Seat upgrade ideas for a first gen

Has anyone put different seats in their truck? I'd like some recommendations, I hate the seats in mine, it kills my lower back on long drives. Are seats from a TRD truck better? These thin flimsy SR5 seats just aren't cutting it, they suck and need to go. I know where a guy has a wrecked TRD so I might go ask him if he would part with them if they are worth it. Let me know what you guys have done ore recommend doing.

 

In 1990 I bought an SR5. In 1998 I bought a Limited TRD.

The (bucket) seats are identical.

So is the lower back pain. Mine begins about 5 hours into a drive.

I had the seat in my SR5 restuffed. No help.

Hope you find something that suits you, I wasn't able to.

 

If you don't mind doing some fabrication, you can fit just about anything in there. Seats from Scion xB's, highlanders, and 2nd gen Tacoma's seem to be the most popular. I've also seen Subaru Forester seats swapped in. There are few, if any, direct fit seats though. The main problem is that they all sit up higher, so you lose what little headroom there is (if you're tall).

 

See that's where I'd run into a problem, I'm 6' tall so anything higher would be pushing it. I like the TRD seats used in second gens, may try those and see.

 

My 94 4Runner SR5 seats, these are super cushy have adjustable everything (side bolsters, tilt and rise headrests, bottom cushion angle, back angle, multiple lumbar adjustments) only found on fully loaded second gen 4Runners. Got em for $150 (including some other 4Runner parts) and welded my old seat brackets on with the help of a friend.



Comparison from when they were being put in

 

I swapped in a pair of 3rd gen 4runner seats. Definitely an upgrade in comfort without too much loss of practicality without the tilt/slide lever. Getting them in wasn't an awful process. The transmission side rails line up perfectly, the outer rails and brackets can be swapped on with minor grinding and hammering; no welder required. I ended up spending $60 on the seats on craigslist and they match better than any covers would. Pleased.

 

I had the same issue(sore back and butt) with my seats got these>

$155 CONFORMAX "Cocoon of Comfort Gel CAR Cushion Combo Set- L18 Standard

http://www.amazon.com/CONFORMAX-COC...sr=1-1-spell&keywords=comformax+seat+cushions they are awesome.

 

I have subaru forester xt seats in mine. I am 6'3". The seats definitely sit higher than stock but with adjustable lumbar, good size bolsters and heat, i dont give a damn about being closer to the ceiling. Mine did take quite a bit of fab Work.

 

Going to be on the lookout for 4runner seats!

 

How muck work would it bi to put 02' Landrover Freelander SE 4x4 seats will fix into my 2004 tacoma reg cab ?

 

I have experienced the discomfort and was highly motivated to look into getting different seats. The 4Runner seats with all the adjustments seem like the way to go, if you can find a pair in good shape. I did not enjoy the process of shopping for used seats.

I tried rebuilding my seats with additional foam but all that I accomplished was to make them uncomfortable in a different way. Since I use my 99 4x4 for extended trips in the desert, I was unhappy every time I got in.

Decided to move in a different direction: Recaro. Yes, more money, but I didn't encounter any negatives in my research. I bought a Recaro Expert M with the mounting adapter, sliding mechanism and pump lumbar support. $1500/seat. Here's the negative: it takes 6-8 weeks for it to be made. I plan to order another soon.

Yeah, the windshield is out to repair rust.

 

So the SR5 buckets in the pre Tacoma trucks will bolt right into the Tacoma floor pan with no modifications?

 

No, they will not. I had pre taco seats and I had to weld my taco mounts to them.

 

@Speedytech7 how far off are the pre taco mounts

 

Pretty damn far and they mount their seatbelts differently so you have to get creative there too. The back legs don't line up and the fronts don't either. I wouldn't just try to bolt one in.

 

@Speedytech7 yeah man I’ve been looking for a set of 1st gen Tacoma buckets and they are very hard to find.

 

I've been looking at some scion frs or suburu brz seats on ebay...you can get a decent set for under 500 and seem to have the added comfort over the stock seats

 

You could always bring your oem seats into a car upholstery shop and have they redo all the foam with something nicer and even have the seat shaped to you a little better buy keep the oem look

 

Years back I remember seeing a truck with some fancy seats out of a Maxima.

 

Mine came with those (98 TRD model), and they sucked. A lot. The headrests were also worn through to where you could feel the metal if you leaned back onto them. And they felt rickety. Nevermind comfort, I didn't trust them at all in a fender bender, let alone a real accident. I replaced them with seats off a third gen 4-runner. 80% bolt on, just needed a bit of persuasion.

My other vehicle is a BRZ. And I can definitely vouch for those being some very comfortable and supportive seats.