How To: 01-04 60/40 to Bucket Seat/Console Swap

This is gonna be a write up on how to do one of the mods that a lot of members ask question about, the 60/40 to bucket seat/console swap. This is for 01-04 trucks, as everything is completely bolt in for these years. If you have an earlier first gen, this may not be the write up for you, albeit people have done the swap.

This seat swap utilizes a seat and a console from a double cab or TRD package ex. cab Tacoma. If you're wanting to utilize 4 Runner seats, this isn't for you, but may get you in the right direction. The passenger seat in the 60/40 setup is the same as a passenger bucket seat in a double cab, therefore there is no need to swap it out if its in good condition. Seats out of a limited trim Tacoma will bolt right in too, aside from a power connection needing to be made.

Time required: 1-2 Hours

Tools Required: Ratchet, 14 mm socket, 10 mm deep socket, a few extensions, 10 mm wrench (a gear wrench really helps), a Phillips head screwdriver, a flat head screwdriver, flashlight, box cutter, sharpie, penetrating lube, and an impact gun if you're lazy.


1. This is where I started, the stock interior from my 04 ex cab. Its a base model so it has the annoying 60/40 seat setup, with the virtually un-usable cup holder setup.



2. First actual step is gonna be to remove the floor mats, and pop the little covers off the back bolts. Using a flat head screwdriver can help get them off.


3. Now, using a 14 mm socket on a ratchet or impact gun, remove the rear bolts. The inside one came out with no issues, but since the outer bolt goes through the body and is exposed to the elements it was kind of crusty. A little penetrating fluid helps here. Then, push the seat back and remove the front two bolts. Before you go to remove the seat, make sure to disconnect the seat belt sensor wiring harness. Just depress the tab and pull.


At this point, you can remove the seat. Be careful, as it is way heavier than your new bucket seat.

Take a moment to collect all the loose change, and admire the stains from that coffee you spilled 150k miles ago. I am $1.02 richer after doing this mod.

4. Next you're going to want to remove the stupid little "cup holder" that sits in front of the shifter trim. Don't do what I did and remove the entire shifter trim. Its completely unnecessary, as the cup holder slides back with a little wiggling and comes right off.

All those spilled drinks sure does make that bracket look disgusting, don't they?
Go ahead and remove the 2 screws on the shifter trim that are closest to the cup holder. Your new center console will attach using these screws.

5. Now for the fun part, fitting up the new console and locating the bolt holes. Go ahead and position it where its gonna go, lining up the front two screw holes with the holes from the 2 screws that you just removed. While keeping it aligned, open it up and use a sharpie to mark the location of the two bolt holes for the console.
Also make a mark on the side for the approximate location of the two rear bolt holes that the rear bracket will mount to.
Remove the console for the next step.

6. Grab a box cutter and start cutting the carpet around the marks that you made. Cut deep, as you need to slice through the insulation underneath as well.
If you had everything aligned properly, you should discover that the bolt holes for your console are there, already tapped and ready to go, and even protected with some clear stickers. Remove the stickers, and test fit the console again. Everything should line up perfectly.

7. Now its time to cut the carpet for the rear mounting bracket. If your console didn't have this bracket, you need to get one as it prevents side to side movement.

Use the mark you made earlier and cut out another piece of carpet. It should reveal two more tapped holes protected by another clear sticker.

8. Remove the sticker, and bolt in the bracket with the arrow pointing to the windshield. It uses M6 bolts, and since mine didn't come with any, I used some that I had laying around from another job. There isnt a torque spec that I bothered looking for, just tight with a ratchet.

9. Slide the console down on top of the bracket, lining up the bolt holes on the side with the tapped holes in the bracket. These are M6 as well, and I used more of the same bolts that I used in the previous step. Since I am not swapping the passenger seat, it was a little tricky to get the bolt in on that side, but doable. This is where that 10 mm gear wrench comes in handy. Also, you can remove the lap belt, but I opted not to since it wasn't in the way, and would require removing the passenger seat to get to.

10. Now install the two M6 bolts inside the compartment of the console. Since mine were crusty, I opted to use more of those shiny new M6 bolts I had laying around. Being that they are going into plastic, proper torque is just "snug" with a ratchet.

