Leather Is Better! - DIY Katzkin Leather How To Installation on Ford F-150 - Tips and Review

[@DangerDIY]

Thanks for making this DIY guide. After watching 7 minutes of it I decided to pay the shop that wanted $750 to do this for me. But only because it was going to be a 2 or three day project and I just don’t have that time.

[@digdrivediy]

Appreciate hearing that friend. Thanks for watching.

[@jacobmartinez4637]

How much in total did you spend?

[@bradenengland3555]

I’m 11 mins in lol I used to work at an upholstery shop, the zip ties he used is incorrect, should have used hog rings

[@quietbrianquiet]

@@bradenengland3555 I think you missed the part "DIY" I doubt he had hog rings just laying around his shop. A positive comment from someone that used to work at an upholstery shop would have made his day I bet. Thanks for your comment everyone will be trying to find hog rings now. Whatever they are.

[@NickyNicest]

Ya I came here to see if I could manage this and then quickly decided to pay for it lol

[@TermiteBenny]

After watching the amount of work it definitely makes it understandable as to why shops want to charge $1,000 plus for doing the job. Definitely a nice way to put a fresh new look on a vehicle. Good job

[@digdrivediy]

Yes, they are certainly earning their money for the install and getting paid for the experience too. I have been loving this upgrade since day one. Appreciate the kind words!

[@leonarddroneview6947]

I do this for a living Our shop can do this truck in 2 hours and I’m speaking from 10 years experience. This is one of the easiest trucks to do the top cover of the console is the hardest part I have done hundreds of them you did it the right way by gluing it instead of going with staples like factory

[@Blue2366]

2 hours?! I guess it pays to know what you’re doing!

[@jasonmassey461]

How much does your shop charge to install now after inflation

[@havanese37]

Sold!! To the professionals!! You just convinced me to get them installed. Watching you, I know I can’t do it, so thank you.

[@digdrivediy]

Ha! That's a win any way you look at it. Thanks for the comment 👍🏻

[@tycloud4601]

A few years ago I had a full leather job done to my 2003 Dodge Ram. I had them add heating pads to the back and bottom of the seats. They too were Kat skin seat covers. after about 8 years they still look new and I agree they are easier to clean . I love mine with the heat! Good job as I would never attempt them on my own!

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks Ty and glad to hear you're still liking yours. I can't imagine not having them now.

[@eligomez7667]

I’m about to get my leather seats installed too. I was going to get the heating and cooling like you but they wanted $3400 for everything. I ended up just getting the seats

[@yousufkan6960]

The timing for this video was perfect. I have the same truck 6 seater as-well. Thank you.

[@digdrivediy]

That's great to hear! I was hoping that someone would find this video helpful if they are hoping to install on their truck. Thanks for dropping the comment sir.

[@justinwood61]

Same here I’m about to do the same. Ty

[@gardeningpreacher]

When I was a GM technician back in the 90's, I specialize in interior trim... I've done many seat covers, except back then they didn't use the clips, they used hog rings...the clips make it so much easier. You did an excellent job!

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks

[@borninthefla]

Thanks for this video. I tackled this install by watching your video this weekend. Your tips were the best! I did the back seats in one afternoon and got done in the evening. However, like you mentioned my driver seat was worn out as I purchased the truck used and it was a fleet vehicle. For the drivers seat, I used a local gentleman I know to repair the cushion and install the front seat covers and armrest. Saved a ton of money, I was quoted by one upholstery shop north of $1200. Completely ridiculous!

[@digdrivediy]

I'm grateful to hear this type of comment Shane. I'm glad you found this helpful and sounds like your install went pretty well.

[@PatriotDad]

Fantastic video. I feel this is something I can do after seeing your tips and tricks. It’s such a price premium to get a Lariat for the sole purpose of leather seats.

[@digdrivediy]

Exactly! Best of luck on your install. If I can do it, you can do it!

[@aaronward568]

Thanks for the video and your advice to cut the cloth away from the plastic listing and then slide the listing out of the clips. That tip saved me who knows how much time. Originally, I was going to try to save the cloth covers, but so glad I saw your video. Even with cutting the original cloth, the install still took me quite a bit of time but the finished product looks amazing. Thanks for the tip!

[@digdrivediy]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing!

[@russorpcom]

Another really good video which is informative to almost "how to". Money aside, you are a brave man to do that with little or no experience in redoing upholstery. The truck looked great! You are a man of many talents!

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks Richard. I appreciate the kind words. It was certainly a challenging project but still glad I tried. Thanks for watching!

