Seat Bushings

JHenley01 said:
Hello everyone. I just came across this thread and I wanted to clear up some things about these seat bushing kits. I make and sell the 3D printed kit on Amazon that was mentioned previously. Link below.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08D72MQB7/?tag=wranglerorg-20

1. Yes they are 3D printed. The two upper bushings are made from PETG and the lower slider bushing is made from nylon to provide better abrasion resistance as the bushing slides in the track. These materials also have very good heat resistance. I tested and use these in my own Jeep and so far I have yet to have one break on me. However my Jeep is not my daily driver anymore so I'm probably not putting as much wear on them as others might. I've been selling them for a few years and have had very few reports of issues with them holding up. The nylon sliders will eventually wear down same as the factory ones do over time, no way to avoid that. 3D printed parts can be very durable as long as they are done properly and the correct materials are used. Some people just assume because something is 3D printed it's trash that won't hold up but that simply isn't true.

2. These are not only for 03-06 seats as some have said. I designed and tested them using my 99 TJ with the original seats. The upper seat design changed in 03 but as far as I know the lower seat frames did not. The only issues I've had reported with them fitting are from 97 and 98 year Jeeps. My guess is that Jeep was using seat frames from two different suppliers for the early TJ's and only one of them is compatible. I was initially listing them for 98 - 06 because almost every fitment issue I was getting was from somebody with a 97, later on I started getting more reports on 98's as well so now I list them for 99-06. On 97's and 98's it seems like a toss up as to whether they fit or not.

3. Yes they are expensive for what they are, $20 is a lot for some small pieces of plastic I agree. Part of that pays for shipping which is $3.25 minimum and then eBay/Amazon take their cut as well. With that said the price on them will likely be coming down soon.

A company in China has recently started making these as well. I'm not sure what they are made of or how well they fit but I certainly can't blame people for buying those as they are cheaper. I just wish they weren't using my pictures and copying my product information for their listings.

I just wanted to put that out there to hopefully clear up any confusion on these and thank you to anyone who has purchased them!
Click to expand...

Sorry I missed yours, they kept saying unavailable.
 
JHenley01 said:
Hello everyone. I just came across this thread and I wanted to clear up some things about these seat bushing kits. I make and sell the 3D printed kit on Amazon that was mentioned previously. Link below.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08D72MQB7/?tag=wranglerorg-20

1. Yes they are 3D printed. The two upper bushings are made from PETG and the lower slider bushing is made from nylon to provide better abrasion resistance as the bushing slides in the track. These materials also have very good heat resistance. I tested and use these in my own Jeep and so far I have yet to have one break on me. However my Jeep is not my daily driver anymore so I'm probably not putting as much wear on them as others might. I've been selling them for a few years and have had very few reports of issues with them holding up. The nylon sliders will eventually wear down same as the factory ones do over time, no way to avoid that. 3D printed parts can be very durable as long as they are done properly and the correct materials are used. Some people just assume because something is 3D printed it's trash that won't hold up but that simply isn't true.

2. These are not only for 03-06 seats as some have said. I designed and tested them using my 99 TJ with the original seats. The upper seat design changed in 03 but as far as I know the lower seat frames did not. The only issues I've had reported with them fitting are from 97 and 98 year Jeeps. My guess is that Jeep was using seat frames from two different suppliers for the early TJ's and only one of them is compatible. I was initially listing them for 98 - 06 because almost every fitment issue I was getting was from somebody with a 97, later on I started getting more reports on 98's as well so now I list them for 99-06. On 97's and 98's it seems like a toss up as to whether they fit or not.

3. Yes they are expensive for what they are, $20 is a lot for some small pieces of plastic I agree. Part of that pays for shipping which is $3.25 minimum and then eBay/Amazon take their cut as well. With that said the price on them will likely be coming down soon.

A company in China has recently started making these as well. I'm not sure what they are made of or how well they fit but I certainly can't blame people for buying those as they are cheaper. I just wish they weren't using my pictures and copying my product information for their listings.

I just wanted to put that out there to hopefully clear up any confusion on these and thank you to anyone who has purchased them!
Click to expand...

Your bushings were the second set I purchased when I had parts from my initially purchased brand, Stable Seat, break.

I've had no problems with your set of bushings. Your material choice is right on for a vehicle application.

I did order a third set of bushings, just to have if I lose another one somewhere.
 