11. Screw in the two screws at the front of the console. Being that I opted to use my stock 60/40 shifter trim, there is a little stretching of the console ears, but not enough to be an issue in my opinion. The auto transmission trim may be a touch wider, and actually caused @BartMaster1234's console ears to crack over time. I didnt feel like the manual trim was too wide, so there was very minimal stretching, I will update this if it becomes an issue. If you want, you can get the "correct" shifter trim to use with the console and it has indentations to prevent any stretching. Remember that if you do that though, you're gonna loose the cup holder on the side of the trim.


12. Take some time to vacuum up the floor pan before you get the new seat in. To get the new seat in, just align the holes, and start threading in the bolts. You can add anti seize or lock-tite if you like, but I didn't feel like it was necessary. I went as tight as I could with a normal 8" ratchet. Also re connect the seat belt sensor connector at this time.



13. Just reinstall the plastic caps on the rear bolts, put in the floor mats and you're done!

 

looks very good @Blue92
you put in a lot of work to make your truck super nice

 

Nice, that came out looking great...looks like it came that way from the start

 

i just recently got a first time ever peek at this area in my truck
but i saw black instead of the red you see in this pic
i believe I have a different textured carpet
is this is the original carpet, @Blue92

 

Pics updated, got my trim pieces in!

 

@Blue92, i have been EXTREMELY careful to never spill anything anywhere during my many many long hours on the road in my truck, but accidents can always happen!
Heck, i get apprehensive of my covered drinks 'sweating' onto the freshly dressed shifter area. I have the cupholders directly above in the 'secret' little dash pullout by the center vents, it's great for keeping the summer drinks ICE COLD with the A/C on in the summer, but not so good on the hot white mocha or turtle latte needed to make it the rest of the way back home on the road, unless you like your coffee drinks cold (I don't)

but getting to my ?? for you, have you tried the various cleaning products for the carpet,cloth cleanup for those inevitable accidents/spills? which ones work the best?
another TW member recommended Folex carpet and spot remover. I tried some on a couple of small spots found under my driver seat from who knows where the heck they came from?!? ... probably hit a bump while sipping on the mocha lol
but I was trying the Folex on my carpet Tacoma floormats and there is quite a bit of dirt to get cleaned up in those, also my clutch-foot rest way back under there you know where. Is there any better method you know of to get that more clean?

 

I feel so dirty.

 

Speak for yourself.

 

Lol. My carpet only has 80k miles on it, the only real stain was that one in the pic. Which I didnt even bother cleaning cause Im out of carpet cleaner, and it got covered up by the new console .

 

what carpet cleaner has worked best for you?
i am trying the Folex as mentioned before in case you did not see it

 

Where did you get the bracket for the console? Toyota dealership? I have everything else about to do my conversion today but not that bracket you mentioned.

 

Luckily for you he uploaded a pic of the part number. So you can just search it up, buy it from ebay or Amazon. Or just go to your nearest dealership so you can get that job done.

 

McGeorge Toyota Online Parts in my case. But your local dealer should have no trouble getting it.

 

Ok thanks!

 

Fun fact: guess there’s only two left in the nation according to the dealership I just called
Luckily the Toyota recycling center has one lol

 

The one I got was covered in rust but still in a sealed bag. Had to sand and paint it.

 

Well wouldn’t you know it.. I somehow managed to rip the head off the bolt while trying to tighten down the bracket.. is the bracket supposed to sit on the metal of the cab itself? My bracket came with two screws which I narrowed down to being 1/4-20x1 so I figured those would do. Where did I mess up? Wrong bolts?



ok I think so those bolts that came with my bracket I guess go on the side that mount to the outside of the console... not the cab. Therefore the bolts I bought weren’t gonna work either. I’m a dumbass. Case closed.

So I guess until I drill out that broken bolt those other two bolts that go inside the console will have to do for now.

 

Everything should be metric. M6-1 or M8-1 I forget which. Wont find any 1/4-20 threads anywhere on your truck, unless you put em there.

 

Gotta learn the hard way at some point I guess. Thanks again. I’m on my way to Lowe’s, yet again. Lol

 

Yeah I scrolled through the write up again, I actually had a pic of the M6-1 screws I used in their box haha.


Its all good though, yank that stud out and run a tap through it and you should be good.