[@donnybeasley84]

I put Katzkins in my F150 a few years ago when I had Covid. You are correct, it was a pain in the butt, but the results were well worth it. Best thing I ever did to that truck.

[@ChadPitts92]

I did my 2016 F150 Screw a few years ago with Katskin and they still look like new. I did mine in about 5 hours including removal and reinstall of the seats (I had a console). But that jump seat can easily take hours more. I helped a friend with his and that thing was a nightmare. If you plan to do it yourself go into it knowing your going to just cut apart your cloth covers. Like he said do not bother trying to save them. For the headrests use a plastic bag and a vacuum to compress them it wont do much but that with using a heat gun to warm up the material makes its slide easy. And yeah your fingers will be raw and sore for days!

[@digdrivediy]

Yeah, what ⬆ he said! :)

[@bowesman1000]

wow great job. i have 2009 f150 XLT with cloth and paid for an upholstery shop to do this like five years ago. katzkin two tone grey/black. was like thousand bucks installed.still holding up great.

[@joejones6968]

My goodness man, you did an absolute phenomenal job!! And thank you for making this video for all of us to see you work and struggle with this, fantastic man!! You did a great Job!! and deserve the $1k you saved by doing this yourself, spend it on your family, have a great time with $1K create those memories!! Wow!! Absolutely the best man!!

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks a lot Joe! I really appreciate it.

[@andrewsamanthamadison3320]

We have a 16 screw cab xlt with the 5.0. Great truck. We just bought the covers for them when we bought the truck. But they get dirty as well and have to be cleaned from time to time. Good job on this tutorial! Maybe when the kids are grown and finished destroying these seats I’ll upgrade to these. For 5-600 bucks that’s a sweet upgrade! Thanks for the video on this snowy day!

[@digdrivediy]

I thought about covers too. We have them on one of our other company trucks not seen in the video. There are some nice solutions out there with the slip covers nowadays. If you do ever decide to go this route I don't think you'd regret it. The install sucked halfway through, but I was super happy when it was over. Glad to have you watching on a snowy day!

[@LauraFontana-r5k]

Great video! Watched it multiple times before attempting my f150. I bought mine on ebay from a reseller also. I will say, it's much easier to turn the cover inside out and "roll" it on than trying to put the foam into it like a pillowcase. Also, my 2011 uses hog rings, not the snap system just in case anyone else is doing that year.

[@ekimtton1]

Fantastic video!!!! Started my truck today. 3 hours and I have the back seats and all the headrests done. It’s a bit of a learning curve. Leaving the center jump seat for last.

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks Michael. I hope it was helpful in some way. Good luck with your install! I love mine still.

[@ekimtton1]

@@digdrivediy The video was extremely helpful. I followed what you did. They turned out great! Thanks again!

[@billlear5607]

I've been seriously considering buying these. I've watched so many install videos I've convinced myself i can do it. But I want to thank you for your video. Your the only one that showed replacing the console lid. Everyone else had the black plastic lid. I was wondering if they even made it.

[@scottr303]

I appreciate the honesty of the difficulty level of the installation. While I have the time and do a lot of projects I am in my 70s and my hand strength has gone away so I will be looking for an installer. Thanks

[@robmcguire5709]

If it’s for work and personal it’s nice to have a clean truck! That was a heck of an install, Neil.

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks Rob! If it starts clean then it's easier to keep clean too. Appreciate you watchin' buddy!

[@josipdolic6391]

“A DIY motivator “ I like that

[@donschaefer9442]

Great video Neil. Excellent explanations and great video angles. Better than any modern car shows!!!

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks for the kind words Donald. This one was tough cause I had about 8 hours of video to sift through. I could have made a 2 hour movie! Appreciate it. BTW, you spell your name the same way our family does. My Mom was a Schaefer. We actually had a Donald in the family too that passed away a few years ago so seeing your name made me think of him. Thanks for the great comment!

[@donschaefer9442]

@@digdrivediy No problem at all. Really enjoyed your video. I appreciate the work you put in I know editing is not fun. Hopefully they were good thoughts!! Spelled just like the beer. Love your firewood videos as well and your F650 is beautiful. 👍

[@mattbroughton1460]

Yes, its awsome. If you get a steamer then you can steam the foam out to original size most of the time instead of adding more foam

[@JakeNaughtFromStateFarm]

“The clip broke, so I used a zip tie.” This is the only reason I know you’re a true professional lol I’d like to do this to my 2005 F150. It’s got leather seats, but they’re gettin worn. This looks like the type of thing I’d try on someone else’s vehicle, but not sure about mine lol.

