Manual seat swap

[COMIA78]

Yep another newbie 80 owner. I have all the typical issues with my seats, plugs pop out passenger seat has a bad gear or keeps getting jammed up, the DS recline knob is broken, etc. The good thing is that the leather is in good shape. The truck is a 97 40th. Also I am 6'4 and was considering buying some of the aftermarket seat extenders.

My thought is to just keep my eye out at salvage yards and try to find a set of manual cloth seats instead of put money and time into the original seats. My question is, is this a better option? Has anyone done this?

 

[yohavos]

I've done it in 3 of the 4 80's I've owned. Only reason I didn't do it in the 4th was that it came with cloth from the factory.

Seats from a 93+ will have integrated lap belts. 91-92 seats bolt in, but the lower seat belt is bolted to the body in those rigs and later 80's don't have the holes or hardware for that.

My 97 LX450:

 

[ReformedJeeper]

I swapped in cloth seats as well. They are much better than the leather, but honestly still not very comfortable. I'm 6'3 190 lbs, and with the manual seats you get a bit of extra leg room, but it's just an awkward seat. I've got some corbeau seat brackets and I think I'm going to try an aftermarket suspension seat if I can figure out how to deal with seat belts. I've never installed an aftermarket seat and I'm not sure what happens with the seat belt. Not sure I want to have to use a harness.

 

[120mm]

I swapped in cloth seats as well. They are much better than the leather, but honestly still not very comfortable. I'm 6'3 190 lbs, and with the manual seats you get a bit of extra leg room, but it's just an awkward seat. I've got some corbeau seat brackets and I think I'm going to try an aftermarket suspension seat if I can figure out how to deal with seat belts. I've never installed an aftermarket seat and I'm not sure what happens with the seat belt. Not sure I want to have to use a harness.

@ReformedJeeper - any further feedback on suspension seats? Am looking to do the same thing.

 

[Phildoh]

6'1", 240, and the duct tape that came with my seats was waxing my leg every time I entered/exited the seat. Looked around, ended up with corbeau baja xrs seats. Spent a pretty penny, and never looked back!

 

[BC1519]

I'm 6'4" and have the same cramped feel. Years ago, I was a valet and by far the most comfortable seat was the Jeep Grand Cherokee. I wonder if you could adapt an old one, and retain the leather look in your cruiser.

 

[bloc]

If you get cloth seats somewhere try and get both sides of the electrical connector for the driver's side seatbelt harness as well. You can de-pin the manual seat plug and move the wires over so that no splicing is needed, but the plugs won't be compatible as built.

Not a big deal, but if you are getting the seats anyway it makes things cleaner/easier.

 

[COMIA78]

I didn't think of that, thanks. Still on the search for some tan manuals. Lmk if anyone has a lead

 

[120mm]

6'1", 240, and the duct tape that came with my seats was waxing my leg every time I entered/exited the seat. Looked around, ended up with corbeau baja xrs seats. Spent a pretty penny, and never looked back!

How extensive was the work to adapt it to fit?

 

[Phildoh]

The brackets were an extra hundred bucks, and bolted right in.

 

[FranceJohnson]

I'm 6'4" and have the same cramped feel. Years ago, I was a valet and by far the most comfortable seat was the Jeep Grand Cherokee. I wonder if you could adapt an old one, and retain the leather look in your cruiser.

The WJ or even XJ/ZJ seats would bolt right in. They all have big flat metal brackets on either side of the seat. They bolt down with 4 bolts just like ours, but I new holes would have to be drilled to match the 80; easy task. The issue you FZJ guys have as mentioned above is the seat belt. Jeeps bolt to the floor like the FJ80s. I did a 2003 WJ limited swap into my wife's old XJ, agreed they are one of the best seats out there. Don't bother trying to get the seat heaters to work, it wont happen.

 

[120mm]

The WJ or even XJ/ZJ seats would bolt right in. They all have big flat metal brackets on either side of the seat. They bolt down with 4 bolts just like ours, but I new holes would have to be drilled to match the 80; easy task. The issue you FZJ guys have as mentioned above is the seat belt. Jeeps bolt to the floor like the FJ80s. I did a 2003 WJ limited swap into my wife's old XJ, agreed they are one of the best seats out there. Don't bother trying to get the seat heaters to work, it wont happen.

I'm using $25 heat seating pads that plug into the cigarette lighter and they are sex.

 

[FranceJohnson]

I ended up just using aftermarket carbon fiber heating pads. I think they were like $60 for a 4 piece set off Amazon (both front seats). Easily worth the cash. Just slide in under the leather, find a ground and switched 12V, and done. The only thing better was my Saab 9-5 seats that were ventilated and would push the AC up your back in the summer time.

 

[2fpower]

I have put Porsche seats in one rig, and celica GTS seats in the other. BEST MOD I HAVE EVER DONE, and I have a few mods/ posts on this forum.

Here is what to look for at the junkyard.

First the seats need to be about 7" or less tall. Any taller than that and your 6'2" head will be in the ceiling. That is from the top where your a$$ goes to the bottom where you can mount it. There is a support gusset that is in the middle under the seat that the seat needs to pass over, so you can't have anything hanging down -- this is assuming you want to be able to move the seat forward so your 5'2" wife can drive.

Second, you need seats that inboard seat slide are inboard, straight under the seat can be done with some sledge hammer work on that same support mentioned above.

Finally width, under 23" at widest point is what I look for. My celica seats are 21" and they fit great.

Seat slides can be adapted, @half k cruiser has a great writeup on doing it. I always add seat heaters too.

Good luck

 

[Ofcrtj]

The WJ or even XJ/ZJ seats would bolt right in. They all have big flat metal brackets on either side of the seat. They bolt down with 4 bolts just like ours, but I new holes would have to be drilled to match the 80; easy task. The issue you FZJ guys have as mentioned above is the seat belt. Jeeps bolt to the floor like the FJ80s. I did a 2003 WJ limited swap into my wife's old XJ, agreed they are one of the best seats out there. Don't bother trying to get the seat heaters to work, it wont happen.

I have done a little looking around does anyone know of a write up showing this mod?