Seat back problem - need help

[fran]

The front seats in my 86 gt have a seat back problem. The seat back will not lock into position. The reclining part works but yu can pick up the seat back from any position without pulling up on the little lever in the back of seat. You have to lift up lever to let somebody into the back seat. Not these two front seats lift up anytime. Also when going down road & hit the brakes to stop the passenger seat want to come forward. Any body ever have this problem How do you fix. Might need a couple of seat back mechs so to replace. Anybody! Let me know. Thanks! Fran

[snailmont5oh]

Ford changed the way their seats worked a few different times throughout the years. I know that, in my dad's '88 Thunderbird, you never did have to lift the levers to get the seatbacks to flip forward. The only time they were supposed to lock is if the inertia mechanism detected an accident. In that case, the seatbacks would try to keep the front seat occupants from being crushed by the rear seat occupants. Then, you could lift the little levers to reset it and let the back seat occupants out. Over the years, I've learned to ignore what the passenger seat does unless it's coming over to see me.

Hope this helps.

Later,
Mike.