[@digdrivediy]

Zip ties in every truck and toolbox - truly a professional! The seats are holding up great and still look and feel new after a work season of hard use. Best of luck!

[@Ed-zj1vu]

Thanks for making this video and giving me the courage to tackle it. I watched your video a couple of times which made the install doable. Well worth the cost savings vs professional installer. 👍🏼

[@digdrivediy]

That's awesome Ed! Best kind of comment. Congratulations.

[@scottsoper]

My work trucks were rusty and junky! I purposely got old rusty trucks because I could make them do the job for a lot less money. One was a V8 that sometimes ran on only 6 cylinders. With today's computerized engines, the truck would of not run; however without a computer it would just spit the extra gas out the tail pipe and just a little less power. It was easy to fix by replacing two spark plugs which I always had in the glove compartment. When it would not run at all it was because it needed new points, which I also keep in the glove compartment. I always put in the best oversized battery I could find so it would start and the best tires I could get so I would not have flats. However the rim was so rusty that when I overloaded the truck, the tire broke the bead on the rim!! I still can't believe it! I had one ton helper springs added to a half ton truck and it was squatting down. So leather seats would be silly in my case. However I think it is a good choice for you; your trucks in that business need to look nicer and more over you drive the family around in the truck.

[@digdrivediy]

I like your way of thinking Scott!

[@theplinkerslodge6361]

Great share, the leather seats in SO many used cars is a problem - nice when new but they wear fast. Probably will jump in with this on my next used Expedition...

[@Siomasays]

Well done. Katskin is held to a higher standard than cheap covers for air bag safety. Good warranty too. Carmax sells thousand of these upgrades.

[@digdrivediy]

The entire time I was installing them I kept thinking to myself "I can't believe how well these are made and how great they fit". They certainly have a nice product.

[@hatcit5]

Pro tip, the foam for the bottom of the drivers seat is readily available from ford dealers for like 75 bucks. I change the foam in my 2017 f-250 every two years since new.

[@OnePointLander]

Thats terrible that they only last 2 years.

[@patmat.]

Good to know that spare foam exists and that it's DIY feasible, thanks.

[@livingadreamlife1428]

Just installed RoadWire leather seats in my pickup. They look incredible.

[@thorpower1015]

Im thinking of katzkin or roadwire, rw is about 400 cheper than kat. Would you say the roadwire have same type of leather, how tje leather quality on yours please, thanks.

[@hollandduck79]

👍😄 from the Netherlands 🇳🇱 in a hard Lockdown and curfew . Thanks fot the nice video . Stay Safe and Healthy you and the Fam

[@digdrivediy]

Hope it starts to get better over there. We are lucky to live out in the country and can carry on without much difference in life. I'm grateful for your loyal viewership. Take care friend!

[@josipdolic6391]

I ordered mine for I’m a construction worker but love to use my truck for family events Because it’s so easy to clean no doubt leather is a great choice

[@josipdolic6391]

@bezcabo meguiras

[@jamieashabraner1386]

Great Video, I am about to do the seats in my 2016 with the Katzkin leather. Thank you for taking the time to make this video it will be a great help.

[@digdrivediy]

Hope it goes well for you Jamie!

[@tpainfx4745]

Just installed a Katzkin kit in my F150 yesterday. About 6 hours total time but well worth it.

[@digdrivediy]

Man, you really knocked it out! I could do the second one in 6 hours but not the first. Thanks for letting me know that's cool to hear.

[@Bama5150RT]

Thanks! Mine arrived today and this is my weekend project.

[@digdrivediy]

Oh that's cool Jeremy! Good luck with it. It's worth it in the end for sure.

[@ED-op7wk]

This was a fantastic guide with helpful tips. Thank you.

[@Terry12345]

That was helpful. I just bought a f150 supercrew and have been looking at Katzkin seats.

[@digdrivediy]

Glad it helped Terry. Good luck if you go that route.

[@gvmoeller]

Great video - thanks! One thing worth considering, it is pretty cheap to just buy replacement foam for the bottom part of the driver's seat. You can upgrade the quality of the foam for ~$150, or get OEM foam for

[@RedBullFTW1]

Finishing up this install today and this video helped me pin point which parts would be the most challenging! First time install for me, and in two days all that’s left is the center console and to reinstall everything

[@digdrivediy]

Man, I love hearing that this video was helpful. Good luck on that center console or hope it turned out great if you're done already. You'll love those new seats!

[@andrewalexandrovich]

Man! thank you for this tutorial. Your video helped me not to return covers that I purchased.