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Fulton_Hogan said:
Your bushings were the second set I purchased when I had parts from my initially purchased brand, Stable Seat, break.

I've had no problems with your set of bushings. Your material choice is right on for a vehicle application.

I did order a third set of bushings, just to have if I lose another one somewhere.
Click to expand...

I'm glad to hear they are working well for you, thanks for the purchase!
 
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JHenley01 said:
Hello everyone. I just came across this thread and I wanted to clear up some things about these seat bushing kits. I make and sell the 3D printed kit on Amazon that was mentioned previously. Link below.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08D72MQB7/?tag=wranglerorg-20

1. Yes they are 3D printed. The two upper bushings are made from PETG and the lower slider bushing is made from nylon to provide better abrasion resistance as the bushing slides in the track. These materials also have very good heat resistance. I tested and use these in my own Jeep and so far I have yet to have one break on me. However my Jeep is not my daily driver anymore so I'm probably not putting as much wear on them as others might. I've been selling them for a few years and have had very few reports of issues with them holding up. The nylon sliders will eventually wear down same as the factory ones do over time, no way to avoid that. 3D printed parts can be very durable as long as they are done properly and the correct materials are used. Some people just assume because something is 3D printed it's trash that won't hold up but that simply isn't true.

2. These are not only for 03-06 seats as some have said. I designed and tested them using my 99 TJ with the original seats. The upper seat design changed in 03 but as far as I know the lower seat frames did not. The only issues I've had reported with them fitting are from 97 and 98 year Jeeps. My guess is that Jeep was using seat frames from two different suppliers for the early TJ's and only one of them is compatible. I was initially listing them for 98 - 06 because almost every fitment issue I was getting was from somebody with a 97, later on I started getting more reports on 98's as well so now I list them for 99-06. On 97's and 98's it seems like a toss up as to whether they fit or not.

3. Yes they are expensive for what they are, $20 is a lot for some small pieces of plastic I agree. Part of that pays for shipping which is $3.25 minimum and then eBay/Amazon take their cut as well. With that said the price on them will likely be coming down soon.

A company in China has recently started making these as well. I'm not sure what they are made of or how well they fit but I certainly can't blame people for buying those as they are cheaper. I just wish they weren't using my pictures and copying my product information for their listings.

I just wanted to put that out there to hopefully clear up any confusion on these and thank you to anyone who has purchased them!
Click to expand...

I recently installed bushings from seller "615 south". Just want to confirm that that's you.
 
I used these a couple weeks ago
Seem fine so far

IMG_5434.png
 
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BonesXX said:
Anybody tried these? Although my seats don’t wobble all the bushings are missing.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08D72MQB7/?tag=wranglerorg-20

View attachment 194908
Click to expand...

I tried those and they didn't really work for me. The problem is probably the same for my 1997 and your 1998. If you look, the listing says for 1999-2006 TJ. I actually found a listing that said, 1997-2006, and the problem was the same. The problem is that the bottom bushing with the plastic washer attached doesn't go into the rail groove, because the groove is too small on my 1997 Wrangler. So, it really didn't work. It didn't stop the noise. I believe the rail groove is a lot larger in the 1999-2006 TJ. I finally just ended up jamming it in crooked, and tightening it, and it worked. It stopped the noise. But, it didn't seat in the groove. It would probably be best to just follow the idea in the You Tube video and make your own. The idea is to get a bushing that will slide into the groove to stop the noise, and a washer around the bolt. But, the rail groove is really small on my 1997 Wrangler. I believe the noise is caused by the bare groove making contact with the bare bolt, when there is no weight on the seat.
 
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LJBean said:
I just installed a set of these last night:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B8BMVZY9/?tag=wranglerorg-20

Not 3-D printed, but not sure what kind of plastic it is. Fit seemed nice and tight - will see how they perform.
Click to expand...

Yeah, it uses PET that is used in 3D printing. A comment on the item confirms it. Plus, it says in the article that it has the same problem as most of the 1997-98 Wrangler seat frame grooves, as I mentioned in my above comment. "Some of the 1997 & 1998 model year TJ’s used a different seat frame which is not compatible with this kit." The problem being that the bottom washer with the raised edge won't go into the groove in the 1997-98 seat frame, because the groove is too small vertically. You can see how big the hole is in the picture, of the bottom washer. It needs to go inside the groove and slide on the groove. But, the groove is too small in the 1997-98 seat frame.
 
