Removing 97-02 seats: Where are the rear bolts?

Moab

Moab

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Watched a video on YT about removing front seats from a 2000 TJ. And it shows a plastic flap that opens up and reveals the rear bolts. Mines a 99. And the plastic flaps in the back reveal nothing. No bolt or even track that leads that far back. Just the end of the curved seat bracket. This is after I slide the seat all the way forward and then release the back of the seat to fall forward as well.

What am I missing? Anyone have any pics of getting the rear bolts out? Trying to swap out my 97-02 seats for 03-06.

Here's the YT vid. The rear of my bracket has the plastic tab. Just don't see any bolt or hole or even metal for the bolt to go thru under that plastic tab.

 
I have a 99 and I discovered I had to flip the seat all the way up. There is a little lever under the seat, I would say close to the tunnel about mid way under the seat. I pushed that down ( I think, or up LOL) and my seat flipped forward and up. Then I could see the back bolts. One is a torx head the other is a 13 like the other 3. Or half inch, LOL can't really remember off hand. :D
 
KimsJeep said:
I have a 99 and I discovered I had to flip the seat all the way up. There is a little lever under the seat, I would say close to the tunnel about mid way under the seat. I pushed that down ( I think, or up LOL) and my seat flipped forward and up. Then I could see the back bolts. One is a torx head the other is a 13 like the other 3. Or half inch, LOL can't really remember off hand. :D
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SO you found an adjustment that "tumbled" the seat forward? I've been looking for that. I thought it was those little grab handles on the top side of the seat. But mine are gone. They must connect to what your talking about. I'll dig around with my flashlight. Thanks Kim.
 
Like kim said the seats need to be tumbled. If your missing the lever you can activate it under the seat.
 
You're welcome. ! :D

Yes, That is a better word for it, tumbled it forward. :D I am guessing it is to make it easier to get back seat passengers in the back. It actually flips up into the windshield, basically, LOL.

Also, only thing you have to unplug is the wiring for the seat belt light. The other cable thing stays with the seat. I just did this about a week ago, unfortunately, I didn't take pics.
 
Hope this helps. Mines and 02. This was without using the little seat pulls on the top side. Should be able to reach the bolts that way.

 
KimsJeep said:
You're welcome. ! :D

Yes, That is a better word for it, tumbled it forward. :D I am guessing it is to make it easier to get back seat passengers in the back. It actually flips up into the windshield, basically, LOL.

Also, only thing you have to unplug is the wiring for the seat belt light. The other cable thing stays with the seat. I just did this about a week ago, unfortunately, I didn't take pics.
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Did you leave the plug not plugged in after you swapped seats? I'm assuming when you say "I did this about a week ago". That you mean swapping seats. If not, my bad. lol. I was just wondering about that electrical connector the other day. Like if I had to plug it into the new seats? Or if the new seats even had the right plug? Or if it even mattered?
 
Jamison C said:
Hope this helps. Mines and 02. This was without using the little seat pulls on the top side. Should be able to reach the bolts that way.

View attachment 88053
Click to expand...

Your video got me curious. LOL I had to go see how mine actually worked. I have the seats with the loop on the sides that you can pull on to make the back of the seat go forward. I can pull on that as hard as I want and it won't actually make the whole seat do anything.

a2z58KmzQh6DX7tnSfhUHw.jpg


I also have a handle on the side of the bottom portion of the seat, but that is only to make the back part go backwards, to recline. No pic of that. LOL

Here is where the little lever is I am talking about. If the seat is all the way back toward the rear of the car, it is actually right up front. Reason I thought it was in the middle is because I had my seat all the way forward when I discovered it. I did a little test just now and I can actually unlatch the seat and make it tumble forward even with it all the way back toward the rear. I do have to use that lever though.
IMG_1532.JPG
 
moab said:
Did you leave the plug not plugged in after you swapped seats? I'm assuming when you say "I did this about a week ago". That you mean swapping seats. If not, my bad. lol. I was just wondering about that electrical connector the other day. Like if I had to plug it into the new seats? Or if the new seats even had the right plug? Or if it even mattered?
Click to expand...

