Better Seats?

[MunkeyTX]

Howdy folks,

The cloth seats in my 1998 4Runner SR5 are hands down the most uncomfortable seats I have ever sat in. Hell even the cheap GM bench seat in my old S-10 was more comfy than the 4Runner!

I think some of it comes from the fact that I'm 6'1", 240lbs, 32" inseam, long torso, and really broad shoulders (my shoulders spill over both sides of the seat above the side bolsters). I've driven mostly American pickups, and I can undoubtedly say that the 4Runner has more of a 'car' sitting position (legs straight & forward, butt close to the floor) than a 'truck' sitting position (legs bent down & forward, butt off the floor).

The seats in my old '02 F-250 were like frickin Barcaloungers, nice and wide, thick padding, I could drive for 6+ hours on end with no back pains or kinks, and most importantly the wife never complained that her back hurt (she usually fell asleep ASAP). We took a drive in the 4Runner, and she ended up sprawled out on the back seat after 45 minutes saying that the front seat blows. I want to try and get close to my previous level of comfort/support, in my 4Runner, and keep it looking stock.

I drove a friends Ford Explorer SportTrac and that little truck reminded me how bad my seats are compared to it. I'm sure some of this also has to do with the fact that my 4Runner has 260k miles on the odometer.

Now, are the Limited leather seats more thickly padded/comfortable than the stock cloth SR5's? Are there any later model (99-02 vs 99.5-98) 4Runner seats that are more padded/comfortable than others? Or are there any other seats that are a direct swap into the 4Runner?

Any help would be appreciated...around town the seats are fine, but anything longer than 30 minutes brings the pain.

Pic of the style seats I have (not my truck, just found the image on the web):

 

[UpNorthMN]

I have a 2000 Limited with leather seats that are in great shape and I have the same problem. I'm 5' 10" and after an hour or two of driving it is a pain in the leg for me.

It is really the only thing I hate about this rig.

When I have time I'm gonna try to find a used Recaro seat and buy a bracket if they sell one. I really don't think you'll improve your rig with Toyota seats, IMHO.

 

[MilesRacker]

I have logged many a 10-12 hour day in my runner with no problems, (6'3" 200lbs). Do you have the "sport" seats in the sr5 package or the standard, vinyl-backed spring slab seats? It's my understanding that the sport seats are just a cloth, non power version of the limited seats and overall I'm satisfied with position, adjustability, etc.

If you find a more upright seat I would think that your head would be in danger of hitting the liner, since mine does when I have the lower part of the seat raised all the way up. I'd be interested to see if anyone out there has a successful experience with aftermarket seats, though...

 

[racermp]

toyotas have never made good seats. they all suck! these have been the best so far, but still not up to par. try camry seats or corolla seats, they suk bad.



the sport (leather or cloth) are alot better than the regular (if u have thin front head rests, those r regular, those seats suck bad)

 

[Stick Figure]

toyotas have never made good seats. they all suck! these have been the best so far, but still not up to par. try camry seats or corolla seats, they suk bad.



the sport (leather or cloth) are alot better than the regular (if u have thin front head rests, those r regular, those seats suck bad)

you aren't driving the right toyotas, the 2nd and 3rd gen supras had recaro seats in them factory, and are really the most comfortable seats i have ever sat in.

as for the original poster, it depends on how much money you want to spend, there are aftermarket seats out there, that you can try out, or hit up a junk yard and start looking for some low millage seats and find someone to fab up some brackets.

 

[4Evr4RunN3R]

i have the cloth sport seats in my 4runner. my driver side seat padding is worn down but my passenger seat is still thick and comfortable. i let my girl drive my 4runner every so often and when i sit on the passenger seat, its really comfortable. I'm 6' 220 pounds and driving and sitting in traffic sometimes i start to feel uncomfortable. i think the issue is padding and not so much the seat. maybe if you got the seat reupholstered with new foam that might help out. but that's just my two cents.

 

[spongerx]

I agree. My seats are really uncomfortable. I would be interested to see what people found for replacements.

 

[Ray K.]

MunkeyTX, I feel your pain! I'm about the same build as you and agree the seats are pitiful. Otherwise I really like my 4Runner!

Anyway, since I've already been through this, you might want to read through a thread I started not too long ago: http://www.toyota-4runner.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=38282

I wound up swapping my original seats for some seats from a Sport model. This has helped quite a bit. I won't say they are perfect by any means, but it is a great improvement.

There are some other options that you can do with your existing seats as mentioned in my thread.

Best of luck to you!

Ray K.

 

[riverrat44]

Cross-posted from reply to same question on yotatech:

I have back issues and thus a strong interest in good seats. In my 1988 1st gen, the difference between the stock buckets and the optional "Sport" seats was huge- the sport seats were very nice, with adjustable bottom cushion height/tilt, adjustable side bolsters, adjustable lumbar support, and adjustable headrest tilt.

I also tried some 2nd gen "Sport" seats in my 1st gen runner- the fabric was in better shape and they had rear map/road atlas pockets. But they didn't seem quite as comfortable, mainly I think because the bottom cushion didn't tilt up as much, so I had the 1st gen sport seats re-upholstered and used them until I sold that vehicle.

My 2000 3rd gen came with the base seats, which I've since swapped with 3rd gen "Sport" seats. The new seats are considerably better, but the difference is not as great as with the 1st gens- the bottom cushion adjustment drops the rear part of the cushion instead of raising the front, which doesn't result in as good of a fit for me. Also, the 3rd gens don't have the side bolster adjustment, and overall seem to have less plush padding. But they are still a definite improvement, and would be the easiest route to go since they are a straight bolt-in.

The Volvo seat idea is intriguing, but any seat from a different manufacturer could involve issues with fit if the seat is wider than 4runner seats, and will definitely involve issues with bolting them to the floor.