Comfortable seats installed in a Tacoma?

Yesterday I picked up some 1" foam from jo-ann fabrics for $9. So this morning I tore into the seat again. Thursday night I added a 3/4" piece of foam out of the backrest portion from one of my FJ40 original rear jump seats into the backrest of the Tacoma driver's seat for some much needed lumbar support. Then I had added a 1-1/2" or 2" section under the center of the cushion. The backrest portion is great. My commute is an hour each way and last night was the first time my back hasn't hurt since I parked old BMW for the winter and started driving this Tacoma. My last truck was an 05 TRD with sport buckets that were super-comfy.

So here we go with teardown of the 60/40. Once it's out of the truck you need to unbolt the track on the outside, 3 bolts on the inside, and remove the outer hinge cover and 2 bolts there. Then with a little wiggling you wind up with this.



Then I used a pair of diagonal cutting pliers to remove the hog rings around the base of the seat cushion that hold the upholstery to the frame. There are also a few plastic tabs to undo.



Once those are all undone you flip the cushion over and remove the hog rings that hold the center of the upholstery to the wires embedded in the stock foam.



Now I cut pieces of foam to fit on the top of the original cushion.



Then put the "butt" section in and got out the new hog rings and hog ring pliers and fastened the upholstery back down. Then I put the other sections of new foam in place and put the stock jute pad back under the seat foam, and re-fastened it to the frame.




Then put it back in the truck.



I haven't driven it yet but it's super-cush and seems to be very comfortable. Certainly isn't anything like the sport seats in my 89 325is (which I think are the most comfortable seats on the planet) but I think it will do just fine. I'll report back in a few hundred miles. Who knows how long it will last (probably quite a while I suspect) but considering the truck has 253k on it I think the $9 investment was well worth it. However if I ever come across a 95-97 SR5 Tacoma or a later limited with tan buckets in good shape in a salvage yard I'll be scooping them up for sure. I thought about 4Runner seats but I really don't want to weld (although I can) and I really have to have the passenger seat slide forward. Getting a sleepy 5 year old out of the back would be impossible without that feature.

 

Is this specifically for seats? Or is it just generic foam?

Why didn't you use the same foam for the lumbar?

Thanks.

 

It's generic foam. Not closed-cell so if I get it wet it's going to suck. But it's the same stuff I took out of my FJ40 jumpseats that I used in the backrest. I doubt I'll get it wet though.

 

A few weeks later... Better but it still sucks.

 

I've got Supra seats in mine, IMO there pretty comfortable...

 

I saw a guy on CL a few weeks back selling Mini Copper seats for a Tacoma seat swap. It said he had bought them to swap out but did have the truck anymore. I wonder if they would work?

 

As I found out with 45acp... anything will really work with enough fabrication.

 

The seats in my wife's Mini are awesome.

 

Ditto. I didn't think I cared when I bought the truck, but lately every time I get in I find another reason to dislike the 60/40 seat.

 

I put Mk I Audi TT Recaro's in my Tacoma, I'll try to get a pic in the next few days. I highly recommend it!

 

I'm confused.. Did we ever figure out if these 98-02 Runner seats are EXACT SWAP bolt ons? My family's 98 4Runner seats are hella more comfortable than my 03 Taco and would be worth the switch.

Sorry, but grinding/welding aren't worth Scion seats. I'll get some Foam and Wet Okole seat covers to go over the stock seats before I do any of that.

 

I'd also be curious if the 98-02 Runner seats are an exact swap to later model (e.g., my '95) so hopefully this bump will get a response. Thanks.

 

Bump for the 98-02 4Runner Seat idea

 

http://www.customtacos.com/tech/index.php?article=168

 

Not sure if this was already mentioned here but Streetsurfz727 on TW posted pics in detail on how he retrofitted a pair of 3rd gen leather 4runner seats into his older (<01) 1st gen taco but with a few complications. I thought I would mention this as reference for this thread. Here's the thread.

Now I'm a bit curious if the bracket patterns are different or the same between the early 1st gen tacos (<01) vs the latter (>01 to 04)?

 

sorry, said I would...
but life got a lil' busy and forgot.

XB driver's seat fully forward...
* note the slight difference of opening size
to that of the next picture (pass.) - (cont. -->)



XB passenger seat fully forward...
* it used to slide slightly more forward then in this pic...
but I adjusted the seat rails some since. (cont. -->)



Showing relation of the farthest rearward position of each seat...
* The passenger side was adjusted by relocating each slide rail's stops and can be slid more rearward then the driver's side.
(this reduces forward movement of the pass. side slightly)
Optionally both seats could be adjusted the same...
But was not necessary for my needs.





better late, then never !?

 

That's the only problem with my seats. Can really move them forward enough to access the back.

My daughter and her friends have no problem getting in there (6 years old) but I can't even comfortably reach in without my shoulders getting stuck and whatnot.

 

maybe yer just too fat and old !? jk

 

I definitely am, no doubt. But it's still too small a space