BenWA's version of a power sliding rear window retrofit >>>

I are jelly, subbed for future spending

 

Pics as promised.

Remember mine is an 06. The AC rear seats changed a couple years ago - 09 I think. If someone knows for sure the year, please let OP know. My guess is the older style like mine may be more friendly for this install, but I don't know for sure.

First of all - this is where the window meets the trim in the rear of the AC:





Looking at your DC install photos I think it will definitely have to be trimmed here. I think ideally the bar would be below the top of the plastic and the small bracket that is attached to the glass is all you would see. But this would mean dropping that bar down a little and making the bracket taller. More trimming would probably allow it to be mounted as in DC. This would mean you would have to trim the cloth - which I had hoped to avoid. Might be doable, but much more demanding. Just my thoughts.

Removing the rear seat back is easy as pie. Just get a grip and pull:





I didn't take the back completely out - but it seems like it is held in place only by multiple clips.


The location where the motor is mounted in a DC is occupied by what I think is a vent to allow air pressure equalization. Someone correct me if I'm wrong. Either way, I don't think this was there in the DC:



It might be possible to remove/trim down this "vent". Not sure what the implications are. I'd prefer to relocate the motor.

It's probably possible to put it to the right or left side. There are supports for the seat back that extend to the back of the truck. It's hard to see them as they are covered by insulation here, but there are just a couple and I'll bet the motor could be mounted between them if the insulation was trimmed out. This is looking down behind the drivers side.




I first thought maybe the motor could go lower, below the metal cross bar. Unfortunately the seatbelt holders extend back into this space and I think that would be difficult to trim effectively.



This is what it looks like from behind.



OK, now fab one up for me...

Just kidding. Let me know if there are other pics that would help.

TL

 

At first I saw that "gap" and i thought it was open. Thanks for clarifying. Must have mod in the future. Subbed.

 

This thread might be helpful for you:
http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/55771-09-rear-headrest-removal.html

Shows an 09.

 

+ rep! Thanks a ton for doing that primer! That totally helps me visualize what we would be in for.

Couple of thoughts/questions:

I don't see that the vent thing would be a conflict with the motor. The motor could easily be moved towards passenger side relative to the vent.

I like the thought of maybe considering mounting the motor lower. From what I can tell from the pics, it looks like the seatbelt recesses are dead center along the seatbacks, below that vent ... am I correct? It looks like to the passenger side (looker's left) of the seat belt recess, the seatback has some kind of indention that partially fills in the lower space below the cross bar. Can't really tell from the pics. Can you clarify that part for me? Would that be a potential conflict with the motor?

Agree that some pretty decent trimming of the top of the seatback would need to be done.

I'm also a little worried about those supports that protrude out from the seatbacks (that are covered with insulation). Looks like that may be a challenge to fit the motor between or around.

Thanks again for posting those! I'm gonna see an AC in person when I get back to Seattle in a couple weeks, so we'll get'r figured out.

 

Yup, that definitely helps. Thanks for digging that up! Looks like the headrests might be a challenge.

Do the pre-09 ACs have headrests?

 

No.

 

Agree - the motor would have to be moved right or left of that vent. I assume that could change the lengths of the cables that move the glass. I had thought in the DC you placed it dead center - but now when I look it looks R (passenger) of center.

Might not matter, but in my 06 the mounting hook for a child seat is on the R (passenger) side. It looks to me on the other thread with the 09 like that hook is on the L (drivers) side. I don't think what is there will interfere at all - but hooking up a child seat might get in the way so it might be nice to put the motor opposite that welded hook. (That would put the motor on the drivers side in my truck).

Seatbelt recess is dead center and fills that space. I don't remember anything below the horizontal crossmember either to the drivers or passenger side that would be in the way - I'll look again in the AM.

I'm pretty convinced the motor will fit between them. It feels like there are two posts on each seatback. Without the insulation I think the motor would fit fine. I'll see if I can show you that better.

If you can give me the dimensions of the motor it might help me to mock something up so I can see what would fit where.

TL

 

Didn't fully understand this q the first time.

Yes there is an indentation in the plastic and it does reduce the depth of the space behind it enough that I think it likely would interfere with the motor.

I looked again and there are indeed only two posts supporting the upper part of the seatback. They are roughly 7" apart.

 

That's what I figured. Thanks for looking again.

That should be more than enough for the motor to squeeze between. The plastic motor mounting plate itself is 8" wide, but could actually be made narrower (not that the plate itself would necessarily interfere with the seatback posts).

I think we'll be golden on this mod working for an AC, provided the owner doesn't mind trimming a small amount of plastic and fabric from the top of the seatback.

Will let you know how my experiment goes when I get back to Seattle and work on this with Forster on his AC.

 

Thought this might help.



The red stars are roughly where the posts would meet the back of the truck.

 

Great news. Keep us posted.

 

That is very helpful. Is it the same on the passenger side? The motor will have to be mounted on passenger side of dead center no matter what.

Assuming both sides are mirror images of each other, it looks like one of those posts makes contact exactly where I have my motor mounted in this pic:



My motor mount plate covers the first rib to the left of the oval thing where the vent is on the AC, and then spans across to the second rib to the left of that. Looks like the AC seatback post sits right between those two ribs. Fortunately, the motor could be moved way farther to passenger side -- the trolly track thing can also be mounted farther to passengers side, but the window bracket part that I fabbed would just have to be modified so that the trolly mounts farther off the bracket's center (if that makes sense). I think we can work with this.

 

My mind is spinning from all the posts i just read, but maybe the motor would be able to mount low, between the two posts you are talking about if the insulation is trimmed out. It looks like if you mounted it low, you would be able to take advantage of that open space shown in the picture with the red stars (on the passenger side). But I may be confused. Haha

 

how secure is the window from opening from the outside with this mod done? i assume the latch is no longer clicking onto the other piece (how did you do that?)

great mod, adding to my list once i have the funds, i hate not being able to use that window.

 

It's equally secure as the stock setup. With the mod, the latch is indeed disabled but there is no way to force the window to slide open against the friction of the regulator assembly. The window glass is the weakest link whether stock or modded. If somebody really wants to get in thru the back window they would have to break the glass.

 

Are there any mods or cuts that can be made to the shelving unit that allows for this mod as well? Or once you commit to the power window the unit has to come out.

Thanks,

JS

 

You could cut a hole in the plastic storage bin such that it fits over the window motor, but you would lose use of that portion of the storage bin if you did that, as the motor would occupy that bin space.

 

Just finished installing the window mod kit from Ben. Installation went fairly smooth. Had to do some additional research for removal of the storage bins on the back wall since this is not covered in the instructions. Other than that the instructions walked you through pretty well.
The most criticle part was the actual mounting of the motor/slide assy. Another set of hands would have been helpful when applying the adhesive.
On my DC sport I have a couple of blank switch knock-outs just left of the steering column. I mounted the switch into one of these which fit perfectly...the only place I deviated from the instructions.
I cut out the passenger side storage bin to fit over the motor and slide assy., didn't want the sub/amp to be left uncovered, and probably helps with sound deadoning anyway.
Window works great. One of the more useful mods I've done, and the one thing I missed the most from my old Tundra DC.

 

Glad you got everything installed ok jkib! Thanks for the feedback about the install!