Fj40 leg room for us long legged daddys (1 Viewer)

[spicetraders]

Ok, have modded my FJ40 to 383 chevy with NV4500, sky jackers and such. But for years have hated my ride off road and long distance in the one fact of leg room. Knees in the emergency brake. Tight under the wheel. Shifter room. My front roll cage tubes in way for entry. ETC.
And me on the passenger side is even worse.

Well when fuel tank started leaking and seats needed a new covers I had to pull all of the seat, brackets and such out.
Well seat are now covered ($160 for pair Mexico). Tank is all brazed and sealed back up.
But when time to put seats back in I thought why not move them back as far as possible (fender sides are stopper). But how tank stopped just moving brackets back and you can not just turn the four rear mounts around and be done.
So a bit of measuring and little simple metal work and a new set of spanner bars in place moving the seats back two inches. Seemed small by tape but what a difference in room (I can set brake with out hitting knee.

If some one desires picture and drawing I can drum some up and post.

Effort was a days work of taking a 8 ft length of 2" x 1/4" flat steel stock. Cutting it to four pieces. Three bends in each piece (for clearance on bolts, tank and fact front to back seat footings are not flat or on same plane). drill 8 holes and press in wheel studs (suburu) drill ten more holes of which three need counter sunk for flat head bolts down through (attaching plate to existing brackets). some minor grinding on plates for clearance (heater, hose clamp gas, and driver fender wall). Add a very small touch of grinding on seat brackets back end of passenger (for heater) and driver for fender wall.


Again any one serious on the leg room let me know will help as I can.

 

[mcwinery]

Post Pics. I would like to see it.

 

[D'Animal]

CCOT sell a "KIT" for around $40.

It is a piece of strap steel that bolts to the front legs of the seat after you flip your rear brackets.

 

[Downey]

I'm 6'3", got real tired of looking out my windshield at about wiper blade level. Leg length was not as much of a problem as height. Needed to get the seats lower. Removed stock tank, installed rear aux tank (22 gal), then mounted buckets 2" lower than original top of tank, and moved seats back to front of rear wheel wells---home run. Moral of this story is that rear aux tanks no only carry more gas, but they bail out tall guys as well!!!

 

[bsevans]

Classic Cruisers makes a kit to move the driver’s seat back 2". It only works on 73' - 12/78 cruisers. I have it installed in my 8/78 FJ40 and it has made a huge difference.

Custom Parts

 

[fj404life]

I modded the sliding base on my 69 drivers seat. Drilled new mounting holes then new holes for the slider latches to catch on the same distance back I drilled the mouting holes. Its now at least 2" farther back then it would go stock... My 6'4" frame fits MUCH better now. I can pull the seat and snap some pics if anyone wants em. I think its a sweet mod if your tall and run a stock split bench setup. Can be easily returned to stock if ya want.

Was asked for some pics...here ya go. How to move a 69 seat back at least 2"

1st drill 4 new mounting holes for the slider base studs to go through.
You can see the old mouting holes in this pic

Then drill/file out 2 new holes the same distance you moved the mounting studs for the slider latch to catch on. (need to do the same on both sides)
Like so...

Bolt it all back together. You can still move the seat forward for shorter drivers but I get about 2.5" farther back which makes a HUGE difference for me!

 

[mcwinery]

Thanks for the pictures. I think I can do that. What about it hitting the roll bar and back seat?

 

[fj404life]

Its the fender well you will hit first. I have about 1" to spare with my setup.

 

[DSRTRDR]

I have also moved the seat back 2", mounted it on a plate

https://forum.ih8mud.com/40-55-seri...ftermarket-seat-stock-slider-driver-side.html

 

[imabigbangkindaguy]

Gotta agree with Downey, I'm 6'2 and I have more issue with the seat height than I do leg room.

Currently in the process of swapping in the rear aux tank, we shall see if it is a "homerun"...

