F
Furia
Guest
We have a 1996 Ford F150 2dr is it safe to put a chld seat (infant+) in the front seat? The middle seat is a fold down and only has a lap belt, would it be ok to put the car seat in the passenger seat?
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skaterbabs
Well-known member
What do you mean the middle seat folds down?
Victorious4
Senior Community Member
A more family-friendly vehicle would be ideal....
Since there's no back seat, the front is necessary, right?
I don't remember if the 1996 F150 has a passenger airbag, but if it does, hopefully it also has a turn-off switch.... If so use it The dealer can also install a shut-off switch.
Is another (adult) passenger going to sit in the middle S/he will be safer getting an 86Y assuming s/he fits the 168# weight limit (including shipping & top tether anchor kit, ours cost only $45 & the dealer installed the anchor for free).
Keeping kiddo rear facing until the maximum limits of the seat would also greatly increase his/her safety!
Since there's no back seat, the front is necessary, right?
I don't remember if the 1996 F150 has a passenger airbag, but if it does, hopefully it also has a turn-off switch.... If so use it
The dealer can also install a shut-off switch.Is another (adult) passenger going to sit in the middle
S/he will be safer getting an 86Y assuming s/he fits the 168# weight limit (including shipping & top tether anchor kit, ours cost only $45 & the dealer installed the anchor for free).Keeping kiddo rear facing until the maximum limits of the seat would also greatly increase his/her safety!
- American Academy of Pediatrics: Selecting and Using the Most Appropriate Car Safety Seats for Growing Children
- Why Rear Facing is Safest
- Rear Facing: Unmatched Safety (with crash test footage) & Extended Rear Facing Photo Album
- REAR-FACING: WHY | WHO | WHEN | WHAT | WHERE | HOW
- Toddlers Should Face the Rear Longer
- In Scandinavia kids stay Rear Facing until 50# (3-5 yrs. old) & there's never been a recorded case of leg/foot injury, but many cases of neck/spine injury from Forward Facing too soon -- regardless, I'd rather have a broken ankle than a broken neck
Victorious4
Senior Community Member
My dad's 1999 F250 is like this: the seat (bottom part) is there all the time, but the top/back folds down as an arm rest & console -- there's a lever to flip it back up to use a seat....
skaterbabs
Well-known member
what does the vehicle owner's manual say?
scatterbunny
New member
Tiffany, is it allowable to install a CR on those console/fold-down seats?
If so, and only if the driver's side doesn't have an airbag, I'd put baby in the center (provided you get a solid install). That way no adult has to ride in the dangerous lapbelt-only spot.
If the driver's side has an airbag though, the carseat in the middle will be in the airbag deployment zone, so the seat should be installed outboard.
If so, and only if the driver's side doesn't have an airbag, I'd put baby in the center (provided you get a solid install). That way no adult has to ride in the dangerous lapbelt-only spot.
If the driver's side has an airbag though, the carseat in the middle will be in the airbag deployment zone, so the seat should be installed outboard.
Victorious4
Senior Community Member
I *think* there's an airbag in the driver's seat for 1996 ... but I could be wrong -- always check the manual
Our 1999 F250 manual said it's OK to install a Forward Facing carseat in the middle folding seat, but there's no allowable tether location for ours since it has a full back seat (we were allowed to get a tether anchor installed for the center rear seat) -- my guess is that Ford will allow a tether installed in a 1996 F150, but ... again, check the manual and/or call the manufacturer
When my sister brought my then 6 year old niece to visit when Leila was 2, we all rode in the truck -- my sister is very "down" on boosters & it wasn't a law here, then ... so I bought the KidY & after consulting the techs here & EZOn & Ford, we decided to put Leila in her CarGo between the grandparents up front with my niece in the KidY between me & my sister in back -- grandpa refused to take my sister & niece unless they used the KidY ... WOOHOO! (If I'd had my own say, though, we'd have all pitched in for a minivan rental & my niece would've been in a booster)
Our 1999 F250 manual said it's OK to install a Forward Facing carseat in the middle folding seat, but there's no allowable tether location for ours since it has a full back seat (we were allowed to get a tether anchor installed for the center rear seat) -- my guess is that Ford will allow a tether installed in a 1996 F150, but ... again, check the manual and/or call the manufacturer
When my sister brought my then 6 year old niece to visit when Leila was 2, we all rode in the truck -- my sister is very "down" on boosters
& it wasn't a law here, then ... so I bought the KidY & after consulting the techs here & EZOn & Ford, we decided to put Leila in her CarGo between the grandparents up front with my niece in the KidY between me & my sister in back -- grandpa refused to take my sister & niece unless they used the KidY ... WOOHOO! (If I'd had my own say, though, we'd have all pitched in for a minivan rental & my niece would've been in a booster)
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The driver's airbag usually does not cover the middle seating position. Also, a lap belt is usually fine for installation of a child restraint with a 5-point harness. You would definitely have to consult the manual for instructions on whether or not a child restraint can be used in the front seat. In the unlikely event that the 1996 model has a passenger side airbag, you would have to have an on/off switch installed.
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