2003 Seat install today! Write up/Advice

[TXRick]

I've got these seats from a 2003 4runner and am going to get them in my 1996 today. I've never done a seat swap before so any advice would be great. No matter how small.

I HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO WIRE THESE BABIES UP.

I guess I need a harness or something...part number?

I'm also taking out all the carpet and pressure washing it today so I will be posting updates and looking for advice sporadically throughout the day.

Thanks guys!

 

[TXRick]

OK, so I got the carpet and seats out and as I figured this wasn't going to be a simple bang something with a hammer cuss cuss type of swap. They don't fit at all in their current setup. It also doesn't appear that I can just swap the rail but I am going to look better into this.

My idea right now is to take them to the welder guy up the street and see if he can't take the feet off of the 96 seats and weld them onto the 03 seats. The rails on the 03 are a couple of inches longer but I dont think that will matter if he welds them the same distances as the 96, but then again the width is probably larger.....may have a set of 4th gen seats for sale....

 

[Singtoe]

Don't cut and weld.

1st place the seats in the 4runner and see if the doors will close.

If they close, great.


Place the seats where they are as close to the steering (for a small person) and drill the floor. Use long bolts and spacers to get the seat frame to sit level on the floor pan.

wiring might be harder but as long as you have power to the switch, everything should work.

 

[TXRick]

Here's the main problem. That big ol cross bar is in the way of the new seats. The feet on the 96 lifted the seat over this.

Any ideas? I'm not ready to give up yet...beside I've only had three beers and great ideas haven't begun to flow....yet...pop!

 

[I_bRAD]

Don't cut and weld.

Why not? This seems like the simplest option to me assuming he can get them welded to fit properly.

Are the seatbelts mounted to the seat or the vehicle? If it's the seat, then you'd better be extra careful about mounting as your life may depend on it!

 

[Brian757]

Why not? This seems like the simplest option to me assuming he can get them welded to fit properly.

Are the seatbelts mounted to the seat or the vehicle? If it's the seat, then you'd better be extra careful about mounting as your life may depend on it!

I wouldn't weld anything. I would like to be able to get my seats out whenever I like. Unless you could weld the bolting location in place and then bolt the seats to those. But otherwise, I wouldn't weld.

 

[TXRick]

I'm sure we will figure something out. As for today I've already removed the carpet and am trying to get it somewhat clean...

I was thinking the cut and weld thing being the simplest but how good are welds like that going to hold up? What kind of metal is is? What's underneath that body rail? Can I cut it?

 

[I_bRAD]

I wouldn't weld anything. I would like to be able to get my seats out whenever I like. Unless you could weld the bolting location in place and then bolt the seats to those. But otherwise, I wouldn't weld.

Oh, good point. I was picturing cutting and welding the seat rails to fit the stock vehicle mounting locations. (take the risers off the old seats and weld them on the the tracks from the new seat) Then you'd simply have a 4th gen seat, modified to fit the 3rd gen that you could take in and out at will. You'd also be able to switch back to 3rd gen seats if the need arose (of course you'd have to find a new set since you took apart your old ones for the project!)

 

[JWaldz]

Why go through all this trouble just for seats. Find some 3rd gen leather seats.

 

[hungryeddy]

Why go through all this trouble just for seats. Find some 3rd gen leather seats.

booooring

now back to our scheduled program :snacker:

 

[TXRick]

Why go through all this trouble just for seats. Find some 3rd gen leather seats.

I got these for nothing and have them laying around, so I'd figured I'd give it a try.


Here is a rear view of my problem.

 

[I_bRAD]

Is it possible to just swap out the entire track assembly with risers?

 

[TXRick]

Oh, good point. I was picturing cutting and welding the seat rails to fit the stock vehicle mounting locations. (take the risers off the old seats and weld them on the the tracks from the new seat) Then you'd simply have a 4th gen seat, modified to fit the 3rd gen that you could take in and out at will. You'd also be able to switch back to 3rd gen seats if the need arose (of course you'd have to find a new set since you took apart your old ones for the project!)

Is it possible to just swap out the entire track assembly with risers?

I cant really tell but thats what i am thinking so, I think I am going to take the passenger side apart and put the good seat covers on the drivers side and use the passenger side to experiment. This will give me a chance to really look at the inner frame of the seat. Right now I think I will probably cut the feet off the passenger side seats and mount the 96 feet to the body then line up the 03 seat for welding...but that could change at any minute. Obviously an on going project.


1996

2003

 

[txbonds]

Tagging along as I've been exploring options for replacing my torn 97 seats. Thanks for sharing.

 

[TXRick]

Any if you know how to remove those big ol rivets? I'm thinking the safeest way is to drill them out so i dont damage the frame of the foot.

btw: Still throwing out ideas here. Not going to actually do anything till next week.

 

[4gin007]

I suggest taking both sets of seats and the truck to the guy up the street that welds. He can cut the rails off of both seats and fabricate the 4th gen seats to fit perfectly in your truck, bolted to the floor the way they should be. Hopefully the seats arent to wide though, hopefully your door will close without crushing the door panel and or center console.

 

[TXRick]

I suggest taking both sets of seats and the truck to the guy up the street that welds. He can cut the rails off of both seats and fabricate the 4th gen seats to fit perfectly in your truck, bolted to the floor the way they should be. Hopefully the seats arent to wide though, hopefully your door will close without crushing the door panel and or center console.

Yeah, the door closes fine and they seem to fit well. The rails are farther apart than the 96 but they are a lot wider too so i think they should mount up.

 

[Rob P.]

You should be able to drill the rivets out from the top side of the rails. Replace them with good bolts/washers and nylock nuts into the same holes. This is reversible since you can use the bolts/nuts to put it back the way it was.

If the width spacing is wrong, you'll need to put in some sort of adapter plate between the tower and the rail to offset the towers in the right direction. That may take some welding and will lift your seat the thickness of the plate.

The FSM for the later model seats should have the wiring diagram to wire the seat motors. You'll probably need the switches if you don't have them already.

 

[TXRick]

You should be able to drill the rivets out from the top side of the rails. Replace them with good bolts/washers and nylock nuts into the same holes. This is reversible since you can use the bolts/nuts to put it back the way it was.

If the width spacing is wrong, you'll need to put in some sort of adapter plate between the tower and the rail to offset the towers in the right direction. That may take some welding and will lift your seat the thickness of the plate.

The FSM for the later model seats should have the wiring diagram to wire the seat motors. You'll probably need the switches if you don't have them already.

Yeah the only thing I think I would have trouble with is fabbing up an adapter, and the switches are on the side of the seats. I'm sure Ill find the harness this week when I have time to search.

 

[txbonds]

Any update on the seats? Just curious. I'm scrapping my stock seats all together in favor of corbeau seats but wondered how you made out.