[@digdrivediy]

👍🏻

[@diogoroldao]

Same here. After watching your video O realized I have to pay someone for this job lol. Even a DIY guy have limits! Great video! Watched it full!

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks 👍🏻

[@brentunruh9313]

Thanks a lot! Good info here- helped me do my 2019 F250. Was a little intimidated to get started but got it done. Love it!!

[@digdrivediy]

Nice!

[@curtwhite876]

Looked like a lot more work than I would have anticipated, just like a few weeks ago when I thought I would replace old decking with Trex in a day or two and it took five and a half days... Looks great when it's done, but part way through you start regretting your choices.

[@digdrivediy]

Oh man, you are exactly right. I was hating life by about day 3. The second installation went twice as fast. I could do a third one pretty quickly now. It was a heck of a lot of work and plenty of folks told me not to fool with it... I don't let them ride in my truck now 😂 Just kidding!

[@curtwhite876]

@@digdrivediy if you really wanna do a third, I can drive my Tundra up there! ;)

[@marcomorones4574]

Nice, I have been postponing doing this did the driver seat. After watching this video im im motavated to finish the rest of the truck.

[@casycasy5199]

you needed to do it.they look great .very informative and the tips will help.

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks Casy. I always appreciate your feedback and viewership. I am loving having these seats!

[@johnadams247]

Looks really good and I'm sure just as rewarding. I'm saving now for mine.

[@digdrivediy]

I love them. No regrets and makes it like a new truck again after having it for 5 years. Totally worth the pain!

[@emmanuellrhoads]

Just got my new 2023 Tacoma TRD SPORT with black Katzkin from RMT CUSTOMS from San Antonio Mccombs Toyota and it's amazing the way it looks now

[@dkooi1]

you are a patient man my friend!!

[@digdrivediy]

Oh my, if only! I edited out all the cussing and tool throwing! :)

[@peopleschampgarage7869]

This is the best diy video on doing this. Thank you 👍👍

[@digdrivediy]

Glad it was helpful!

[@patmat.]

Superbe explainations. I ever changed upholstery once, the driver seat's backrest of my 1987 Mercedes 190, about 6hr, I did it with the seat in place, and no instructions.

[@jordanlevitt6639]

Great video. You can buy those U clips. It's easier to replace them vs reusing them

[@digdrivediy]

But they are molded into the seat foam?

[@houseofgroovedjsphotobooth1175]

We did this to our 2017 f250 last year and love the katzkin leather.

[@digdrivediy]

It's a great mod! I have loved it ever since. Like a new truck for me. Thanks for checking it out.

[@ryliemueller9494]

Loved the video I'm looking to replace the covers in my new car and was glad to see someone install them! and yes STUPID to have cloth interior in a work truck!

[@digdrivediy]

Appreciate it Rylie!

[@gjl7022]

great video DIY. however, the co. will not sell the kit w/o the installer cost attached. it's all inclusive whether you do or don't.

[@mreverythingmaynard1411]

Great an very detailed video.. saved ima have to watch few more times

[@digdrivediy]

Sweet! I hope it serves you well and you get to watch it many more times :)

[@1ton4god]

I got leather in my Denali and I had cloth in my one ton. Wished I had leather my one ton. I wonder if they make a replacement seat bottom for my 03 GMC Denali it is trashed. Got 369 thousand miles on it. That is very ambitious and it looks beautiful buddy. What a good job.

[@digdrivediy]

I betcha they make it Marsh Monster! Man, that is a lot of miles so I'm not surprised those seats are feeling a little tired! You just moved up as one of my top commenters and you've got a little icon next to your name now on my screen! Thanks for all the continued support.

[@1ton4god]

@@digdrivediy you bet buddy. I thoroughly enjoy your videos. I got to get my new computer and I'm going to start editing a bunch of stuff. Hopefully produce a bunch more videos.

[@JeffPedlow]

Me: I should see about adding leather to the f150 Neil: you’re not gonna believe this, I’ve got a video for that too 😂😂 From one JD enthusiast to another, thanks for the content as always

[@jaymil8493]

Thanks for the airbag tip!

[@digdrivediy]

You bet. Best of luck 🤞

[@WannaFly247]

great video!!! It will take me the “lifespan” of the truck to make it happen 😮

[@beck7394]

Thanks for DIY installation video of Katzkin. Do you think that generally it will be the similar procedure for Jeep Liberty 2011?

[@digdrivediy]

Most likely

[@nathanstrobl5928]

Would you happen to have any knowledge on heated seats? Looking to do this to my truck but don’t want to mess the elements up.

