel knocking you out before the beer thwacks the back of your head!

[dunlaps3]

Gary, thanks for the help. Yes, the nut-plate attachments are still there in my '56. At this point, now that my memory has been refreshed with pictures, my son and I will somehow "produce" what we need. We might forego the hat shelf. And as far as getting wacked in the head during the crash, we have two plans in place- first, keep all items in a secured down plastic container , and second (and this is the key), Do Not Crash.

[dunlaps3]

Here is a picture of our project...... Andrew

[dunlaps3]

And another..... EDM 900 and Garmin 796 leaves a lot of panel space. Andrew