Lowering the front seats

[Greenmachine]

Hey all, great forum here. I’ve read quite a few threads about people wanting to raise their driver seat, some about people wanting to move their seat back (big boy brackets solve this), but not about lowering it. I’ve asked quadratec and other vendors about a seat lowering kit but to no avail.

I’m 6’6”, and mostly torso. No problem with leg room, but I sit so high i’ll be smashed by the roll bar if i’m rear ended, and my view is terrible (i’m looking directly at the windshield frame).

The stock seat is comfy, so I don’t want to remove padding and have it possibly not give me enough of a view while at the same time ruining the comfort.

Anyone have experience with corbeau sportline RRX? It has a real thin bottom, but I don’t want to spend close to $1000 for 2 seats (annoyingly, you can only buy these in a pair), especially if i’m not sure they’ll give me any better view.

Anyone have any other ideas?

2004 Rubicon BTW. Pretty much stock.

I’m glad I have a post-2003 model as I see Jeep actually lowered the seats (much to many people’s chagrin) otherwise I’d have no view whatsoever.

Help?

 

[Chris]

@Jerry Bransford replaced his with PRP seats. I'm not sure if they sit higher or lower than stock, though I'd have to imagine they sit higher.

Either way, PRP makes a variety of different seats, and it may be worth giving them a call directly to see what they have to say. Jerry may or may not have some input on this as well since he's been to PRP in-person, and maybe he can say if any of their seats sit lower.

Here is Jerry's thread by the way:
Replacing my tired uncomfortable seats with PRP suspension seats

 

[Jerry Bransford]

I haven't measured them but they do sit higher than stock. In fact I am thinking I'll eventually remove the seat spacers I added when I still had the stock seats in. Between the spacers and the higher position of the PRP seats I kinda have to squeeze in & out from underneath my steering wheel.

 

[Greenmachine]

Thanks Jerry, If you remove the risers and by chance they sit lower than stock, let me know.

Hard to believe with the zillions of aftermarket/mopar products made for wranglers no one offers a seat lowering kit. They make one for the Viper, and they produce more jeeps in a year than all the Vipers ever built.

 

[Landon]

@Greenmachine Did you ever find a solution? I installed the big boy brackets so leg room isn’t a problem but my head is really close to the roll cage. I’ve been searching the inter webs and YouTube and haven’t found a good solution.

 

[Greenmachine]

I haven’t, my friend who welds said he could cut the brackets in half and weld them back together, but overlap them an inch. It sounded like it might work, but I don’t want to call in a favor for an idea that might work, but also might decrease strength of the bracket (in case of an accident), so i’m resigned to just get used to it how it is...hoping for safe travels.

 

[Moab]

I wouldn't worry about your friend lowering your seat by cutting and rewelding the brackets. As long he's a professional. If he welds as part of his job. Just my 2 cents. I had my brother in law make brackets to adapt Honda seats to my Samurai. And they lasted for years. But I trusted his engineering and welding skills. As he welded as part of his job.

I only say that because your right - you don't want to mess around with seat brackets. In an accident they could literally kill you or save your life. You don't want just anybody making brackets for you or adapting your seats.

Just make sure to use beefier steel than what is on there now. And make sure the welds are good. I think this is probably your only solution. Unless you can talk to some of those few that have adapted other car brand seats to the TJ. I think Tiberon is one of them. But I have no idea if they sit shorter or not. Probably depends on whatever adapter you make for them to fit the TJ holes etc.

So in the end it probably doesn't matter - just have new brackets made for your TJ seats that sit as low as you need or as low as it will go. Made of heavy stock. And make sure to use OEM bolts or something superior.

I have a similar size to seat ratio. In that I have no need for risers. I sit actually kind of high in the 97-02 seats. So I'm looking forward to installing my pair of 03-06 seats I bought end of last year. And my big boy brackets. I could use more leg room too. I'm pretty cramped in there. Hopefully between the late model seats and the new brackets I'll be sitting with alot more room.

 

[Moab]

Just as a follow up to the OP. I replaced my 97-02 seats with 03-06 seats. And am very happy with them. The lumbar support is way better than the early model seats imho. But I didn't gain any headroom as so many have reported. The late model seats are supposed to be and inch or two shorter. But my early model seats were so worn out. I was already sitting lower than the late model seats. So when I put the late model seats in I didn't achieve any shorter seating. But again, they are way nicer seats. And I am very happy with them.

The only real solution I can think of is to find a shorter seat from another car. And adapt it to the seat brackets. At least that way you still have the tumble feature. Which allows the only access to the back seat area. Or give up the tumble feature and mount some shorter seats directly to the tub. Which would for sure get you the desired headroom. As the Jeep brackets are fairly tall to accommodate the tumble feature. They also make some ready made generic seat brackets for Jeeps. I think Smittybilt makes one or some other fairly famous Jeep part manufacturer. Which you could adapt to another cars seats.