[@digdrivediy]

My front seats are heated too! Just watch where you're cutting and it's all good. The heating pad is just a thin layer of fabric between the seat cover and the foam that is attached to the foam.

[@beardedelephant3023]

Just purchased mine today. Just waiting for confirmation to drop off for installation

[@digdrivediy]

Awesome! You'll love it. Thanks for watching.

[@beardedelephant3023]

@@digdrivediy Looking forward to it. Thanks for sharing

[@jamesbaggech4127]

I enjoyed the video! I saw your bloody fingertips.... I know the feeling! You did a great job. Thanks for the encouragement to "getter" done!!

[@atozrecovery518]

Awesome job and I'm 50/50 on leather for a work truck. Pro- easy cleanup, looks amazing Cons- live in TX so HOT AS BALLS . Unless you do double limo tint and double limo on bra and go atleast 2 inches past state line. Other than that Awesome job love the black

[@digdrivediy]

Appreciate it! Yeah, the heat may be an issue...

[@bob0838]

Great informative video. Definitely worth the time and hard work to install them. Did you disconnect the battery prior removing the seats to prevent any airbag lights coming up?

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks a lot Robert. No, I didn't disconnect the battery. As a matter of fact I had to drive it to work before I had the passenger seat back in and the airbag was on. It went away when I reconnected the seats. Thanks for watching.

[@sassafrasvalley1939]

How fortuitous! My cloth Tundra seats are nasty looking. I was discussing it with my spousal unit. But, had not begun searching yet. So, I plugged it in and “Katzkin” popped up. Looks like I just added to my project list. I feel your pain with upholstering. As you know, I worked in the furniture industry from 1971 to 2008. The last 12 years was as Quality Manager of a huge recliner factory. (625,000 sq/ft of floor space under one roof, 1400 employees and 2000+ finished chairs/sofas per day.) I had worked in wire making and forming, woodworking, furniture hardware stamping-assembly-installation, assembly machinery design testing, foam manufacturing... you know, everything but upholstery . This plant brought in raw lumber, coil steel, foam blocks, fabric rolls, leather hides and all the associated small components required to make reclining chairs and sofas. Within 17 hours those were converted into finished units, in a box, in the warehouse. If the hardwood lumber had been brought in kiln dried, the time would have been under 10 hours. Did I mention that I knew nothing about upholstery? Well, when taking the job, I requested that I have the opportunity to fully upholster a chair. So, on Friday of my first full week I met the Upholstery Manager at 6AM to learn how to do it. In a plant that survives on how many good chairs it makes each day... everything depends on how fast and how well the upholsters did their job. All other employees were just support for them. As a consequence of that fact, the highest paid and most respected employees worked there. That’s where I was introduced to Smokin’ Joe. Joe was a 20some year upholsterer. I asked him why they called him Smokin’ Joe. He turned red in the face and told me that it was a nickname that someone had pegged him with years ago. As we walked over to the training area the Manager said, “I’ll come back and see how you are doing about lunchtime. Don’t staple your finger.” I stopped him and said, “It shouldn’t take that long. I’ll call on the radio when we are done.” The setup was a workstation with two upholstery tables and tool sets in mirror opposite positions. There were carts with two identical sets of cloth chair components on them. Joe explained that he would make one while I made the other. We started with the easiest component, the legrest.As we worked Joe explained all of the specifications and techniques meticulously. And, I noticed that he did it left handed. This aided greatly because I could just grip, smooth, pleat, stuff and staple without having to transfer the motions in my head. At the end of the first hour we had completed the first task of putting foam, upholstery and a dust cover on a flat board. On to the seat. It was a bit more complicated. The seat frame had springs, thicker foam with a Dacron fiber pad, vertical staple surfaces and a stretcher in the back containing welt cord that had to hook into clips. Fortunately, I had learned a little already and it only took 1.5 hours to finish that. At which time we took our morning break. At the vending machines one of my QA techs said, “I see you are working with Smokin’ Joe. Do you think you can beat him?” I said, “I’m not trying to beat him. But, he’s a good trainer especially because he’s left handed.” He grinned and said, “Joe’s not left handed. That’s just his training mode.” I thought about that as I went back to the training room. When I got there, Joe was putting out the components for the back upholstery. As I watched, I noticed that he was indeed right handed. So I asked him about it. He told that he had learned to do upholstery with either hand. It was faster than turning the pieces around when you went from the left to the right side. He also said it helped keep his hands from cramping so badly. We proceeded. The back was a booger. It had all the challenges of the seat on steroids. And, the outside back was pulled taut with tack strips that took me half an hour to master. That took us to lunch... at which the Upholstery Manager returned. He looked at what we’d done and asked Joe, “Do you think you’ll finish by quitting time?” Joe shrugged and said, “There’s always tomorrow.” That made me blush. I told them I’d hurry all I could. To which the Upholstery Manager said, “Don’t rush. Learn how to do it right.” So, we started on the left body arm. (I did left while Joe did right.) Then we started on the other body panel. We finished about a half hour before quitting time. I was really pleased that we’d finished before the end of Joe’s shift! I called the Upholstery Manager on the radio. When he came over he inspected my work... and he showed me a couple of details that I needed to fix. As Joe and I were doing the repairs he asked, “What time do you want to start tomorrow?” Well, a Final assembler showed up to train me on Saturday. It only took about an hour to put together the mechanism with the body arms, seat, legrest and back. So, I walked over to thank Joe. He was upholstering and never missed a beat as we talked. The style he was making was a bit more complicated than what we had made. It had a button tufted back, chaise style legrest to seat attachment and butterfly overarm padding. I asked him how long it would take him to upholster it. He said, “Cloth takes 32 minutes. Leather, 35.... if I was doing the style we made yesterday it would only take 19 minutes.” I said, “Pardon me. Did you say 19?” He said, “Yep. That’s cloth, it doesn’t come in leather.” I have to tell you that I was humbled... but, I soon learned that Smokin’ Joe wasn’t fibbing. I checked into it. There were 34 styles of chairs. (Sofas were in a separate upholstery department.) All upholsters had to take the next chair that came down the line. That meant that from one chair to the next, Joe would be doing a different style more often than not. Joe averaged 22 chairs per 8 hour day. He held the plant record at 34. Additionally, he had perfect attendance (including no tardy points) almost every year. I pulled up a quality report and found out that his First Time Through rate was over 99.8%. That’s right, including dangling threads, crooked staples, wrinkles... defects both cosmetic, major and critical... Joe’s units were perfect 998 out of 1000! A couple of years later our corporate product engineering group asked to have Joe sent to their facility. They video taped him assembling chairs. Then, they used those to train trainers and analyzed them to make design changes that improved the ease of assembly. He brought with him several tools that he’d made. Two were copied and duplicated for company wide use. The staple puller was a flat screwdriver with a slot ground in the widthwise edge of the blade. The second one was what Joe called a Regulator. It was a very thin sharp ice pick. You insert it between the stitches of a seam and moved around the Dacron and Polyfoam inside to smooth or fluff the arm, back, etc. Neil, whether you’re watching a golfer, backhoe operator, artist or upholster... if you’re watching the best of the best you are glad that you can’t unsee it! Today, I had the opportunity to see one of the best DIY’ers tutors on YT! Thanx. PS... can you guess where he got the Smokin’ Joe moniker?