How about a "Try", Rugby is way cooler than Baseball.

 

[Plowboy]

Gotta agree with Downey, I'm 6'2 and I have more issue with the seat height than I do leg room.

Currently in the process of swapping in the rear aux tank, we shall see if it is a "homerun"...

How about a "Try", Rugby is way cooler than Baseball.

Pulling the tank is great for the passenger, but he (or she) ain't drivin'. I first reversed the brackets on the driver side. Placed a 1/4 " bar stock from the bracket up to the front mounting location. Bolted the rear in the orginal bracket and drill h ole in bar stock and bolted front of seat there. Moved seat all the way back to fender well. Few years later, installed aftermarket seats (Lincoln towncar buckets) removed rear brackets completely. Moved bar stock down to floor and bolted into floor nuts. Modified the "A" bracket in the front. Cut two inches off botom and welded in new bottom. Used orginal floor location. On the inside bracket. removed the bolt location from the top and moved it to the bottom. Bolted barstock to the bottom. Moved seat down two inches and goes all the way back to rear fender.

 

[FishNinJay]

I modded the sliding base on my 69 drivers seat. Drilled new mounting holes then new holes for the slider latches to catch on the same distance back I drilled the mouting holes. Its now at least 2" farther back then it would go stock... My 6'4" frame fits MUCH better now. I can pull the seat and snap some pics if anyone wants em. I think its a sweet mod if your tall and run a stock split bench setup. Can be easily returned to stock if ya want.

Was asked for some pics...here ya go. How to move a 69 seat back at least 2"

1st drill 4 new mounting holes for the slider base studs to go through.
You can see the old mouting holes in this pic

Then drill/file out 2 new holes the same distance you moved the mounting studs for the slider latch to catch on. (need to do the same on both sides)
Like so...

Bolt it all back together. You can still move the seat forward for shorter drivers but I get about 2.5" farther back which makes a HUGE difference for me!

Wow, looks like a very finished well-made product. Did you do all this fab yourself? I'm not seeing exactly how this is connected to the rig itself? It looks like it's mounted onto the tool box? Where does it go to body or frame?

 

[fj404life]

Thats the OEM 1969 setup. I just drilled some holes in it.

 

[FishNinJay]

Thats the OEM 1969 setup. I just drilled some holes in it.

lol.. duh, I see that now..

Hmm.. I wonder if I could pick up those rails somewhere. Or an aftermarket? thanks

 

[fj404life]

Sure you could get em here on mud from someone swapping out to buckets or something. Should be cheap.

 

[myquestoyota]

Is that underseat box still available somewhere and will it fit under the seat of my 77 40?

 

[fj404life]

Its welded to the floor of earlier 40s

 

[antFJ]

you could make a tool box for a 77... and bolt it to the body using the bolt holes for the jack mount/tool bag mount - use grade 8 or higher hardware (its 6 bolts total) and you should have a solid base to mount your seats too just like the stock set up - or you could weld if you realllly wanted to.

 

[spicetraders]

Moving back does change distance to window changing that view. So Some help was found there.

While window view is one thing the knees in the brake and roll bar area as well as the distance to foot pedals on the 1976 year is the real killer leading to my effort to do this. Looking at other years (early 70s or later ones things a bit different, so seems like a lot applies to only mid 70s.
After hours on the mountain trails doing a lot of clutch, brake and shifting my legs were just to close to pedals.
Wanting to leave tank in place (dual tanks with aux up under rear) for max fuel and having had a jeep with a tool box hard under seat and hated having to dig around head under seat looking for things. Plus already have to nice heavy duty bags that slide right under driver seat with winch and tow straps in one and handy tools set in the other. I did not want to change my stock settings for bracketing.

The full bar front to back uses every bit of strength to keep me knowing is I ever find the loose hill side my set will stay in the truck and me in it. Well as shoo as I get my new harness sets mounted/



Note: found out that seat front level to back was not flat line so front edge is higher.