Hi again everyone.

I'm attempting to swap the seat rails from my old 60/40 split bench over to my new-to-me SR5 bucket seats. The reason for the swap is because the rails on the bucket seats do not slide back as far as the slides on my 60/40. Being 6'3" I need all the extra leg room I can get.

I know that the rails are riveted and I read that they may also be tack welded. I removed one rivet and the rail did not budge. I am also planning on removing the side plastic and I'm gonna see if I can unbolt them. *update- can't unbolt them, just checked.

Anyone have any experience with this? Anyone have a link to a write up swapping rails? Anyone ever welded these up?

Was hoping to have them done before Thursday when I take a little road trip.

As always, thanks for your continued assistance in my frustrations.

 

This doesn't answer your question, but...

When I swapped seats (bucket to bucket) I had to remove the feet off the old seat to use with the new. Those were riveted and tacked. I built a sort of frame out of 1x1 steel and the old feet, then bolted the new seat rails to it.
If you can't get the rails moved over could you do something similar in your case (but you prolly don't want to raise your seat with 1x1- I'm 5'8ish), then mount your new seats a little further back on the frame?
My 4Runner seat swap is at the end of my build thread, if you want to see the franken-feet frame.

 

Thanks, but I don't have access to a welder. I have to have a guy I know do the work, but he lives a long way away. I prefer to not have to build a new frame. I just want to swap over the rails. Took apart one seat just a minute ago and it looks like a huge PITA.

How did you remove the rivets and tack welds?

 

Some of the content in this thread might help..

 

Just swapped rails from my bench onto nissan maxima seats.
The rail feet are riveted, and then SPOT welded.
So, you should be able to remove them with a chisel, and a hammer.
or a drill and drillbit.

You can unbolt the entire rail though, it's only two bolts.
And afaik, the rails are pretty much bolt on from seat to seat. I mean, my bench seat rails bolted right onto the nissan seats.

 

For the rivets we drilled out the rivets and spot welds. Where one of the seats had a weld at the seam we used a cutting tool, seats covered in tarp.