[@digdrivediy]

What a fantastic tale. In my 44 years I have not spent one minute considering what the life of a professional upholsterer may have been like, even after fumbling my way through upholstering my own truck seats with only moderate success. Your story of Smokin' Joe sounds like it could be a documentary about how to be the best you can be, no matter what it is you be! That's incredible and I admire the heck outta Joe despite not knowing him. You can really judge the character of a person by the amount of pride they take in their work and he sounds like the type of man that would be a pleasure in any situation most likely. I had quite a few close friends wrinkle their noses when I told them I was going to try to do this job. The more people that wrinkle their nose, the more it made me want to do it. It was a miserable job and by day 2-3 I was hating life. The only thing more motivating to get a job done than a paycheck is the threat of hearing "I told you so's" when you can't finish, and their was no paycheck on the line in this scenario! I think you've got to put yourself in uncomfortable situations so as not to get too comfortable in life. Just like you felt you should learn the upholsterer's job. Really helps to put things into perspective. This KZbin channel is one of those examples as well. Started out pretty uncomfortable and while it isn't easy yet, I feel I have learned some things. Just wish I had been videotaping so many things along the way that could have made great content! Fortunately I have tens of thousands of pictures to draw upon for B-Roll! Thanks for sharing this weeks installment. We need to come up with a name for your KZbin comment stories... Becoming quite the thing of legend! And, thanks for the kind words. Always appreciated.