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ChasUGC said:
Yeah, it uses PET that is used in 3D printing. A comment on the item confirms it. Plus, it says in the article that it has the same problem as most of the 1997-98 Wrangler seat frame grooves, as I mentioned in my above comment. "Some of the 1997 & 1998 model year TJ’s used a different seat frame which is not compatible with this kit." The problem being that the bottom washer with the raised edge won't go into the groove in the 1997-98 seat frame, because the groove is too small vertically. You can see how big the hole is in the picture, of the bottom washer. It needs to go inside the groove and slide on the groove. But, the groove is too small in the 1997-98 seat frame.
Click to expand...

KennethS said:
I found my ‘98 is the same with the narrower groove, so the bushings in one of the DIY posts were too large diameter.
Click to expand...

I haven't watched the DIY video yet. If I buy the 615 South set made by @JHenley01, will the mod for my 97 be any easier than the DIY approach?

Edit: Or, can anyone tell me the dimensions, so I can determine whether I have one of the 97s with the "other seat style"? I put my dimensions here.
 
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SSTJ said:
I haven't watched the DIY video yet. If I buy the 615 South set made by @JHenley01, will the mod for my 97 be any easier than the DIY approach?

Edit: Or, can anyone tell me the dimensions, so I can determine whether I have one of the 97s with the "other seat style"? I put my dimensions here.
Click to expand...

I don't believe there is a different '97 seat style. I just jammed mine in and it stopped the clanking sound, which is the reason I got them. You might try filing the top and bottom egdes of the plastic groove washer until it slides in, if you need a perfect fit.
 
ChasUGC said:
I don't believe there is a different '97 seat style. I just jammed mine in and it stopped the clanking sound, which is the reason I got them. You might try filing the top and bottom egdes of the plastic groove washer until it slides in, if you need a perfect fit.
Click to expand...

Right, thanks. I don't think there is a product out there for those who have the narrower/shorter groove. I was just wondering the dimensions of the product so that I could see whether I have a quirky 97 with narrow groove or not. Over here, it sounds like I'm in luck, so I'll give it a shot.
 
I should have known it couldn't be so easy.

Over here, I confirmed that I don't have the short/narrow groove/channel that caused trouble for other 97-owners. So I ordered a set from 615 South.

As shown below (first pic), the Torx-40 bolt on my slider won't accept the flanged bushing. But this may actually be an advantage, since the bolt itself serves the weight-bearing role, and should hold up just fine. So, I just replaced the original washer (second pic) and ignored that part of the 615 kit.

But then I found that the 'peg' on which the upper bushing sits is apparently shorter/shallower on mine (third pic). I'll have to trim the spacer down to fit. No big deal, but just FYI for other 97 owners.

———

Screenshot 2024-01-27 at 5.43.02 PM.jpg

Screenshot 2024-01-27 at 5.43.23 PM.jpg Screenshot 2024-01-27 at 5.43.30 PM.jpg
 
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SSTJ said:
Well, I should have known it couldn't be so easy.

Over here, I confirmed that I don't have the short/narrow groove/channel that caused trouble for other 97-owners. So I ordered a set from 615 South.

As shown below (first pic), the Torx-40 bolt on my slider won't accept the flanged bushing. But this may actually be an advantage, since the bolt itself serves the weight-bearing role, and should hold up just fine. So, I just replaced the original washer (second pic) and ignored that part of the 615 kit.

But then I found that the 'peg' on which the upper bushing sits is apparently shorter/shallower on mine (third pic). I'll have to trim the spacer down to fit. No big deal, but just FYI for other 97 owners.

———
Click to expand...

... and in the end, I still had a slight rattle. The two bushings (or rather, the upper bushing and the Torx bolt, in my case) were just barely not touching. For now I wrapped some tape around the bolt head.
 
Just put all this info on the "quirks of 97s" thread.

@mrblaine, I know this is child's play compared to the other parts you make, but maybe a nylon version of these would be a good job for an assistant or intern to tackle some time?
 
SSTJ said:
Just put all this info on the "quirks of 97s" thread.

@mrblaine, I know this is child's play compared to the other parts you make, but maybe a nylon version of these would be a good job for an assistant or intern to tackle some time?
Click to expand...

Maybe, don't hold your breath. I've studied it some and I'm not fond of any of the solutions so far.
 
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