Reclining 2nd row seats on T4R without 3rd row?

[Fafafooey]

Hello,

I have a T4R WITHOUT the 3rd row seat. I just learned that models WITH the 3rd row have a reclining 2nd row. Pretty cool.

I wanted to see if it was possible/feasible to add the reclining option to the 2nd row seats of a non-3rd row model, such as mine.

I am aware that the seats are totally different, but maybe there's a chance the mounting brackets and hinges will swap over?

The reason I ask is that my wife sits in the back seat with our child. She has a really bad back and is tall. We take the car on a bunch of long trips during the year, so it would be nice to have that seat be a bit more comfortable.

Has anybody thought of or attempted such a thing before?

Thanks,
Robert Abuey

 

[BlackWorksInc]

I don't remember what it looks like on a 4th gen, but on the 5th gens the seats are different I believe as well as the mounting/latch point for them (It actually rotates/moves with the seat as it is reclined) which would mean that you'd need the coresponding trim panel as well..

So it'd probably at minimum be:

-Seat Frames, possibly seat cushions/cover
-Brackets
-Rear Trim Panel (That's the big hunk of plastic in the cargo area on both sides)
-Some bits and ends?

 

[smeagol]

Making it more difficult/interesting is the fact that the 60/40 is flipped on the 3rd row vehicles.

 

[techno]

Here's some pics of the drivers side 2nd row seat. I'm not going to say that you can't swap bits over to a non 3rd body, but you might have to get very creative. Two pics show the seat back at both extremes, to give you an idea of the recline range.

 

[CookieRoe]

Wow, those reclining seats look cool. Too bad they were not an option on non-3rd row equipped runners.

 

[The Yin]

Wow, this is on the 4th Gen?! I didn't know any of the 4th Gen had a reclining 2nd row. When I saw that on the 5th Gens my first though was "what took so long?"

 

[Fafafooey]

Here's some pics of the drivers side 2nd row seat. I'm not going to say that you can't swap bits over to a non 3rd body, but you might have to get very creative. Two pics show the seat back at both extremes, to give you an idea of the recline range.

Hello and thanks for spending the time to shoot the pictures and share them also, I really appreciate it. That looks, well, expensive and impractical. I think I'll pass and tell my wife to deal with it!

 

[Frontline]

Here is an idea a little outside the box. We have similar issues with our truck. I am having an car upholstery shop remake the foam in the back seat to change the angle and make it more comfortable. He is doing the entire interior so a firm cost is hard to put together but I believe the foam work for the rear seat is about $3-400. However, he is custom fitting the seats to the each occupant. This will hopefully limit the complaining on long ski trips . If just modifying the foam it may be a little less.

 

[SSt4r]

Fafafooey, don't necessarily give up on this yet, it might not be that bad. I don't think you'd need to change the side body panels as the folding seat don't attach to them the was the 2 row only seats do.
This might be a simple swap of the whole second row. Just need to confirm that the hinge attachment points are the same as well at the bars/catches under the rear of the seat that holds them from folding; see the 4th & 5th pictures above.
Can't imagine the body attachment points would be completely different between 2 & 3 row models.

 

[V8Man]

Hello and thanks for spending the time to shoot the pictures and share them also, I really appreciate it. That looks, well, expensive and impractical. I think I'll pass and tell my wife to deal with it!

How hard would it be to remove the back seat your wife uses and install a front passenger seat complete?

 

[Code2]

Here's some pics of the drivers side 2nd row seat. I'm not going to say that you can't swap bits over to a non 3rd body, but you might have to get very creative. Two pics show the seat back at both extremes, to give you an idea of the recline range.

Are those from your 08? cause if they are it looks to be a direct swap. And i would lave to have those in my truck hehe

 

[techno]

Yes, they're from my 08, but you can swap from any 3rd row equipped 04 to 09. Have fun replacing the entire floor! Lol

 

[4RunnerEZE]

Has anyone figured out if this can be done yet?

 

[BlackWorksInc]

There's a 5th set of body mounts for 3rd row seat equipped 4Runners

 

[HORHAY]

Hello,

I have a T4R WITHOUT the 3rd row seat. I just learned that models WITH the 3rd row have a reclining 2nd row. Pretty cool.

I wanted to see if it was possible/feasible to add the reclining option to the 2nd row seats of a non-3rd row model, such as mine.

I am aware that the seats are totally different, but maybe there's a chance the mounting brackets and hinges will swap over?

The reason I ask is that my wife sits in the back seat with our child. She has a really bad back and is tall. We take the car on a bunch of long trips during the year, so it would be nice to have that seat be a bit more comfortable.

Has anybody thought of or attempted such a thing before?

Thanks,
Robert Abuey

I'm actually looking to go the other way. The 2nd row seats on non 3rd row equipped T4Rs take up much less space when folded down. I need as much cargo room as possible so if anyone can determine that this is a relatively easy or straight forward swap, I'd be happy to put my reclining 2nd row seats on the block.

 

[Az4runnin]

Wont Work. Floor Latch points dont line up. Found a Wrecked Runner with 3rd row and want the reclining 2nd Row also. If someone has done it please share. You Would need the panels behind the Seat as well.

 

[ekoman]

I'm actually looking to go the other way. The 2nd row seats on non 3rd row equipped T4Rs take up much less space when folded down. I need as much cargo room as possible so if anyone can determine that this is a relatively easy or straight forward swap, I'd be happy to put my reclining 2nd row seats on the block.

Im with HORHAY, looking to go to the non-third row seats for the same reason.. So wondering the same thing, has anyone been able to figure this out? Doesn't sound like it based on the most recent post but figured I would ask.

Wish I knew about this before I bought the 4th gen with the third row.