Chassis differences
 

This is an engineering question related to chassis differences between trim levels on any single model year. I was told a third row could not be added if it didn’t come with one. Just from a production perspective why wouldn’t the chassis be the same on all trims/option levels and some holes are used and some are not? This is the same idea as me having no heated seats so those places in the middle console are just covers. I’ve seen the seats for sale on eBay but I’m not seeing them at the moment.

I’m not interested in drilling holes and such and plastic trim piece differences aside, why wouldn’t the factory mounting holes for a third row be in the chassis? I also am aware the the current rear seats may not fold like the seats that would be in a unit that shipped with third seats. Again, chassis related question.

I've never personally seen a bare chassis, but I'm guessing that they are identical across all trim and seat numbers. Carpet, plastic trim, etc, I'm sure are different.

Anything can be done with enough money and willpower!

I don't think it's the chassis at all, it's the molding of the rear floor. It has a different shape to it with the right support and holes for the 3rd row. This has come up when guys have gone to install rear drawers into the back of a model that had a 3rd row, they have to use spacers/fillers to pick the drawers up to the right height.

Old fashioned land cruisers came with the holes for 3rd row seats, whether they had the seats or not, but they've changed the way they make the floors and the seats now.

Someone recently swapped in or out a 3rd row and did it the right way.

The thread is somewhere here, and he had to add/remove a bunch of tabs and brackets onto the chassis.

This possibly? He went A -> B and (had I been there) I could essentially take what he removed and go B -> A, yes?

Pulled out 3rd Row Seats on Limited - Flooring Ideas Anyone?

No, it was WAY more detailed that than. Let me search and see if I can find it...

Edit: This one: Actual, complete, ridiculously thorough third row swap completed. (Pic heavy)

Re-reading it again it looks like he swapped his entire interior over to the two-row. The first few posts and such deal with installing 3rd row seats into the car. drill some holes, creating mounts for the seatbelts, etc.

The rest (the tabs and such I was referring to) turns out are related to swapping his second-row seats from fold-down style that 3rd row cars have to the lay-flat style that two-row cars have.

So not as involved for just adding the 3rd row, but still need to be very comfortable spending money and doing things right.

I think 3rd row cars also have curtain airbags but i could be wrong

Yes the 3rd row version also includes side curtain air bags for the 3rd row.

Too bad Toyota doesn't have a 3 row TRD Off Road. That's why I had to get a SR5. :Cry:

I can tell you for a fact that a 4runner without a sliding cargo tray and no 3rd row are the same as those with the sliding cargo tray. I sold my 2011 sliding tray top another member who had no problems with the install in his 2018.

All the holes are predrilled/threaded etc. They are just covered with a filler of some type that can be removed.

Here's a thread where someone installed a 3rd row into a T4R that didn't have them originally. Replaced Sliding Cargo Tray with 3rd Row Seats

Awesome! Ever since we got the 4R, I simply could not believe it was impossible. I bookmarked that thread. Just what I was looking for. Thank you!