[@sassafrasvalley1939]

@@digdrivediy you tagged an especially strong motivator. I have always found that personal safety and self actualization are in fact stronger motivations than money. Spending so much time in factories with average Joes, you can’t help but learn a few things about human nature. Really good workers are motivated far more by things like respect from their peers and proving their worth than by their pay check. (Unless of course they are struggling with less than subsistence wages or negative outside influences.) It has been my pleasure to meet and lead numerous people who, by job title, appeared to be ordinary cogs in the wheel. But. when watching the wheels spin it was plain that they were instead the driving force behind the whole machine. Joe set the pace for the whole plant. His peers were always learning from him and working to compete with him. The supply departments did not want to let him or his competitors down. He did not want to fail. It drove the culture and work ethic of the whole plant. Understanding how the desire to succeed and the self respect that comes from success are lessons that I wished I understood in college. There was only one class that I had touching on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. And, the professor who taught it was woefully inadequate at explaining it in a practical-application. Made In the USA hit the wall of Made In Japan right about the time I graduated college. When I started studying for my first Quality Engineering Certification, it became apparent that the entire Japanese system was built on those higher level personal needs. Eventually, I learned to use them to help others to build success, instead of stepping on them for personal gain... although it works most every where. It was far easier to do so in factories than in the offices. Neil, I believe that each of us wants success at some level and recognition and respect are some of the best motivators to achieving it. Thanks for not quitting.

[@richanderson7944]

How did you do the rear headrests with the fold down buttons?- did you pop them out/what was the technique you used? Thanks!!

[@digdrivediy]

Sorry I missed this message. The button stay put in the headrest. Just cut a slit to go out and around them.

[@northwestblaze1463]

very will explained and I bought one from eBay for my 2017 f 150 I will do next weekend

[@digdrivediy]

Best of luck with your installation!

[@northwestblaze1463]

Thank you

[@artbyteran]

Just got a quote from them, they don't sell the covers alone anymore, you have to purchase the installation and the covers 1.9k for a 2016 f150 double cab

[@digdrivediy]

I bought them from a reseller on eBay

[@victorbocanegra4773]

Great idea!! Good job guys!!

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks Dylan!

[@russellbelton8213]

Another great video from Neil. The editing is awesome. I don’t want to change the seat covers in my Uber car but I do now lol 😂🇬🇧

[@digdrivediy]

Haha! Ah, c'mon Russell! It's a great way to spend a weekend! Thanks for the kind words and as always thanks for watching!

[@possibility28able]

If the zip ties worked so well, I would have forgone the clips all together.. They looked like a real PITA!

[@4339jk]

I have a crew cab so I would be content with just covering the front buckets...

[@whitneyranchproductions4637]

Great video! Like you, I try to do my own labor. Patience and perseverance! While I'm sure I could accomplish this, I don't think my old fingers could take the abuse required to finish. I'll probably spring for the install. I do agree leather wears much better and is easier to take care of. 👍👍

[@JDRsvc]

I have a 2023 f250 XLT and i just upgraded mine to leather from original set of a lariat it really was a pain in the ass my finger tips were numbed but really paID off all the work. I came to see your video and see how to engage those clips but honestly i could only do like three or four 4️⃣ on each seat Also my back was killing me but i stole your idea of doing it on the dining table wife wasn’t too happy about that🤨 Any ways thanks for the tutorial PS. Let me tell you the original set i got from ebay looking like new only paid $370 comparing to KATZKIN

[@paulphillips4820]

Looks like trying to put pantyhose on a rooster. Thank you for taking the time to break it all down. Job well done.

[@leonarddroneview6947]

You need a 13 18 15 mil to take the seats out you need a steamer to steam the clips and the kit to get the wrinkles out

[@Michael-gx3op]

The seats look great! I'm about to tackle this on my 2017 f250 and this video is going to be a huge help. One question though, why did you have to take the air bags out of the front seats?

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks Michael! The airbags are installed into a pocket of the seat cover themselves. Even though they volt to the seat frame, you have to take them out of the cover. Best of luck!

[@natefarrington2010]

As a first time installer (today) I can clarify that the airbag pocket is sown to the original seat cover. Removing the airbag from its pocket allows full removal of the seat cover. The new Katzkin covers include their own pocket for the airbag, just like the factory ones did.

[@gregkneubuhler5798]

Looks great! Where can I get a company truck like that? 🤔

[@digdrivediy]

👍Thanks Greg! You have to be really committed to your job... or your in your case just walk out to the barn 😋

[@marcuswhite7254]

If you put plastic on first the leather slide on easer

[@digdrivediy]

Good tip Marcus. Thanks!

[@TXH1138]

Did you check a salvage yard to see if they had leather seats out of a wreck?

[@digdrivediy]

No, but looked on eBay an it's pretty hard to come by used interior at a good price.

