03-06 seats are higher in my 99 TJ

Moab

Moab

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I've read over and over that 03-06 seats are 1.5" "shorter" than 97-02 seats. I have a '99 Jeep. I'm 6'3" and was looking forward to more head room. So I bought a set of used ones to put in my early model Jeep.

Well I got around to finally installing them this week. And they are very much higher than the original 97-02 seats in my '99. I did use Misch Big Boy brackets to give me 4" more legroom. But they are only like a third of an inch thick maybe? So that can't account for the added height.

Anybody else experience this?

It's not like you can install them wrong. The brackets and seats only go in one way. Has me stumped. Was really looking forward to not having to crane my neck to see a street light. But now I am not only craning my neck - it's even worse. It's like they are 1.5" higher than my old seats. Sure glad I didn't buy risers like everyone was saying.

I will say they are much more comfortable than my early model original seats. I really like them. They are wider. Like me. lol. And have much better support both in the ass and the back. And I really like the lever on the side of the top part of the seat that makes them tumble forward. A much better system than on the early model seats.

I was also worried I might have to add some sort of lumbar support. But it's not needed. They are a bit shy on the foam edges of the base. I think eventually I might get them refoamed with a much firmer foam on the bottom bolsters. But they are very comfy. With the exception of the height I prefer them over the early model ones.
 
I just read a review on Amazon. That the Misch brackets raise the seat by an inch. But that still doesn't explain why they'd be higher than the early model ones. I mean if the 03-06 ones are 1.5" shorter and you raise the seat with the Misch brackets by an inch. It should be a half inch shorter. Weird.
 
If you used the 03-06 brackets and seats they will be lower. Maybe you got 03-06 seats put on 97-02 brackets or something
 
Rescue6 said:
If you used the 03-06 brackets and seats they will be lower. Maybe you got 03-06 seats put on 97-02 brackets or something
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To my understanding that's not possible. 97-02 brackets will not work with 03-06 seats. Which is why I purposely bought seats from 03-06 WITH the brackets included.

Plus they are very different. You can tell just by looking at them. And mine were taken apart when I got my seats delivered. I had to put them back together. Not totally just the bottom half of the bracket had to be re-bolted to the upper half.
 
I have used both and my 99 seats were about 2”taller than my 06 seats. I recently removed them and installed PRP seats so I’m going to have to make custom brackets to lower them as they are back at the 99 height. I also used the brackets to extend the seat as you did. I’m 6’5”. Seems odd that your new seats are taller
 
Rescue6 said:
I have used both and my 99 seats were about 2”taller than my 06 seats. I recently removed them and installed PRP seats so I’m going to have to make custom brackets to lower them as they are back at the 99 height. I also used the brackets to extend the seat as you did. I’m 6’5”. Seems odd that your new seats are taller
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I know dude. Every other single post I've ever read says these seats should be shorter. I'm gonna take another look at them tomorrow. I can't imagine anything is off in the installation or they wouldn't work. And they slide and tumble and everything just fine. But they are definitely taller. It's weird.
 
I looked it over. And everything seems to be in it's correct place.

I think my problem was my original seats (20 years old?) were probably sagging. So they were alot lower than normal. Then I put in newer seats with solid foam and springs and Misch big boy brackets. That raised it up alot higher than the original seats. Because the old seats were so low.

I'm also tall as hell in the seat at 6'3". So even with my old sagging seats I had a hard time seeing stoplights. Disappointing. But worth it. The new seats are sooooo much more comfortable. I just have to slouch a bit more. lol. The big boy brackets are totally worth it too. If you need leg room. Get them. It's like a new Jeep with the newer seats and having them placed 4" further to the rear. That's made a huge improvement too.

If you've got a 97-02 I highly suggest swapping out for 03-06 seats. They are WAY more comfortable. Alot better lumbar support too. They may be the most comfortable thing I sit in. Honestly. Even the chairs we have in the house. Don't have this kind of support. Jeep really did a good job with 03-06 seats.

The seats cost me $400 delivered from a junkyard. And all they need are a good cleaning.
 
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Hey Everyone - new to forum. Looking to put some 03 to 06 seats in my 99. Will these bolt in with the seat brackets provided or do I also need the risers?
 
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They are a direct bolt in swap. Depending on how old and saggy your old seats are you may or may not need risers. How tall are you?
 
Thanks for the quick response. When I say risers, I am referring to the structure below the track that bolts to the floor. The seats that I posted have just the track attached to the seat.

Would I just bolt the 03-06 tracks to my current 99 risers (the part attached to the floor) or would the 03-06 seats need to come with tracks + risers?

I am 6'5" so I would not be looking to add any additional height to the seat. I am looking for the opposite (more headroom)
 
Tripbus said:
Thanks for the quick response. When I say risers, I am referring to the structure below the track that bolts to the floor. The seats that I posted have just the track attached to the seat.

Would I just bolt the 03-06 tracks to my current 99 risers (the part attached to the floor) or would the 03-06 seats need to come with tracks + risers?

I am 6'5" so I would not be looking to add any additional height to the seat. I am looking for the opposite (more headroom)
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The seats with the bottom brackets are a direct bolt in. So i guess its up to you how you cobble those together. But it may effect the slide/tilt back of the seats. I would get seats that include the later model brackets too.

At your height i would strongly suggest the misch big boy brackets or knock offs. They will give you 4 more inches of leg room. And in my experience that translates into a more relaxed sitting position. And more headroom. At 6'3" myself, my Jeep would not be driveable without them.

You don't need what we call "seat risers". They are chunks of metal or plastic that raise the seat. An aftermarket product.

But many report the 03-06 seats as lower than the early models you currently have. But again, it depends on how saggy your originals are. When i switched i did gain a bit of height. But not much.

They are much much more comfortable than the early model seats imho. Maybe because i am taller idk. But the lumbar supports and bolster hit me way better than the early models. I love the 03-06 seats.

Check car-parts.com for junkyards near you. Its the national junkyard parts site. You can search by make, model, year and part name to find all the Jeep seats near you. But be sure to get hi res pics if they are to far away to pick up. But dont be afraid to ship. They have cheap rates.
 
Thanks! I appreciate all the info. I think the best bet would to buy the seats that include the "lower bracket" so they can just bolt right in. I will also look into the big boy brackets as I could definitely use some additional leg room.
 
One additional question - I have been looking at 2003 to 2006 seats on car parts and alot of them don't come with seatbelts. Can I use the seatbelt off my 99 front seats? Are they compatible?
 
Keep in mind, if you install the Big Boy brackets which pushes the seat back; it may feel like you're sitting higher because it will be harder to see stoplights sitting farther back.
 
so reading through all this . I am looking at a set of 03 seats for my 97. and am wanting to just install them on my bases. will it work with the 97 bases or not ?
 
My understanding is no. You need to have the bases from the 03-06 seats in order for direct bolt in. The 03-06 seats have a different bolt pattern with 97-02 bases. I passed on a good deal on 03-06 seats for this reason as they didn't come with the bases to mount to floor (only the seat tracks)
 
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