Swapping Seats in 2nd Gen

Hey there,

I'm having some issues with my back riding in my 2nd gen. I'm wondering if anyone has ever swapped seats from other Toyotas or even other makes into a 2nd gen to upgrade the seat quality.
If so, was it a massive pain in the ass?

 

Haven't done a seat swap, but if you haven't tried the 1" riser option on the rear seat mounts, I would look at it. A few hours in the truck would always give me low back pain until I installed them. It changes the angle just enough for me that I haven't had low back pain as a result of driving since installing. It may not work for you, but may be worth a shot.

This is one of several options out there. I know there's a few guys on TW that make and sell them.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/fs-aluminum-seat-mod-spacers.561819/

 

If the OP does not mind, I'll re-ask the question.

I have put seat risers in, and they do help - but not enough.

My 2015 has 147K miles on it, and the seat has become uncomfortable over time. It's time for new seats.

Both Corbeau and Mastercraft have seats and seat tracks for our trucks. However, I do not about the longevity of either brand.

New seats will be giving up the airbags, but I am OK with that.

Any experiences with aftermarket seats?

 

I never had any issues with my seats in my '15 but i swapped in a set from a '19 just because i liked them better. Straight bolt in except for the airbags.

 

@boogie3478

 

I'm running Scion FR-S seats in my 2014 Tacoma. @JdevTac did all of the footwork to get them to work with the air bag plug though.

 

While it is still possible to do on the driver side, the passenger side is now impossible as MetalTech currently no longer sells the OCS bypasses, and the original guy who made them for metaltech is either MIA or is no longer making them entirely.

Im sure some other company who makes bypasses for other makes could do this easily. It’s just a microprocessor unit. Otherwise it will be mismatched driver/pass seats, or finding seats from another Toyota model that are more comfortable and use the same passenger seat weight sensor setup to where it plugs right in. FRS seats unfortunately use a different sensor style.

edit: I should say it’s impossible to do and guarantee a functioning airbag for the passenger. I’ve seen people just say screw it and do it anyway in the GX community but it’s not something I advocate for.

 

I need new seats as well, wore out the driver side and they are hard to find.
Is there a way to bypass the air bag seat switch so it always works? Allowing aftermarket seats to be used.

 

If you have a 2009+ Tacoma with the seat side airbags, you can google how to bypass those with an inline resistor. I forget the desired ohms rating. There are kits out there.

The problem is if you have OEM buckets, the passenger side uses a series of weight sensors in the seat tied to a under-seat ECU to detect occupants. This requires a bypass that no one currently manufactures anymore. It’s not a simple resistor trick.

 

Thanks for the explanation, mine is 2006
OP didnt state the year on theirs.

 

4Runner seats will swap in. But they’re power seats so need some extra wires

 

Is there any option to drop the seat a couple of inches?

 

I imagine you're also tall. If this is the case, I feel your pain.

The Desert Does It seat jackers were an improvement for me by raising only the front an inch and making me sit lower when I'm all the way back. I've even seen some people add shims for more height than what they already provide.

 

I heard a rumor that Solo motorsports has a seat bracket to mount PRP premier seats which will drop about 1-1.5". I'd assume other PRP seats would also fit which is good because I'd rather have something from their daily driver line with less bolsters.

https://solomotorsports.com/shop/pa...sion-seat-brackets-tacoma-4runner-fj-cruiser/

https://www.prpseats.com/product-category/seats/premier-series/

 

I like PRP seats. I wonder where I could sit in one before laying out the cash...

 

That's exactly was has kept me from ordering them and trying this. I know 4 wheel parts sell them but I doubt they would have the style I'd want in stock.

 

Can you get an upholstery shop to replace and reposition the foam to your comfort? Gotta be cheaper than buying aftermarket seats and safer than disabling or changing seat belt electronics.

 

I thought about that. Actually, it's not that hard to do yourself.

Using factory foam would not really improve things - however, if I could find some more comfortable foam...

That is an interesting idea. I could add some Katzkin leather at the same time.........................

 

Thats an option I just dislike subbing out work, especially since I don't know any upholstery shops near me.

 

Was the swap worth it? Are the FRS seats more comfortable? What about longer drives of 4+hours?