Help me fit a bench seat in the back of my truck

[DaveB]

the TJ seats don't recline. They stay at a 90*. Plus the butt cushion is so thick it puts your head too high.

On my Commando I tried to use a TJ rear seat but ran into the same issues you have since Commandos don't have alot of headroom for the back seat. I ended up using a YJ rear seat where I modified the seat reclining angle and made a seat mounting bracket that puts the seat as close to the floor as possible. I did have an even lower seat configuration but my wife didn't like the YJ seat mounted with the back as the bottom. It gave the best headroom but my wife thought it was goofy.

 

[sixstringsteve]

Hey Dave, do you have any pics of either configuration? It looks like the YJ seat has quite a big cushion as well.

 

[Stephen]

Stupid question, is this legal?

 

[sixstringsteve]

yes. In Utah, it is legal to carry people in areas of a vehicle designed for carrying cargo (with the exception of the trunk I believe). You don't need seats or seatbelts, but I want them anyway.

http://www.publicsafety.utah.gov/highwaypatrol/faq/faq4.html#Riding in PU Bed

 

[sixstringsteve]

I think some subaru brat seats with the headrest would be awesome.

 

[dzeyer]

Steve, I have a pair of plastic buckets that you can have for $50 for the pair. They came in a new project rig and I wont be using them. I'll be out of town the rest of this week, but can take some pics of them when I get back. they have the vinyl pad/covers for them too.

-Aaron

 

[sixstringsteve]

Cool, thanks Aaron. Looking forward to the pics. Do they have headrests?

 

[Stephen]

yes. In Utah, it is legal to carry people in areas of a vehicle designed for carrying cargo (with the exception of the trunk I believe). You don't need seats or seatbelts, but I want them anyway.

http://www.publicsafety.utah.gov/highwaypatrol/faq/faq4.html#Riding in PU Bed

Wow. No restrictions on speed or types of roads. Well, ok then.

 

[clfrnacwby]

yes. In Utah, it is legal to carry people in areas of a vehicle designed for carrying cargo (with the exception of the trunk I believe). You don't need seats or seatbelts, but I want them anyway.

http://www.publicsafety.utah.gov/highwaypatrol/faq/faq4.html#Riding%20in%20PU%20Bed

That's it, I'm selling the minivan - kids can ride in the back of the truck now and I don't have to listen to them for 12 hours to CA...

 

[sixstringsteve]

just give 'em some goggles and some capri suns and they'll be good.

Once you get to CA, they have to have a seat back there, and it has to have some sort of factory seatbelts. So seatbelts from a factory vehicle will work (DOT approved or something like that). CA's laws are a bit iffy, but it can be done.

 

[dzeyer]

Yeah, they're high-backs. They're mounted on samurai sliders that you can have... for free!

 

[sixstringsteve]

Cool. I'll check 'em out when you get back. Thanks Aaron.

 

[sixstringsteve]

rzr seats might work as well.

Any subaru brat experts out there? It looks like the headrests aren't attached to the bucket part of the seat. They rest on a metal bar that connects to the "roll bar" above the rear window. Does that seem right?

 

[DaveB]

Hey Dave, do you have any pics of either configuration? It looks like the YJ seat has quite a big cushion as well.

I could take one when I get home from work. Putting it in the configuration where the back is the bottom would be a bit of work since the seat is a bit of a pain to get out with the very short bottom mounts.

 

[zukijames]

the TJ seats don't recline. They stay at a 90*. Plus the butt cushion is so thick it puts your head too high.

Wouldn't your head be lower if it was reclined...

 

[sixstringsteve]

yes it would, but I'd still be sitting on 6" of foam. That's super comfy, but you'd have to be pretty reclined to clear the roof.

 

[zukijames]

Oh I see samurai seat lol

 

[sixstringsteve]

The rear seats from my tracker fit PERFECTLY. so I'll be robbing them from my tracker. Now I'm looking for some seats to put in my tracker.

Thanks for the advice/help everyone.

 

[phatfoto]

Hmm, I like the Bedryder seats. And I just took some plastic bucket seats on a similar platform out of the project Ranger for newer Ranger seats. Hmmm.... Of course, I don't have kids, and I'd need to add seatbelts, but they might be nice for sitting in at the drive in!