Roll bar or Jump seats?

[Scota4570]

I have the original jump seats. Installing them will not allow a roll bar. I have no intention of ever driving it with the top off again.

What would you do if it were yours?

 

[MDH33]

Will anyone ever ride in back?

 

[cruiserkev]

Keep both! I'd find a way to mount the jump seats more inboard to work with the rolll bar you have rather than removing it. Another idea is to sell the jumpers and get a bench seat if that doesn't work for you. Even though the roll bar you have isn't OEM, it does offer a lot more protection than just the top for passengers in the event of a rollover. I unfortunately witnessed an FJ40 roll 5x once and it wasn't pleasant. Hardtop was destroyed and the roll bar literally saved my buddies life that day.

 

[B y r o n]

A roll bar isn't just for driving around with the top off. It also provides protection with the top on. If you're thinking of removing the roll bar then why stop there, remove the seatbelts as well. My vote is to keep the protection and then decide how much extra seating you need. There are ways to mount the factory jump seats with the roll bar installed. As previously mentioned, if you don't like the jump seat mounting option then find a bench seat for between the rear fender wells.

 

[Mopdog]

Confer made a bracket that allowed mounting the jumps with a roll cage at one point.

 

[bikersmurf]

1) Keep the roll bar and use a jeep TJ seat.

2) Off Road Parts & Accessories | Metal Tech 4x4 - https://metaltech4x4.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwkqSlBhDaARIsAFJANkhXv1t7zMMD0IOG99FmclNVbNIBmMga4oF7qY_9A2i_njHfdFBiC0AaAnpREALw_wcB roll cage and keep the jump seats.

 

[Scota4570]

Thanks for the feedback.

The original jump seat arrangement was actually pretty practical. In the later years of hunting in this vehicle, the roll bar went on and one jump seat was mounted on square tubes, facing foreword. A storage box went under the rear seat. With the top off that works great.

With the top on, that arrangement makes getting in the back seat is impossible from the back of the vehicle. Only being accessible by folding down a front seat is awkward at best.

Seatbelts? Never.

O.G. perspective on rolling vehicles....We had some hard and fast rules. Safe careful driving in the hills .... always. Never drive on a side hill, always go straight up or straight down, this is huge. Never drive fast in the hills. Never install a lift kit. Giant tires were useless for our purposes. Do not install a super powerful engine. Choose any off road path carefully before you drive it. If you observe those simple rules you will never roll a vehicle.

I know that is boring but it works. My perspective is from a ranching and hunting, not a purely recreational perspective. That perspective is unusual here, I understand that.

 

[1911]

What would you do if it were yours?

I took my jump seats out when I installed my roll cage. I rarely if ever used the jump seats, and wanted the space they took up for more storage for long camping/wheeling trips. I gave them away and have never regretted it or looked back; YMMV.

 

[Broski]

Thanks for the feedback.

The original jump seat arrangement was actually pretty practical. In the later years of hunting in this vehicle, the roll bar went on and one jump seat was mounted on square tubes, facing foreword. A storage box went under the rear seat. With the top off that works great.

With the top on, that arrangement makes getting in the back seat is impossible from the back of the vehicle. Only being accessible by folding down a front seat is awkward at best.

Seatbelts? Never.

O.G. perspective on rolling vehicles....We had some hard and fast rules. Safe careful driving in the hills .... always. Never drive on a side hill, always go straight up or straight down, this is huge. Never drive fast in the hills. Never install a lift kit. Giant tires were useless for our purposes. Do not install a super powerful engine. Choose any off road path carefully before you drive it. If you observe those simple rules you will never roll a vehicle.

I know that is boring but it works. My perspective is from a ranching and hunting, not a purely recreational perspective. That perspective is unusual here, I understand that.

Never say never !! Sh*t happens

 

[Ocho77]

If you have kids, jump seats. Mine love riding back there!

 

[Slapshot]

I have a bench back seat and wish I had jump seats. The bench takes up all of the back area.

Id figure out a way to mount them.

Let me know if you want to trade.

 

[70fj40]

I’d send those silly jump seats to me and keep the roll bar. I’m thinking of your safety here!

 

[Malleus]

Use the later model roll bar; it's designed to fit over the jump seats.

 

[Living in the Past]

Use the later model roll bar; it's designed to fit over the jump seats.

Your talking about the factory roll bar which used a smaller jump seat. Few changes in the roll bar and jump seat 9/74+. Sourcing a different roll bar and jump seats it would be easier to make adapters to use the original jump seats. Smittybuilt made jump seat adapters in two styles. Original spaced the jump seats in equal amounts front and back. Later moved the front in further keeping the back arm rest over the wheel well. Really a simple U shaped see design.

 

[texcwa]

Use both, I did. Just made a couple of extension brackets, see pics. Wish I had more pics but these were taken when I was removing all the interior to install Herculiner. I did not but them back in so to have a bit more room for the front bucket seats to set back.

 

[texcwa]

I found a couple of better pics. You will see that I used 2 pcs of stl channel to mount back of jump seats outboard of roll cage and a stl angle to support the rear handle/guard of the jump seat.

 

[Scota4570]

My original jump seats are supported from below by the horizontal surface above the wheel well. There are a couple of big rubber cylinders that support the seat in front of the hinge. IF I hang them out further from the wall the seats will not be supported. I bet they would collapse under the weight of a passenger. It is a flawed design. The leverage on the hinge and bottom plate of the seat is to high. One of them needs repair due to the leverage of fat buts bouncing on it. It seems to me that the original 1970 seats require the original mounting position.

I have seen later jump seat that have legs that drop down and support the seat better.

The idea is to restore it to close to original condition.

If I were to scrap my plan, there are options. Do I really need the rear outrigger leg of the roll bar? IF I cut it off I can use a couple of shorter jump seats. But then, I am modifying things again, not putting it back to original.

It comes back to, choose, original jump seats or the roll bar and something not original.

 

[texcwa]

Yes, the bottom of the jump seats were supported by the weel wells, I made fold down legs with a pin to hold them in the down or folded back position so to support the seat. Both my kids (now grown) road on the jump seats (with seatbelts) for years. It may not be OEM but I too wanted to use the OEM seats with the roll cage I installed.

 

[Green Bean]

Another option is to use 2" angle iron to support the jump seat bumpers after the seats were moved inboard to allow for the roll bar.

 

[texcwa]

Nice support method and the bed coating looks great. Just finished mine.