Bucket seats - any alternative?!?

OK, love my Tacoma. Had a 2004 TRD V6 PreRunner xtra-cab, and it rolled in the snow (may she rest in peace) in early 2007. Purchased a 2003 doublecab 3.4L Limited PreRunner with grey interior in 2007 after working it out with my insurance carrier...ugh.

One thing I didn't notice until about a month after buying the new vehicle, was that the seats up front are buckets. They cut off the circulation to my legs after riding for any length of time. I am only six foot, but even after adjusting the seats (lumbar, tilt, etc) I can't get comfortable in these darn things. They have to go if at all possible.

So, my question - is it possible to swap out the front seats for the 60/40 split like they have in the other Tacomas? If so, what would be needed?

I see that the center console runs between the buckets, so of course that would need to be removed (the back half, that is); but would it be possible to get grey bench style seats for this Tacoma with a matching bolt pattern?

Anyone local to the Seattle metro area that would be interested in swapping or sending me in the right direction?

 

Are your seats the stock buckets? Maybe try another style of seats. I went with seats from a 01 subaru impreza 2.5rs

 

Also, my front mud guards snapped off recently, and wondered if anyone had any recommendations for replacements? Don't want shiny, and don't want to pay for the OEMs (they wanted $109 apiece at the local dealer) - but anything durable and non-flashy in-between would be great. Just want to bolt some new ones back on without much hassle.

 

Mine are the stock buckets. This truck has ZERO modifications.

I like the Impreza idea, but want to steer away from buckets if at all possible. I really like the idea of going back to a bench style front seat it possible. Thanks!

 

My 96 has bucket seats, even though all tacos before 98 had the 60/40 bench in the front. This is because the previous owner swapped the original torn-up grey bench with grey bucket seats out of a friend's recalled 99 taco.
Short answer: Yes, probably. I went the opposite way that you want to go.

And as for the mud flaps, try toyotapartsales.com or call yota yard in Denver at 303.297.YOTA (thats 9682). The latter should have lots and would probably be willing to part with a couple.

 

OK, now I wonder if my memory is not coming back correctly.

What would be stock in a 2004 TRD PreRunner Xtra-cab? I don't recall them being buckets...can anyone confirm this for me? Now I am starting to think I don't remember correctly.

The main reason I don't think they were buckets in the 2004:
1) my legs didn't fall asleep when driving more than 1 hour, and didn't have the back contours of the bucket seats;
2) when getting in and out, I don't recall that annoying plastic piece "popping" when I swung to the side and slid out of the truck (side of the seat has plastic cover).

Am I just not remembering correctly?

 

Im sure they were stock buckets... did you have a center console in your 2004?

 

The 60/40 split bench seat was the base equipment in a 2004 XtraCab.

The 60/40 is actually a pair of buckets. The passenger side is a conventional bucket seat, and the driver's side has an extended version of the bucket.

If you have the electric lumbar adjustment on your driver side bucket, this means you have the 'sport' buckets rather than the base / ordinary ones.

You should be able to transplant a '60' driver side seat into your Double Cab. You may end up having to drill one extra hole or tweaking the mount / base (rear / inboard mounting point). You may also need to do some tweaking / modification to clear your air duct to the rear.

 

Ah, yes, I do remember having a center console, but I think it flipped "down" from the seat. The one I have now has the electric lumbar and must be the "sport" version - I hate them so very much.

So, I called my local scrap yard, and he had some buckets from a 2003, but they were tan (need charcoal) and he said they go for $800...yikes.

So, wondering if this is something that just can't be done. I hate the sport buckets with a passion, but love the truck otherwise...don't really want to "mod" the brackets for the seat or air ducts as safety would be my concern in a crash...so...yikes.

Do I have to just live with them then?

 

Any 60/40 seats from 1995.5 thru 2004 will bolt in with no modifications. Most people switch to the buckets, so maybe you can find a nice charcoal 60/40 if you check around.

 

Have you thought about 4Runner seats?

I don't have a clue if this would work or not but they have 8-way power buckets for the driver and 4-way for the passenger. At least in '07 they did.

I also want to know if this works because I would like power seats in the Tacoma.

 

I actually swapped my 60/40 split bench for buckets in my 96. It was a direct bolt-on swap.

The seats came out of a Regular cab and I got the console along with it.

The only real concerns would be your automatic transmission & removing the console & shifter areas to make it fit.

 

yeah my truck had that done as i said. you dont need to worry about the area where the shifter and transfer case is, the bench seat fits around that area i believe.

 

I had a manual tranny....and the seats & console I got were also from a manual tranny truck.

In his case - he needs to take the center console off ( Automatic tranny) and tranny tunnel cover and he'll be left with an open tranny tunnel - and hopefully,the 60/40 seat will have room to fit without covering part of the tunnel cover.

 

you can have mine, i have a 02 and they should fit, i have the bracket and mudflaps, prolly screws too somewhere ill have to look. PM me if interested

 

Thanks! I have a line on some possible cheaper ones locally here, but if that falls through, I will gladly PM you. I appreciate your kind offer.

 

OK, update. I posted on Craigslist that I wanted to trade. Someone locally (I mean just five minutes down the road locally) has an 03 xtra cab with charcoal seats that wants to trade badly. I went over and looked at his seats and they are in fine condition (need a little fabreeze and vaccuuming, but hey, who's don't?!). We recognized only one possible issue.

His is a 4x4 and his cover to his tranny tray (don't know what else to call it) is shaped different. I can remove my center console tray and give it to him because the buckets would need something between them, but the plastic parts don't quite match up because mine's a two wheel drive and therefore shaped different because it doesn't have the extra shifter.

When looking at the tray for his cupholders (not the part that extends down between the seats like mine, but just the cover part in his), his ends nicely and has some type of small extender on the end closest to the seat to hold a cup that appears to be attached on the outside of the molded plastic cover for the tranny. Mine, however, is not as wide (no extra 4x4 shifter) and does not have a front (side covering closest to where the seat will go) because it continues to another piece that goes down the transmission hump and becomes the center console between the buckets.

I think what will happen when I remove my center console portion to give him will be that there is an open side to my tranny cover/cupholder nearest the seat due to the removal of the rest of the console. I can't simply just remove his entire plastic ensemble and replace it with mine (which would be ideal) because the difference between 4x4 (his) and 4x2 (mine).

Question: Did Toyota make a 4x4 double cab? I can't recall ever seeing one. Or, better question, would getting a 4x2 xtra cab tranny cover/cupholder be my best bet and see if it just bolts right in (if I can find one?)

Pixel

 

i will trade you my single seat for yours,