Removing drivers seat - bolts not clearing the frame - tilt jammed?

Bammo68

TJ Enthusiast
Joined
Dec 27, 2021
Messages
160
Location
Western Australia
Hi Guys, today's project is installing some underfloor insulation. Removed the pax (left hand) side seat dead easy. Drivers side, not so much!

Like all TJ's, it has 3 x M3 bolts and 1 x T50 Torx on the rear inner side. The two front bolts zipped out dead easy but for the life of me I cannot get access to the two rear ones? I've folded the seat, moved it forwards and backwards and dropped down the protective plastic flip covers but there is just absolutely no room to get a socket or even a short torx wrench on these bolts. I can't see how there is even enough clearance for the bolts to come out so it cannot have been installed like this.

The only thing that is slightly odd about my TJ is that the drivers seat doesn't "fold forward" anywhere near as much as the passenger seat. I always assumed this was as the passenger side was the primary path into the back seat but now I am wondering if there is a fault that is preventing these two bolts being uncovered.

Either my seat is jamming somehow half way through the fold or else you have to remove the seat from the seat rails and disassemble the base to get the bolts out and that seems unlikely.

Can anyone confirm please, does the drivers side seat fold forward and lean an equal amount to the passenger seat? If so, then maybe my mechanism is jammed.

seat bolt 2.jpg


seat bolt 3.jpg


Seat bolt1.jpg
 
OK problem solved! There is something jamming the seat tilt mechanism managed to get it to tilt forward after some crunching around now the bolts are clear. Thanks for helping me explain the problem out loud as that helped my brain figure it out!
Rubber chicken for the win...
 
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Reactions: MangoTango
There is a paddle under the seat (at least there is on my 1997) for releasing the tilt if/when the cable that snakes up the seat breaks/jams. Glad you got it out though.