leather to cloth seats? - swapping 3rd gen seats for 2nd gens

[RodrickHeffley]

So i'm looking at a good pair of cloth seats for 75$, thing is i have a limited with (of course ripped) leather power seats and the sort.

What i'm thinking is swapping the cloth/foam to the existing seats so I can keep the power seats but also won't need a cover.

Is this doable? Thanks!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Pyral]

They sell really good replacement leather upholster on ebay. The cloth seats make it more necessary to buy seat covers (I have cloth seats) because they can soak up moisture better.

You definitely wont get anything decent that lasts for $75. Hell, its hard to find cloth seat covers for $75, let alone replacement cloth seats. Maybe you can get lucky at a pick and pull but idk.

If I were you I would get the replacement leather upholster and use a cheap seat cover. Or I would just buy good cloth seat covers to hide the ripped seats.

 

[RodrickHeffley]

They sell really good replacement leather upholster on ebay. The cloth seats make it more necessary to buy seat covers (I have cloth seats) because they can soak up moisture better.

You definitely wont get anything decent that lasts for $75. Hell, its hard to find cloth seat covers for $75, let alone replacement cloth seats. Maybe you can get lucky at a pick and pull but idk.

If I were you I would get the replacement leather upholster and use a cheap seat cover. Or I would just buy good cloth seat covers to hide the ripped seats.

i probably should have specified the cloth ones are original seats, that's why i'm wondering if they can be switched


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Brian.]

i probably should have specified the cloth ones are original seats, that's why i'm wondering if they can be switched


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The seat pads all share the same part number between cloth and leather, would seem to indicate that everything Else is the same and would fit.

 

[sportscarfan]

Seat bottoms swap for sure...my saga between a Taco and 2 4runners...

I bought a pair of nice cloth tan Taco seats and swapped a seat bottom onto the '97 4Runner SR5 passenger pleather seat. The passenger pleather seat bottom went onto the drivers seat because it was not worn/torn. A few years later, I got a pleather seat cover via ebay, made the Taco cloth set whole again and resold.
A few years more and I got another ebay seat cover to match, and was able to swap the original good worn passenger SR5 seat bottom to the drivers seat of the new-to-me '98 Limited (power, pleather).

 

[RodrickHeffley]

Seat bottoms swap for sure...my saga between a Taco and 2 4runners...

I bought a pair of nice cloth tan Taco seats and swapped a seat bottom onto the '97 4Runner SR5 passenger pleather seat. The passenger pleather seat bottom went onto the drivers seat because it was not worn/torn. A few years later, I got a pleather seat cover via ebay, made the Taco cloth set whole again and resold.
A few years more and I got another ebay seat cover to match, and was able to swap the original good worn passenger SR5 seat bottom to the drivers seat of the new-to-me '98 Limited (power, pleather).

First thing i've noticed is that the brackets on the new seats don't line up. Could I still take off the coverings and use them frankensteined onto the old one?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Drew76]

I have a 2000 Limited with power leather seats and I swapped in '96-'98 cloth seats, reused my original brackets to make them power cloth seats. Can't recall all the details as it was a few years back, remember losing the power lumbar on drivers seat back though....

 

[RodrickHeffley]

I have a 2000 Limited with power leather seats and I swapped in '96-'98 cloth seats, reused my original brackets to make them power cloth seats. Can't recall all the details as it was a few years back, remember losing the power lumbar on drivers seat back though....

good to know, thanks! honestly, starting to think i bought 2nd gen seats lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[tathambenjamin]

I swapped my ripped up leather seats from my limited with the seat pads/ backs from a cloth interior. The seat backs and bottoms remove from the bases with just 8 bolts-once you know what you are doing, it is very easy. I reused the limited leather bases, and I also kept the manual lumbar support from the driver side of the SR5 seats, and I put it on the passenger so that both driver and passenger now have lumbar support. Also useful to know that both top and bottom of seats are interchangeable driver to passenger, so if for instance your driver cloth bolster is worn you can just make it the passenger cover/ bottom and use the unworn passenger cushion on your driver side. I myself prefer cloth to leather even when its real leather, but especially when its the fake vinyl leather from these third gens.

 

[Twan]

Totally unrelated here, but I just noticed something with the leather/cloth interior. Mine has the leather interior, and the door panel insert is starting to fall apart. I kinda poked at it a little and they literally just put the leather insert over the top of the cloth door panel. It's just a normal tan checkered cloth insert under the tan leather.

 

[RodrickHeffley]

good to know, thanks! honestly, starting to think i bought 2nd gen seats lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thinking i might be able to swap the cushion and the back of the seats onto the old base, but not sure how to approach it, i'm 99% certain i got 2nd gen seats lmao


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[phattyduck]

Thinking i might be able to swap the cushion and the back of the seats onto the old base, but not sure how to approach it, i'm 99% certain i got 2nd gen seats lmao

Yeah, those aren't 3rd gen seats...

-Charlie

 

[RodrickHeffley]

update, took my passenger seat out and tried fitting the 2nd gen cushion, it was close but just too wide.

I've decided to go the route of basically reupholstering the seats, using the fabric and foam from the 2nd gens and putting them in the 3rd gens.

Going well so far, finished the passenger cushion and it fits perfectly. Going to do the back of the seat tomorrow.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[RodrickHeffley]

leather to cloth seats?

Here I am, two days later.

passenger 2nd gen seat is officially in the 3rd gen!

was definitely the hardest "mod" i've done so far, close first to cutting the body for the 99+ center console

it works though! some foam tweaks and other solutions later, it's in the truck, now to do the drivers...

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[MesaBeer]

Hey! That's a great idea; very practical

 

[YalloM3]

I've done a similar swap before, and here's my take:
It's important to check the compatibility and dimensions of the cloth seats with your existing ones. If they match, it's a win! Keeping the power seats is a bonus for that comfy adjustment!
Make sure you have the right tools and patience for the process. It might take some time, but it's totally worth it for that clean look without a cover! And if you decide to get leather again, consider getting a quality one (like from https://vonbaer.com/blogs/blog/what-is-vegetable-tanned-leather-how-is-it-made). I hope that helps!