Howdy folks,

The cloth seats in my 1998 4Runner SR5 are hands down the most uncomfortable seats I have ever sat in. Hell even the cheap GM bench seat in my old S-10 was more comfy than the 4Runner!

I think some of it comes from the fact that I'm 6'1", 240lbs, 32" inseam, long torso, and really broad shoulders (my shoulders spill over both sides of the seat above the side bolsters). I've driven mostly American pickups, and I can undoubtedly say that the 4Runner has more of a 'car' sitting position (legs straight & forward, butt close to the floor) than a 'truck' sitting position (legs bent down & forward, butt off the floor).

The seats in my old '02 F-250 were like frickin Barcaloungers, nice and wide, thick padding, I could drive for 6+ hours on end with no back pains or kinks, and most importantly the wife never complained that her back hurt (she usually fell asleep ASAP). We took a drive in the 4Runner, and she ended up sprawled out on the back seat after 45 minutes saying that the front seat blows. I want to try and get close to my previous level of comfort/support, in my 4Runner, and keep it looking stock.

I drove a friends Ford Explorer SportTrac and that little truck reminded me how bad my seats are compared to it. I'm sure some of this also has to do with the fact that my 4Runner has 260k miles on the odometer.

Now, are the Limited leather seats more thickly padded/comfortable than the stock cloth SR5's? Are there any later model (99-02 vs 99.5-98) 4Runner seats that are more padded/comfortable than others? Or are there any other seats that are a direct swap into the 4Runner?

Any help would be appreciated...around town the seats are fine, but anything longer than 30 minutes brings the pain.

Pic of the style seats I have (not my truck, just found the image on the web):

 

The seat is such an individual taste thing. I find the seats of my '97 4runner Limited (leather, power adjustable) quite comfortable & I like the driving position. I'm 5'10" 210lbs. I think my seats are more comfortable than my brothers' Sport Trac though not as cushy as my friends' Silverado. Sounds as though your seats are, at the least, worn out. Try to sit in some newer 4Runners & see if they're any better. They should be a straight swap. My '01 Tundra Limited was more cushy but you would have to do some measuring to see is you could make them fit. Otherwise a good auto upholstery shop should be able rebuild your seats.

Paul

 

Depending which seats you have they may be terrible or only marginally bad. The base buckets, which some SR5's had are the worst. If you don't have headrests that tilt front and back you probably have the base seats. I had those in my 00 Runner and swapped in some from a Limited and the difference was huge, just having adjustable lumbar made a big difference, but they still aren't great. I have an 02 Sport now and the cloth sport seats are the same as the leather limited, the Sport seats have a little more side bolstering. A friend of mine put Volvo sseats in his Tundra and they are incredible, I am trying to score a set myself, so a different make would be my suggestion, Toyotas just don't seem to have the most comfy seats.

 

I have back issues and thus a strong interest in good seats. In my 1988 1st gen, the difference between the stock buckets and what were known then as the SR5 "Sport" seats was huge- the sport seats were very nice, with adjustable bottom cushion height/tilt, adjustable side bolsters, adjustable lumbar support, and adjustable headrest tilt.

I also tried some 2nd gen "Sport" seats in my 1st gen runner- the fabric was in better shape and they had rear map/road atlas pockets. But they didn't seem quite as comfortable, mainly I think because the bottom cushion didn't tilt up as much, so I had the 1st gen sport seats re-upholstered.

My 2000 3rd gen came with the base seats, which I've since swapped with 3rd gen "Sport" seats, as pat161 suggests. The new seats are considerably better, but the difference is not as great as with the 1st gens- the bottom cushion adjustment drops the rear part of the cushion instead of raising the front, which doesn't result in as good of a fit for me. Also, the 3rd gens don't have the side bolster adjustment, and overall seem to have less plush padding. But they are still a definite improvement, and would be the easiest route to go since they are a straight bolt-in.

The Volvo seat idea is intriguing, but any seat from a different manufacturer could involve issues with fit if the seat is wider than 4runner seats, and will definitely involve issues with bolting them to the floor.

 

I know what you mean. I think the ones in my 98 SR5 are probably the worst seats I have ever sat it. I already had hip trouble before going to Iraq. I'm def changing the seats out when I get home.

 

Thanks for all the replies guys, and pkt1213, thanks for your service!

I think my seats are just plum worn out...260k miles of driving will do that ya'know (I think the previous owner, who put on 257k of the miles, was a LARGE woman)? Me and the wife sat in the back seat (don't ask what we were doing ), and they felt pretty good, nice thick padding.

I've looked at Mastercraft and Recaro seats and holy hell they are expensive. Looks like I'll just need to keep my eye out for a junkyard special.

Thanks for all the replies!

 

My limited seats are also VERY uncomfertable for long trips. Now for around town they are quite nice, i love them but when in the car for many hours they DO start hurting.

Why? i have no idea. Nothing i can pin-point.

 

I tried a friends limited with leather seat and they were more comfortable than my sport seats. I am not sure I would like leather though. I re-upholstered my seat cushion and lumbar to help rejuvenate my old seats.

 

Quick update:

For the price of new stock seats, I can get a set of Corbeau seats...now I gotta convince the wife that the seats REALLY suck!

 

I don't have a problem with the "sport" seats in my 2nd gen. I actually like them

My mom has a 99' limited with the leather seats, and they do start getting irritating on long trips.

my buddy's sister has an old Cadillac with some leather seats. OMG are those the most comfortable seats ive ever sat in in a vehicle. It was like a recliner. I want to swap some of those in my 4runner, but for now i can't justify spending money when other mods could be useful first!

 

i had original bench cloth seats in my toyota and there were springs that stuck you in the butt, i put the buckets from a 92 4 runner in and in my opinion its a muuuch more comfortable seat. no more. if you have the room, take the seats out of a chevy astro van. hands down the most comfy seat in a vehicle ever