How to lower seat in 4th gen

[LTDSC]

I was able to get to the shop and took pics to show everyone that has asked without a solution on how to get a little more headroom in about 30 minutes with the proper tools and a little know how. I am extremely happy with this and i have no more issues with headroom. Here is what i did.

Remove the seat

Grinding the edges of the brackets where they bend up.

You can see our cuts on the lower bend here

Hit it with a hammer to flatten it out, can also see our second cuts on the outer most bend on the closer bracket. Farther bracket is flattened as well.

Test fit to make sure thats enough. Left is original, right is the one we cut and bent (huge difference)

Little welding to sturdy the brackets and make it right, also welded the top cuts after picture.

Bore out the mount holes a little (because flattening pushes the holes just passed where they should be) and tape up the side panel to trim. Used washers on the seat bolts to cover the bigger bore.

I taped and then cut the side panel with the dremel and a disk.

Closer look at the bracket now

Installed, you can see where i cut a little too much off. I also sanded down the burs/edges from the dremel cut. The picture makes the edge looks a lot more noticeable.

 

[zopperman]

being 5'10", this is a mod i wish that I needed to do lol.
Is one of the wiring harnesses for the lumbar motor alone? I'm wondering if maybe my lumbar support harness isn't plugged in.

Nice job, creative mod

 

[LTDSC]

being 5'10", this is a mod i wish that I needed to do lol.
Is one of the wiring harnesses for the lumbar motor alone? I'm wondering if maybe my lumbar support harness isn't plugged in.

Nice job, creative mod

i believe one was heated/sensor/power. Could also be the lumbar. Worth a shot to take it out and look. You can just lean it back with all 4 bolts out. Being 6'9" with a sunroof, was killing my neck since i've been driving it a lot more than before.

 

[NasaE30]

I bought my 4runner for my girlfriend to daily drive and for us to share on weekends
I can get the driver side low enough for me to be comfortable, but I feel like im sitting on the roof if I ride shot gun. I prefer to drive but every now and then it would be nice to just sit..
I might just have to do this while shes not looking.

 

[t-man]

Nice! Was looking at those brackets thinking something along these lines as well. Will do this later this summer. arty:

 

[Gdmeadors]

I think that the yellow connector is for the airbag in the seat. Watch out for that bag!

 

[t-man]

I think that the yellow connector is for the airbag in the seat. Watch out for that bag!

Good point!
No airbags in my seats luckily.

 

[A/V1]

I think that the yellow connector is for the airbag in the seat. Watch out for that bag!

You are correct, Sir!:guitar2:

 

[Sporin]

Love this mod, very well done.

I'm only 5'11" but it's all torso and my head brushes a bit to close to the headliner (wish I could have found a non-sunroof truck!).

Cutting, welding, etc. is way above my pay grade though.

 

[brianhuntRVA]

I must be the odd one who feels like the seat should be raised. It's a truck so the seating position should be high. I'm not a fan of the rear raising feature that kinda dumps you forward though.

 

[LTDSC]

I must be the odd one who feels like the seat should be raised. It's a truck so the seating position should be high. I'm not a fan of the rear raising feature that kinda dumps you forward though.

try being 6'8" then.

Its an SUV, not a truck BTW.

 

[emoore924]

Interesting mod and very creative. I wish I had the problem you solved

Just one short word of caution -- the seat rails and mounts are pretty highly engineered pieces of metal. Among other things, they're designed to keep the seat in place during a collision. If the seat comes off the floor for some reason, all kinds of things can't help you stay safe -- seat belt, air bag, crush zones, etc.

If you're going to consider doing this, I'd say to be sure your welds are right as rain. And I'd weld up the mounting bolt holes so they're not hogged out -- that opening would give the seat and rail a head start in pulling out if the seat starts to move.

Perspective: If you weigh 200lb, in a rear-end crash as slow as 15mph you're suddenly going to weigh something like 1500lbs. So lots of stress put on the mounts and rails.

Net nag over, carry on...

 

[Sporin]

I must be the odd one who feels like the seat should be raised. It's a truck so the seating position should be high. I'm not a fan of the rear raising feature that kinda dumps you forward though.

Fine if you don't need the headroom I guess. A LOT of us need the headroom so we'd gladly sit a little lower.

 

[brianhuntRVA]

Geez guys wasn't trying to insult the tall people. I'm 6ft and it has never crossed my mind to lower the seat. And come on... truck frame so truck it is in general speak. I didn't say pickup truck.

try being 6'8" then.

Its an SUV, not a truck BTW.

 

[Sporin]

Geez guys wasn't trying to insult the tall people. I'm 6ft and it has never crossed my mind to lower the seat. And come on... truck frame so truck it is in general speak. I didn't say pickup truck.

:cheers: Didn't take it as an insult, just pointing out that it's a very practical need for some of us. My bald head can easily brush the headliner, you can't physically give me a better view over the cowl without raising the roof.

I loved the seating position in my FZJ80 Land Cruiser. You sat tall (and had headroom to do so) and with the tall greenhouse, thin pillars, and high seat you had fantastic visibility around you. So I know what you are getting at.

Sadly, that kind of tall, airy cab design is a thing of the past, mostly due to modern crash standards.

 

[McDougall]

About how much lower do you think your sitting? Ballpark

 

[Flighht2k]

How much was your head rubbing on the ceiling?

 

[erklep]

I run into the same issue. Only 6'1 here but im mostly torso, I guess. Cool idea but I certainly dont feel comfortable cutting and welding seat brackets. If there were an issue, no insurance pay out once they inspect and see the modification

 

[good2go]

This is my only concern: Modifying (cutting/heating/rewelding) an oem safety design of a seat frame might negatively affect the structure integrity during a vehicle collision/impact. In turn, the potential resulting injury might not be covered by the insurance company upon discovering the modification. Let's hope the insurance adjuster doesn't find this thread in the event. Just say'in.

As we said in the Marine Corps, "Good initiative, bad judgment."

This mod will definitely give you some headroom before the impact but might cause some real headaches after. Something to ponder. I do not mean to offend the OP, just playing a devils advocate and raising potential issues. That's all.

 

[secretspy711]

I don't think they are as "highly engineered" as you might think. Consider that aftermarket seats -- and more importantly, aftermarket brackets -- are available, and are typically much simpler pieces of metal than the stamped OEM brackets. They are completely legal, and I doubt any stress analysis went into the aftermarket brackets. Typically they are just flat heavy-gauge metal that's been bent and welded, with sliders bolted or riveted to them. When vendors make safety claims, they are probably talking about quality control and craftsmanship, rather than load and stress analysis.

Now, I believe technically you are required to report to your insurance company any modifications you make to your vehicle, otherwise you risk being denied coverage in a crash. I've just sent an email to mine, asking about this, so I will report back. Saying you are not allowed to make any mods would be ridiculous, but there may be a small premium increase for mods.