desertcamper67

Like I stated above I am replacing the factory crappy rear bench seat with one of the split ones. I have something missing I think. Where the front part of the rear seat latches down for seating, my new one doesn't latch.
What does the part, attached to the floor under the seat, look like?
Can someone with an SR5 or factory rear split seat send me a picture please?

The catch with the strap is attatched to the bottom of the seat but I think the floor mounted part is missing or was never there for the bench.

Any 1st gen 4runner picture will do if you have a split rear seat.

desertcamper67

Okay I kind of got that working. Now what goes on the back side of the rear seat back? Mine that I just bought are bare. You can see metal and foam. No vinyl or carpet. I think something straight and flat should bolt up there.

tj884Rdlx

I don't remember if anything latches on the bottom, or it's just gravity, which holds the seat bottom down. the strap is there to pull it up, but i don't remember there being a click or anything.

the seat back however, does latch, and there's pull pins on the top on each outer end of the seat backs. these latch to u bars on the sides under the slidey cap windows.

on the rear of the seat back, there must be some kind of firm panels, because when the seats are folded, you can kneel on them without crushing through. i'd speculate they're metal panels but i don't know for sure. maybe you can whip something up out of some old street signs. hehe or masonite board. that stuff is tough enough.

the back of the seat is upholstered with the same piece of carpet that covers the floor of the bed. so if you're missing the piece from the seat, you should also be missing the carpet which covers the bed floor. go to wherever auto parts, or maybe even Dollar General, and find a roll of auto carpet and cut to shape. remember it will pull forward when the seats fold down, so leave some slack at the crease where the bottom of the seat back meets the bed floor. at the tail gate end, the carpet has holes which line up with the screws for the plastic trim at the tailgate end. to keep it from sliding forward when you put stuff in the bed.

there must be some pics of 4runner beds from the rear, of trucks with the carpet ripped out. look through the site and see if you can find someone's truck, and get an idea of what's under that carpet. it must be here somewhere. if i find one, i'll link it.
ya with me?

tj884Rdlx

here's a pic of what the stock upholstery should look like, courtesy of DC:

Windsor

Just like the above photo implies.. it's basically bed carpeting (mine looks similar, with fewer stains).

tj884Rdlx

sure, the carpet is beat. but look at those dazzling side panels! they're fantabulous!

(swiped this pic from DC's panel restore thread)

Windsor

Yeah, I noticed that the pic looked like one from his panel-resto thread (I bookmarked that for future reference).

tj884Rdlx

he did do a nice job with those. i'm considering that treatment in my future too. it's nice to see the results rather than going to a store to buy stuff blindly and hoping it doesn't suck.

desertcamper67

Hey thanks for the responses. Computer was down for a couple days after I posted so I couldn't reply.
You are right, there is nothing flat there to support stuff and keep the bed flat. I will have to find something or better yet make it so its strong and new. Also this truck never had any carpet in it. Only vinyl and the original rear seat was a solid bench.

I think I will need panels from a split rear seat too to accomodate the retracking outer 2 seatbelts. The bench only had 2 lap belts and they looked like a universal part. Non Toyota buckles.

The guy who sold me these seats said they come complete, untorn and grey. Well, they are grey.

The seat bottom does latch to a sheet metal keeper. I just didn't have everything hung right. The strap does pull and release a spring loaded catch.
I really would like to have some kind of industrial type of carpeting back there that can handle a rough life.

Wardamneagle

I also installed SR5 rear, split seats in my Deluxe 4Runner and yes you will need the SR5 side panels to make the seat belts work correctly.

Good luck. They are hard to find. I am almost postive that any panels from 84 to 89 will work.

desertcamper67

Thanks. Something to look for in the future. Just using the lap belts for now. Maybe I'll also find some seats with bad upholstery but the backs are okay so the yard will let me take the backs only and for cheap. Its hard to find any old Yotas here in the bone yards that have any parts left on them.

Outsane

the back of the seat carpet connects to the rear bed carpet..

i have the stock carpet if you want it.. but honestly..

I bought carpet from home depot to replace it and just cut to fit..

desertcamper67

The back of the seats have nothing covering them. You can see the foam molded to the metal seat structure. And it's not flat. No factory carpet in the truck. Only vinyl front and back. Easily removable though.

Does your factory carpet come with the seat backs? I have a steam cleaner. If its bad I can use it for a template for a replacement piece.

kiyobrown

dang, i just went to the bone yard, pretty sure they had some there. Stuff doesn't last long there though.

XtraSlow_XtraCab

A few posts above suggested that the carpet lining the back of the rear seats connects directly to the bed carpet. I'd have to disagree. My "homemade 4Runner" still utilizes a factory 87 SR5 shell and the rear seats are split. The carpeted panels are seperate from any flooring and I'm pretty sure they're not metallic beneath the carpet.

There could have been variations of these seats though. My seat bottoms do not have a pull strap nor do they latch. They just fold tightly under the back rests.

desertcamper67

There is probably some kind of particle board under the carpet on the back of the rear seat uprights. I just haven't seen one in a long time. My first one was an SR5 but that was 13 years ago.

Outsane, can I come and look at your carpet or pick it up if its still decent?

Tony

Outsane

sure thing..

but your probably better off just buying carpet from home depot or lowes.. you can check out what I did.. when you are here.

XtraSlow_XtraCab

I used Lowe's "indoor/outdoor" carpet and got enough to do 3 truck beds for like 30 bucks. I chose mne in particular because it's black and has a similar texture that automotive carpet has (not berber, house looking carpet basically).

Outsane

Not sure if the lowes one is the same but the one I got is UV protected too!

AustinTaco

I thought of this thread when I was at the pick and pull today. They had an 88 with split rear seats that would have been perfect for you. They are selling the stuff dirt cheap because of the cash for clunkers cars.
The seats were trashed, but they had plenty of 2nd gen seats that you can use and swap the cushions on to the 1st gen frames. Then, you can take the fronts and swap them in too, and have a clean and matching interior.

http://toyotaresources.com/home/inde...d=10&techID=47

I just found this site, toyotaresources, and while looking through it, I discovered the link to my post on the above mod.