Installed 3 LandTank Seat Extensions last weekend (1 Viewer)

[unwiredadventures]

I love this mod so much, I did 3 more seats!

It's quite a job so if you need to do it I'd suggest doing them all at once. Both my wife and I are over six feet tall and the standard seat placement needs just a couple more inches. Here are the 3 seats being modified (one other seat was done months ago):

Backyard work area:

Drilling out the stock mount:

Track removed. See the roller bearings:

Grinding down the stops to allow the track to move two more inches:

All done, two seats waiting for installation:

Does your seat go back this far?

The first one I did with inferior tools. This time I invested in a good grinder and it made the job much faster, easier and safer.

The extra 2 inches makes a world of difference. Much more space for long legs for both the driver and front seat passenger.

 

[NLXTACY]

Nice, I keep thinking about doing this. My wife and I are both 6'. Although she is 6'3" in heels

I just feel sorry for the people that would be sitting in the back seats :whoops:

 

[mot]

Now the 2nd-row passenger (kids?) will need their seat extension done with the DS/PS seats slid back all the way.

Nice job!

 

[walleyefisher]

Now the 2nd-row passenger (kids?) will need their seat extension done with the DS/PS seats slid back all the way.

Nice job!

Just take out the second row and let the kids sit in the third row

 

[unwiredadventures]

Just take out the second row and let the kids sit in the third row

Yes, great idea. We have a few years before the kids are too big for the back seat (2nd row).

Today is the first day I drove my LC with the seat mod. Wow, what a difference. They should have been like this from the factory.

 

[western flyer]

I just did 2 seats. I dig the extra room. The brackets took some substantial work to develop; excellent job Rick. The instructions are a bit vague for a first timer, so I can offer some suggestions to make this go smoother (these will make sense as you get into it):

-- I used a 14.4v Dewalt drill battery to power the seat into the proper position (I took my seat out before I got the instructions by email). I used alligator clips and wire to make my temp. connections to the 3 pin connector on the seat. The two pins close together in the connector are the ones you want (pos and neg are OK if reversed, you just move the switch the opposite way if necessary). Pay attention to the instructions before you remove your seats.

1. Use a magnet to capture all the shavings when drilling and grinding. Less mess. You probably do not want those shaving all around your shop.
2. Try to be very accurate with a center punch to make the center marks on the weld and the rivet before drilling the front feet. Drill accurately.
3. When you are drilling out the RIVET (not the weld) for the front feet, drill down just to the edge of the foot itself (not farther...you need to keep the foot intact), then drive off the remaining top of the rivet horizontally with a cold chisel (it should pop right off). Then drive the bottom portion of the riven out with a punch (straight down).
4. Drill out the WELDs on the front feet completely (accurately centered per the above).
5. Twist the foot (to remove it) to the side with a very large pair of pliers to weaken the weld that is holding the foot to the bottom seat rail. It WILL release with a fair amount of pressure back and forth. Beware of hitting the foot straight back or forward (to try to remove it), as the load will be on the mechanism that moves the seat forward and back.
6. Appropriate beverage enjoyment.
7. Note the exact way the roller bearings come out as you take apart the seat rails...they will go back the same way. It is not likely intuitive how to get it back together the first time you try (the bump stops can "confuse" things).
9. Use an 82 deg. countersink bit. I got mine at sears. The use of cutting oil and proper speed/pressure will make all your bits last longer.
10. File smooth the seat rail bearing surfaces (one the rails) if they have become rough with wear (common apparently).
11. Now is the time to fix your slave motor gears on your seats (vender here on Mud). Grease (inside) and tighten the little white caps on the slave motor if things are otherwise OK.
12: Read the instructions carefully and take your time. Clean and lube other parts while you are in there.
13. Keep gobs of grease off of the holes where you will be mounting the feet back to the rails, as the small bolts that go through these hole will ultimately get locktite applied to them (and need to remain clean for the locktite to function properly).
14: You need locktite 271 (IIRC), cold chisel, hammer, some punches, angle grinder, center punch, rachet, 12mm and 14 mm sockets, 10 mm socket or wrench, 4mm allen, 5mm allen, drill and quality metal drill bits (1/8' and 1/4"), 82 deg. countersink bit (I think it is 1/2" wide).

YMMV. Buenas suerte.

Jon

 

[asutherland]

Just take out the second row and let the kids sit in the third row

Suuure, says you!

 

[ironbinder]

I'm having a very difficult time removing the top rail sliders off. I got the front feet off, got the rear bolts out, and the 4 bolts that hold on the 2 worm gear brackets.
So now I'm at the point of sliding the rails out. Nothing in Landtanks pdf instructions mentions that they need to be 'Forced out with a hammer'
WTH, everyones descriptions sound like it is very easy to just 'slide the bottom rails off'.
Not for me. I can't get them out. Should I use a hammer with a piece of wood?

 

[mehbohdi]

I had same problem when I did mine 1 side came off other side stuck when I got it apart noticed bearing cage bent up a little straighten out and went together smoothly. I do have to say this is 1 of the best inexpensive upgrades, just time consuming

 

[landtank]

These trucks aren't new any more and any number of things could happen over the years to make this job more difficult. From physical damage to just getting dirty.