I actually took the driver seat out to put in my new to me center console.
 
The wire/connector on the driver's seat goes to the female seat belt socket on that seat. If you disconnect it, the Jeep will think you are not wearing your seat belt and the light on the dash will light.

EDIT: And when you do get the seats to tumble forward, the rear bolts are underneath spring-loaded plastic flaps that you will have to hold down to access the bolts. One bolt (the outside one) is a 1/2" (13mm) like both of the front ones and the other is a torx (T-47 if I recall correctly).
 
TJ Hunnicutt said:
The wire/connector on the driver's seat goes to the female seat belt socket on that seat. If you disconnect it, the Jeep will think you are not wearing your seat belt and the light on the dash will light.

EDIT: And when you do get the seats to tumble forward, the rear bolts are underneath spring-loaded plastic flaps that you will have to hold down to access the bolts. One bolt (the outside one) is a 1/2" (13mm) like both of the front ones and the other is a torx (T-47 if I recall correctly).
Click to expand...

Is the seatbelt alarm connector on 03-06 seats the same as 97-02? Will I be able to plug my newer seats in using the same wire? Or no?

That would be kind of annoying having the seatbelt light on all the time. But I guess I could just remove it when I swap over to led's in the dash.
 
KimsJeep said:
Your video got me curious. LOL I had to go see how mine actually worked. I have the seats with the loop on the sides that you can pull on to make the back of the seat go forward. I can pull on that as hard as I want and it won't actually make the whole seat do anything.

View attachment 88054

I also have a handle on the side of the bottom portion of the seat, but that is only to make the back part go backwards, to recline. No pic of that. LOL

Here is where the little lever is I am talking about. If the seat is all the way back toward the rear of the car, it is actually right up front. Reason I thought it was in the middle is because I had my seat all the way forward when I discovered it. I did a little test just now and I can actually unlatch the seat and make it tumble forward even with it all the way back toward the rear. I do have to use that lever though. View attachment 88055
Click to expand...

So that lever is on the passenger side of the driver's seat?
 
Yes, the lever is on the console side on both seats.

As for the wiring, Just went and looked and the answer is, interestingly, yes and no. They use the same connector but swapped the male and female ends! On my '01, the female is on the set belt and the male is on the wiring harness, just the opposite of my '06. I was able to actually verify that the connector was the same because some Bozo had run the wiring harness wire through the part of the seat that tumbles and it got caught in a pinch and cut off (easy fix, just annoying). Anyway, the cut off wiring harness plug from the '06 plugged right into the wiring harness plug on the '01. So, all you'll have to do is (after making sure everything else fits and works like it should), cut the connector off of the seat belt socket's wire, leaving several inches to do the splice, and splice i onto the seat belt wire on the later-model seat. I'd be tempted to leave the original connector on the later-model seat as well for two reasons 1) why remove it if you don't need to and 2) it is what clips in under the seat to hold it out of the way.
 
TJ Hunnicutt said:
Yes, the lever is on the console side on both seats.

As for the wiring, Just went and looked and the answer is, interestingly, yes and no. They use the same connector but swapped the male and female ends! On my '01, the female is on the set belt and the male is on the wiring harness, just the opposite of my '06. I was able to actually verify that the connector was the same because some Bozo had run the wiring harness wire through the part of the seat that tumbles and it got caught in a pinch and cut off (easy fix, just annoying). Anyway, the cut off wiring harness plug from the '06 plugged right into the wiring harness plug on the '01. So, all you'll have to do is (after making sure everything else fits and works like it should), cut the connector off of the seat belt socket's wire, leaving several inches to do the splice, and splice i onto the seat belt wire on the later-model seat. I'd be tempted to leave the original connector on the later-model seat as well for two reasons 1) why remove it if you don't need to and 2) it is what clips in under the seat to hold it out of the way.
Click to expand...

Good information. Thank you!
 
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