SOLVED: Passenger seat track problem (ext cab)

I've pretty much ignored this since it's not a big deal but figured I'd post a thread to see if anyone knows how to fix it.

Everyone with an extended cab knows that when you pull up on the side lever on the seat back adjustment for the passenger side seat, the back leans fully forward and the seat then slides forward, so that backseat passengers can climb in and out. Same thing works with the little foot pedal at the bottom behind the seat.

Well, mine randomly stopped doing this. I looked under the seat to see if something was stuck in the track, but didn't really see anything. The seat still moves forward and backward via the front lever, but the seat no longer slides forward when you pull the side lever. The back still jumps forward as it should, but that's it, no seat slide forward action.

Anyone know of a fix?

 

The track may be gummed up or have something in it that you can't easily see without a closer inspection. I'd recommend unbolting the seat and doing a closer inspection.

 

Yeah, I remember doing that while I was routing some wires, and didn't see anything. Nothing out of the ordinary. Is there a way to remove the seat from the track?

 

I would think so but I've never tried.

 

I'm on my phone so I can't peruse pictures and going off memory here...so this post might be utterly useless.

But I seem to remember a spring with long hooks on it that runs diagonally across the bottom of the seat. That thing needs to be hooked up to some point in order for the seat to fully function as you explained.

Do you see anything like that underneath your seat?

Or am I just fully making stuff up at this point?

 

Mine doesn't work either . If memory serves, there is a cable that runs to that lever. My cable somehow frayed and broke right at the ball on the end. I never really felt with it since nobody ever wants to ride back there...

 

Haha same here, but it's kinda annoying when I do have passengers. It wouldn't be like a first-genner of me to not fix any little thing that breaks on the truck, gotta keep it 100% right?

I will check this out. I don't remember any springs that had fallen off or were hanging down, though.

 

You are completely right haha. I spend waaaay too much Money on "the little things".

 

im betting there's a control cable between the back adjustment and seat position adjustment that just needs to be tightened.

 

I'll check for that next time I've got the seat out.

Any other suggestions?

 

The little cable that is connected to the lever, that goes on both sides of the track, may be clipped or cut. I had a mini shovel underneath my seat and it cut it in half. I had to cut up a piece of wire hanger and twist it around both sides of the cable to connect it again. It works but it ain't pretty, but whose looking under there anyways.

 

I have found the problem, there is a cable that gets pulled when you lift up on the lever, this cable stops on the side closest to the door, where the bottom part of the seat meets the back rest. This cable must have had an end on it at some point, which is now missing. I attempted to "steel stik" it in place, but that didn't work. Not sure how best to secure this cable to keep from slipping. Any ideas?

 

cable stops. you can find them at napa or carquest.

 

I imagine it takes something like this? These are bicycle brake/shift cables, btw, you can buy a set at walmart for like $10



You could try crimping something on the end of it, also.

 

Thanks guys for the suggestions. I definitely want to avoid crimping unless I can somehow loop it 180 degrees to keep it from slipping off again. Maybe soldering it? I’ll also look at those Dorman ones @CodeSeven

 

Passing this on from a manufacturer of cables and ball ends, regarding how they fasten ball ends to cables (these are motorcycle applications):
"When we install a ball on a wire end fitting we’ll dip solder it. We start by sliding the ball on the wire and then cutting the wire to the desired length.
Once the wire is cut we will use a pair of dykes [dikes; diagonal cutters?] to fry [fray?] out the last 5mm-6mm of wire. we then carefully slide the ball over the frayed wire making sure not to pull the ball off.
We then submerge the ball about ¾ of the way into a solder put [pot?] and watch for the solder to wick up the wire.
Once the solder comes up through the ball we remove the ball from the solder pot."

Motorcycle cables at:
www.motionpro.com

I took photos of a friend's seat with original cable with an intact ball end (original, not a repair):

 

Here's what I ended up doing. I had to let out some slack on the cable via under the seat because I had to cut a little off the cable (frayed ends). I also had the drill out the hole for the cable stop because it was too small. Then I hammered part of the metal piece on the seat down to hold the cable in. I think I might solder it some to hold it in a little better. It seems to work just fine as is though. Edit: Decided to solder and then slather the whole thing in JB Kwik. Overkill at its best.

 

Put everything back together and tested a few times. Works again! Hopefully the ghetto fix holds.

 

How is it holding up?

 

Well I've used it a few times in the last couple weeks and it's still working! It's so nice not having to use the track forward/backward lever just to move the seat back into the original position again. I can go back to just pushing it back and straightening up the seat back. It's the little things!