I'd start with using the palm of my hand and monitor the rail for movement.

 

[ironbinder]

These trucks aren't new any more and any number of things could happen over the years to make this job more difficult. From physical damage to just getting dirty.

I'd start with using the palm of my hand and monitor the rail for movement.

My cruiser is really clean the guy bought it from took really good care of it. And the underside of the seats are really clean and the rails the grease is clean and everything slides really smoothly there's no feel of foreign objects or dirt or any grinding .
I'll just use a little more brute force and trying to get them out I just wanted to doublecheck and make sure I'm not gonna break anything.
I've bent and broken things on automotive's working on them before so I'm just trying to be careful .

 

[fz1boxer]

did my driver seat and absolutely love it,my wife is short so she is fine,no back seats in my so not any issues with room in the back

 

[ironbinder]

These trucks aren't new any more and any number of things,,,,,.

I got the rails off I had a really Yank on them really hard.
I ground down the nubs.
Hey just wondering on grinding down the nubs I got them pretty flush but do they have to be like machined smooth, like are bearing surfaces going to be rolling over them?
Or do they need to just be ground down flush for clearance purposes?
Because I have them pretty flush using a small side grinder.
Had to be real careful not to Nick the sides of the rails

 

[landtank]

Just flush so the roller can roll over that area

 

[flintknapper]

I've looked at and thought about this mod for years, but have held off on it....thinking it wouldn't really make much difference (in my case). But maybe I'm wrong.

Many folks claim it made a big difference for them. But I have to wonder if there is an element of Confirmation Bias involved, since it is easy to want to think something you worked so hard on....has actually produced a benefit.

The other thing is: I wonder if there is some 'cut off point' (to a person's physique) where moving the seat rearward 2" changes your seated angle enough to make it worth while?

What I mean by that is....a person who is 6'-0" tall, fairly slender build, 33"-34" inseam might benefit more from the 'mod' than a larger/taller person.

They don't 'fill out' the seat as much as someone larger, so they aren't really crowding the console, shifter or steering wheel that much to begin with.

If we use ME for example: 6'-5" tall.....270 lbs, 36" inseam. My legs are longer than the average persons and my physical size...means I pretty much fill up the drivers seat. I can't 'scoot over' much either direction, so my knee is (and always will be) right by the shifter and console, unless I could move the seat back 4"-5".

I've just learned to drive the vehicle with the 'limited' legroom it provides.

No doubt, 2" of extra legroom would be better than nothing, but is it really worth the effort for folks that are well beyond the 'cusp' of comfort in this vehicle.

I do fine in the LX470 however.

 

[landtank]

For comparison the LX470 has 42.3" of front legroom while a stock LX450 has 41.7" of front legroom.

By adding my seat brackets to the LX450 the legroom increases to 43.7"

It's a substantial increase.

 

[fz1boxer]

the added height helped me out more than anything

 

[Irish Reiver]

@landtank I don't want to hijack the thread but some of the photos made me wonder if it was possible to replace the motorized rails for manual rails. Have you tried this or know if it was possible?

 

[landtank]

No i haven't

 

[VidereStudios]

I've looked at and thought about this mod for years, but have held off on it....thinking it wouldn't really make much difference (in my case). But maybe I'm wrong.

Many folks claim it made a big difference for them. But I have to wonder if there is an element of Confirmation Bias involved, since it is easy to want to think something you worked so hard on....has actually produced a benefit.

The other thing is: I wonder if there is some 'cut off point' (to a person's physique) where moving the seat rearward 2" changes your seated angle enough to make it worth while?

What I mean by that is....a person who is 6'-0" tall, fairly slender build, 33"-34" inseam might benefit more from the 'mod' than a larger/taller person.

They don't 'fill out' the seat as much as someone larger, so they aren't really crowding the console, shifter or steering wheel that much to begin with.

If we use ME for example: 6'-5" tall.....270 lbs, 36" inseam. My legs are longer than the average persons and my physical size...means I pretty much fill up the drivers seat. I can't 'scoot over' much either direction, so my knee is (and always will be) right by the shifter and console, unless I could move the seat back 4"-5".

I've just learned to drive the vehicle with the 'limited' legroom it provides.

No doubt, 2" of extra legroom would be better than nothing, but is it really worth the effort for folks that are well beyond the 'cusp' of comfort in this vehicle.

I do fine in the LX470 however.

I am in exactly the same boat. Big and tall guy. The LX450 I bought is completely stock and I had to drive it from Camas, WA to Eugene, OR after I bought it. I felt like I was jammed in a sardine can...knees bumping up against the dash, right leg right up against the shifter (even knocked it out of overdrive twice). I had to stop twice to get out and stretch my legs...super uncomfortable. As awesome as the 80 is, if I had to choose between my stock LX470 or the stock LX450 to be a daily driver, it would be a no-brainer and the 100 would be the choice. It is amazing how much more comfortable the 100 is...I can drive to Vancouver, BC only stopping for gas. If I went in the 80, I would be stopping every 50 miles to stretch out and take a break.

I am hoping this mod will help (at least with the knees in the dash issue). Not sure if it will give me enough extra space to help me adjust to the shifter location. I may look at going with some Scheel-Mann or Recaro aftermarket seats to see if that helps.