Jump Seat conversion to rear bench: (2 Viewers)

[jbee]

Hi,
I've used the search a ton and cannot find this exact setup.

Saw this on ebay today, credit photos to ebay user jeffreyj40
Here's the link to the auction

I have not seen this particular setup, long jump seats to rear bench seat. Seems easy enough? I'd likely go with 2 seat belts back there as my little ones are, well, little.
If anyone has any specific experience with this, I'd love some feedback on fabbing something like this.

 

[PabloCruise]

Looks interesting!

I think Suzuki Samurai rear seat fits very well, but it is lower as it bolts floor.

 

[76 Land Bruiser]

K-5 blazer rear seats fit well, and gives you more seat belts and arm rests.

 

[Bear]

It's just an opinion, but.....
Your kids are very precious, and that setup just doesn't look sturdy enough to hold two car seats and children just bolted to the tops of the rear wheel wells.

There are other actual bench seat setups that are sturdier, which should then be strengthened as they are bolted to the floor.

You don't want to make a mis-calculation, and then lose your family in a crash situation.

 

[MicahMan]

I agree with Bear. I did a Suzuki rear bench and love it. The girls carseats fit just great and it is super safe. I have reinforment washers on the front mounts and I bolted through the cross member in the rear. As strong as can be. I also set up d ring mounts for the fancy new clip in style car seat. So I use the seatbealt and the clip system. Overkill yes, but nice and safe!

 

[JVCTLC73]

You can get a bestop bench seat on amazon that is bolt in and dot rated for $125, or a trailmax for $250.

If you look on mud long enough you can also find a conferr rear seat in pretty good shape typically for around 200.

I wouldn't put kids on a jump seat, regardless of how it was mounted. I have a bestop that was through bolted to the rear floor. I am going to make a beefier mounting system since I want to put my kid back there as well.

 

[N919HJ]

I agree with Bear. I did a Suzuki rear bench and love it. The girls carseats fit just great and it is super safe. I have reinforment washers on the front mounts and I bolted through the cross member in the rear. As strong as can be. I also set up d ring mounts for the fancy new clip in style car seat. So I use the seatbealt and the clip system. Overkill yes, but nice and safe!

Would it be possible to get picture of your setup?

 

[corleykj]

I am considering doing something similar. I would probably use square tubing to mount the seat to the floor, not the fenders. I would also want to way to fold it forward if I had the time to fab something up. Other peoples opinions are about being safe, and using newer technology of seats to keep your kids safe. I am debating the safety issue also, wanting jump seats SOOO bad because that is one of my favorite features of the fj40, but realize that I don't want my son hurt. Then it goes to the bench seat, possibly using a long jump seat to do as a bench, and then to how safe of a bench seat...and then to needing a newer seat because the old seat isn't safe. I am not taking away from anyone's concern or suggestions above, it just seems we over build things for safety now days. Many people survived in the fj40's with simple lap belts and jump seats for the last 50 years, and compared to most little plastic cars the fj40 would be getting in a wreck with our fj40's will come out hardly scratched. But then the debate comes up in my head...but what if I get in a wreck with my son?

I am curious what you decide to do, as I am in a very similar situation.

 

[toyotaspeed90]

Those seats also aren't designed for, say, a rear end accident where a significant amount of force will be applied to the back support of the seat. Unless I'm incorrect here these seats typically have the support of the stock rollbar to hold them in place in the event of a side impact.

You could probably do it using a long jump seat if:

1) you added a support across the top of the seat from each side of the roll bar
2) you added supports across the bottom (front and rear) that attach to the roll bar
3) install the seat belts using racing specifications - which means each bolt, at minimum, uses a 4"x4"x1/8" support plate for each seatbelt bolt. (When I had my auto-x MR2 I used min 4x4x1/4" for each harness bolt)

 

[robtackett]

I have a couple buddies that just get the rear seats out of jeep wranglers and they seem to work really well. Sorry I have no pics of them

 

[TahoeFJ60]

I have a metaltech family roll bar. I need
Three seats across with 3 Point belts on outside on the outside. A middle lap would work with car seat, a 3pt shoulder strap would be best.
I was thinking of building the seat mounting frame from the roll bar not the floor or fenders.
Anybody done or seen this?
I was thinking a FJ 62 rear bench might work and stay Toyota.

 

[oregonfj]

I installed the Bestop Trailmax and its worked well for me. Fairly comfortable for big people, anchors a child seat well, and folds up out of the way when not needed. I through bolted mine to the bed and used 3/16" plate steel reinforcing plates for the bolts.

 

[hindsight]

I have a metaltech family roll bar. I need
Three seats across with 3 Point belts on outside on the outside. A middle lap would work with car seat, a 3pt shoulder strap would be best.
I was thinking of building the seat mounting frame from the roll bar not the floor or fenders.
Anybody done or seen this?
I was thinking a FJ 62 rear bench might work and stay Toyota.

I am using a Little passengers seat for my project....it will mount on top of a reinforced Springtail FJC drawer unit. None of it is inexpensive....but it should be safe.

 

[bsilva132]

2nd row mini van seat w/ headrests and latch system attachments for carseats. Less than $30 in the whole setup; just had to shorten the OEM mounts and weld some angle iron on.

 

[cruiserpilot]

Hindsight - where did you source the 'little passengers' seat? I like the look of that,

 

[TahoeFJ60]

2nd row mini van seat w/ headrests and latch system attachments for carseats. Less than $30 in the whole setup; just had to shorten the OEM mounts and weld some angle iron on.

Bsilva, what vehicle did you get those from? Thanks

 

[Fast Eddy]

2nd row mini van seat w/ headrests and latch system attachments for carseats. Less than $30 in the whole setup; just had to shorten the OEM mounts and weld some angle iron on.

Seems like a better-engineered solution as long as the welds and floor mounts are done-well or overkill.

 

[SouthBostonFJ40]

Hindsight - where did you source the 'little passengers' seat? I like the look of that,

He probably got it from http://www.littlepassengerseats.com

I was going to go that route as well because I couldn't find a seat that was wide enough for three kids and still fit inside my Metal-tech cage. When Little Passengers sent me the dimensions of the seat that would fit, it was roughly the same size as the Bestop Trailmax seat at one third the price.

 

[bikersmurf]

Hi,
I've used the search a ton and cannot find this exact setup.

Saw this on ebay today, credit photos to ebay user jeffreyj40
Here's the link to the auction

I have not seen this particular setup, long jump seats to rear bench seat. Seems easy enough? I'd likely go with 2 seat belts back there as my little ones are, well, little.
If anyone has any specific experience with this, I'd love some feedback on fabbing something like this.

That setup looks scarry... only using 3 of the original 5 mounting bolts, while increasing the load on it.

I'll admit that I've pondered how one could mount a pair of jumpseats across the back, solidly, and so that they would swing away when not in use... Floor strength isn't a concern for me, since it's all 1/8"+ in the back... Anyone have a design plan? I'll build the prototype, and share the proceeds from the sale of the retrofit kits... Could probably build them like a couple of tire swingouts that had a "leg"that folded down to the floor, and locked in at the bottom... when not in use, they could fold to the side, or be easily removed by pulling the release pin.
That way, after dropping off the kids at school, you could bring home the 3 bales of hay for their horses. ... or whatever else you have to haul around.

 

[bsilva132]

Bsilva, what vehicle did you get those from? Thanks

Dodge caravan. Not sure what year; got it off craigs list.. Angle iron was buned in the whole lenth of the oem mounts and also has 2"x1/8" steel on the underside for reinforcement.