Help Me Make Seat Easier To Fold On 06 LJ Rubicon

Sponge

Member
Supporting Member
Joined
May 16, 2022
Messages
29
Location
Libertyville IL
I have a 2006 LJR w.some tired seats.

The fold function on the seats are difficult at best for me...this is my daughters daily and nearly impossible for her, or usually a friend, to fold forward.

I have:
- Taken apart the side attachment point and pulled the cable as tight as possible & added a turnbuckle to hold it - that helped some & made the handle have full function.
- WD-40 all the slide mechanics...didn't do anything
- Added the seat stablizer washer kit

Any other good suggestions?

Thanks!
Shad
 
Only my driver side is hard to fold forward, but I very seldom need to so I haven't put much thought in to it.
I will say it helps to put my hand behind the seat so I am pushing in the middle, instead of just one side.
Also, I lift up with the other hand since it has to raise up before it slides forward.
 
My seats fold forwards fine it's getting them back that's the hard part. Usually just shake it a bunch and insult it and that usually works, but I'm also interested in any solutions people have found. WD-40 and penetratating oil hasn't helped at all. One thing I haven't tried is the silicone lube I use on mountains bikes.
 
the hard part is to fold it initially with the lever? or to completely fold it forward once its already tilted..?
 
the hard part is to fold it initially with the lever? or to completely fold it forward once its already tilted..?

The intial fold is the most difficult - seems as if the cables are just stretch too much and the seat has it done a million times its just weak. I sat in it last night and it is definitly sagging to the right from years of being pulled on.

Thinking I pull it and tear it down...and replace moving parts and strenghten it where needed...

The cable assembly is still available via MOPAR - https://www.moparpartsinc.com/p/Jee...-Release--After-9803/42231738/05093669AB.html

None of the other parts inside the seat or reclining assembly are available...the little spring that the cable pulls on I think might be a big contributor and just tired.

I should just replace the seats...but I foolishly bought Bartact seat covers for the seats within weeks of buying the Jeep this fall and don't want to eat that $$$
 
Lubing it and replacing springs, rollers, or cables may make it better, but I doubt it will ever be great. I think it's just a mediocre design from Jeep, so getting it back to as-new will just get it back to mediocre. Bummer. But I'll be watching this hoping someone proves me wrong.

WD-40 is NOT a lubricant, despite what the manufacturer wants you to believe. It will temporarily lubricate, but then as it dries it will leave a sticky residue, eventually making things worse, not better. Use it on your hair, or on blisters, or as a Water Displacement up you want. :) Use a real lubricant on the seat mechanism.
 
Lubing it and replacing springs, rollers, or cables may make it better, but I doubt it will ever be great. I think it's just a mediocre design from Jeep, so getting it back to as-new will just get it back to mediocre. Bummer. But I'll be watching this hoping someone proves me wrong.

WD-40 is NOT a lubricant, despite what the manufacturer wants you to believe. It will temporarily lubricate, but then as it dries it will leave a sticky residue, eventually making things worse, not better. Use it on your hair, or on blisters, or as a Water Displacement up you want. :) Use a real lubricant on the seat mechanism.

Agreed - it is a terrible design...still can't understand how my CJ-7 is still the best designed fold forward seat Jeep. Works flawlessly still as the driver to fold forward the passenger seat or the passenger to do themselves.
 
This is often a result of folding the seat wrong. The TJ fold and tumble seats are a two-handed operation when done the way they were designed. The factory suggests you use one hand to pull the lever and the other hand to push on the headrest or back of the seat forward for the first fold. While still holding the lever, the free hand then moves down and pulls from the underside of the seat to tumble forward. Lots of folks do the one-handed move by pulling on the cable lever for the entire process and this causes your issues. The lever was not designed to be used to "lift" the seat.

I learned this here so passing it on, to get the seat to reset in the same position you had it, pull rearward from the front of the seat cushion, then fold the seatback rearward. (Best to place your hand on the back of the seat or it will whip back on you pretty fast). If you fold the seatback and then the seat cushion, it will come to rest in a "default" position and you will have to adjust.

Your best case to fix your issue is replace the cables and readjust the lever under the seat as you've stated. Don't use WD-40 on anything, it's not a lubricant. Keep the new, replacement cables dry because they will likely have a fine coating on them anyway (ever see all that dust collected on them?) It's a 17-year old Jeep.... as it was with raising your daughter, you pick your battles. ;)
 
This is often a result of folding the seat wrong. The TJ fold and tumble seats are a two-handed operation when done the way they were designed. The factory suggests you use one hand to pull the lever and the other hand to push on the headrest or back of the seat forward for the first fold. While still holding the lever, the free hand then moves down and pulls from the underside of the seat to tumble forward. Lots of folks do the one-handed move by pulling on the cable lever for the entire process and this causes your issues. The lever was not designed to be used to "lift" the seat.

I learned this here so passing it on, to get the seat to reset in the same position you had it, pull rearward from the front of the seat cushion, then fold the seatback rearward. (Best to place your hand on the back of the seat or it will whip back on you pretty fast). If you fold the seatback and then the seat cushion, it will come to rest in a "default" position and you will have to adjust.

Your best case to fix your issue is replace the cables and readjust the lever under the seat as you've stated. Don't use WD-40 on anything, it's not a lubricant. Keep the new, replacement cables dry because they will likely have a fine coating on them anyway (ever see all that dust collected on them?) It's a 17-year old Jeep.... as it was with raising your daughter, you pick your battles. ;)

Thanks for the feedback - will give it a try...and sounds like you have a daughter too! LOL thx
 
This is often a result of folding the seat wrong. The TJ fold and tumble seats are a two-handed operation when done the way they were designed. The factory suggests you use one hand to pull the lever and the other hand to push on the headrest or back of the seat forward for the first fold. While still holding the lever, the free hand then moves down and pulls from the underside of the seat to tumble forward. Lots of folks do the one-handed move by pulling on the cable lever for the entire process and this causes your issues. The lever was not designed to be used to "lift" the seat.

I learned this here so passing it on, to get the seat to reset in the same position you had it, pull rearward from the front of the seat cushion, then fold the seatback rearward. (Best to place your hand on the back of the seat or it will whip back on you pretty fast). If you fold the seatback and then the seat cushion, it will come to rest in a "default" position and you will have to adjust.

Your best case to fix your issue is replace the cables and readjust the lever under the seat as you've stated. Don't use WD-40 on anything, it's not a lubricant. Keep the new, replacement cables dry because they will likely have a fine coating on them anyway (ever see all that dust collected on them?) It's a 17-year old Jeep.... as it was with raising your daughter, you pick your battles. ;)

I can't find instructions on operating the Tip and Slides seats.
My LJ works as expected on the passenger seat. Operate the lever on the headrest and the seat tips and slides.
The drivers seat will only lift if I push down on a lever under the inboard front of the seat. Where there is a cable on the passenger seat there is none on the drivers seat. Could this be factory?
In place of the cable, I did find this 2 pin connector that a PO had bypassed. Also the seat cover was loose in the back. Was there maybe a switch in the seat that was removed or disconnected? Maybe an airbag switch or seatbelt warning.
Can I buy a seat mechanism or a drivers seat and get the tip and slide function?

Jeep Lj Drivers Seat.jpg
 
On the passenger seat there is a cable going under the seat that when you release the seat back and push it forward, this cable releases the seat to tip. On the driver side, there is no cable. A lever operates the same latch to release the tip function.