[@tovey007]

SEAT INSTALL QUESTION - are the bottom cushions from the two front seats interchangeable (40/20/40 config) ? I have some wear and compression on my drivers side that would be nicely hidden if a simple swap will work. Appreciate hearing what you think after having pulled everything apart. Thanks -

[@digdrivediy]

That's a good question. They may have been the same now that you mention it. I don't know why I didn't think about changing them out? I'm sorry I can't say for sure though if they are interchangable. Would be a nice fix for sure. Best of luck.

[@tovey007]

@@digdrivediy thanks for the response! Do you remember if the covers were the same left to right or are they different? Thx-

[@digdrivediy]

@@tovey007 I got to look at my truck and the instructions and there's definitely left and a right. They don't look like they are interchangeable. You might be able to use them in either situation but might obstruct the seatbelt it looks like.

[@jamesherrmann128]

They are not interchangeable. Most likely because there is an air bag pocket sewn in and this must be in the proper position.

[@johnhamilton9229]

Yeah. Too much for me. Impressed with your attention to detail.

[@digdrivediy]

This one was borderline too much for me. If I get any more years under my belt I won't want to try this anymore!

[@douglasframpton7154]

Great video! Helped me out a ton!

[@digdrivediy]

Glad to hear that Douglas! Thanks for the comment!

[@lukemckenzie5872]

Do you know is it still pretty do-able with heated front seats and power seats?

[@digdrivediy]

Mine were heated and powered in this video :)

[@Csf0206]

Did you use the heat gun for the seats or only the console?

[@digdrivediy]

Just the console.

[@Csf0206]

@@digdrivediy I’m having trouble getting the cover on the bench seat in the back to interlock with each other. Do you have any suggestions? Heat gun maybe?

[@taylorlindsay1262]

Did you have to cut the airbag covers and have them resewn? I know they’re normally sewn into the original seat cover and wasn’t sure if it would sacrifice function if they weren’t resewn into the new seats.

[@jacekane2260]

The airbags on the front seats are not sewn into the seat. They are only held in by two nuts.

[@lwhays]

Great video. FYI Katzkin no longer sells the kit without the installation - anybody got a good alternative?

[@jamesherrmann128]

Katzkin doesn't but myriad sellers do sell the Katzkin covers on ebay.

[@auxmike718]

Got my set for $499 on eBay!

[@timothypeterson7232]

The people at katzkin will not sell sell me the seat covers without having them professionally installed. This is a project that I am very capable of doing. Where did you purchase yours?

[@digdrivediy]

Man, that's a bummer. I bought mine from eBay.

[@yeiko_alvarez9830]

Awesome video bro thanks to you I was able to install my Katzkin on my 2020 f150 🙏🏻💪🏻👊🏻👊🏻

[@knuttsackjones3094]

I’d love to find a video as great as this for a console lid. Did all my seats myself and it was far easier than I thought, crazy sore fingers asideLOL All I have left is the lid. I swear a read somewhere you needed shallower staples for it but now I can’t find anything about it😐

[@digdrivediy]

But I did my console lid in this video?

[@knuttsackjones3094]

@@digdrivediy I swear it was for the jump seat/middle seat in the front and not for the actual full center console lid.

[@mikeriv60]

You wouldn't have a link for replacement foam seat clips to hold leather or name of clips ? I can't seem to find them. I figure since I'll be doing this soon maybe I can purchase them before hand. Thanks

[@digdrivediy]

I'm sorry I don't. I used zip ties instead of the clips as seen in the video.

[@mikeriv60]

@@digdrivediy Gotcha. Thanks

[@riggs4qtr]

Did they tighten up after some heat and time?

[@digdrivediy]

Yes. They have tightened up and look factory. Still holding up well 2 years later.

[@EliBurleson]

How did you get the seat covers themselves? I emailed katzkin and they said they don't sell them alone.

[@chadduckworth5145]

Hey man how and where did you order the kit from?

[@digdrivediy]

I bought mine from eBay. I think I put a link in the description but I can't remember without going back to look and I'm on my phone so it's kind of tough.

[@MichaelKoch-bf2zo]

Great video - how can I get a KOCH hat like yours? Michael Koch

[@digdrivediy]

Hey Michael! Just saw this comment. I'm afraid the Koch hats are out of production at the moment:(

[@Aragorn1700]

Yup they wre just need to have the time and patience j believe i will havr a hell of a time doing it. Gez i need to borrow my moms csr tk gk tk work when i start doing that to mine. Lol

[@aliveandwell2078]

Every nice video and great job!!!

[@digdrivediy]

Thanks Robb! I'm loving the seats!

[@mikeriv60]

No hog rings and pliers needed? 👍 Nice