Hey can someone tell me what the deal is with the back seats of 1st gen 4Runners?
I have a base model 1986 4Runner and I want to have the ability to throw an air mattress in the back but my rear seats only fold down about a quarter of the way. I have seen others rear seats that fold down all the way and become flush with the bed. I want to know if I am missing something or if I should be looking into getting different style of seats? I attached some photos too.

 

a picture is worth 1000s of words. help us help you, snap a photo of what you have.

 

Is it possible that you didn't flip up the bottom seat cushions? Those have to flip out of way so you can lay seat backs flat.

 

I attached some photos and so far I have not found a way to fold the bottom part of the seat up.

 

It looks like someone reupholstered them and eliminated the tab you pull to lift the bottom cushions. It's a pull that grabs the steel loop at the center of this picture above the black drain plug. (Not my picture) I'd pull them out and investigate. If you can't get them to operate look for another set. They generally are in better shape than front seats. There were a couple of different back seat styles due to Japan shipping 4Runners without seats and having them installed at the port of entry. There's lots of camping lay out ideas on YouTube and Expedition Portal. You can always take the bottom cushions out and build a platform to level it with the rest of the cargo space.

 

Look at the front of the seat cushion. You should see a hinge there in the front. If you pull up on the back of the seat cushion where it meets the back cushion, it should pivot forward. If you don't see a hinge, then someone's changed yours from standard.

 

You people are awesome. The pull strap was buried in the seat. Thanks for all the help!!

 

ironically, the pic you posted is of MY seats. mostly to show the installation of subaru legacy rear seatbelts, to get shoulder belts rather than the lap belts that US version 4runners got in the back.

fwiw, i CANNOT fathom that the OP didn't lift the seat bottoms to allow the seats to lay flat. unreal.

 

We've all done things we'd go "D'oh!" after realizing that we were going about it all wrong before. Sure, it's obvious to all of us salty old original-owner Gen1 4Runner folks, but without the strap visible it might not be so obvious to everyone at first glance.

And now...he knows about the secret storage areas in his truck!

 

I totally eliminated that latch, because it hits my head when sleeping in the back, AND there is really no need to anchor the seat bottom. They stay in place even without those latches.
Eventually, I even removed my seat bottoms, because:
1) They took up space, including around 6 inches of head space,
2) Having them there required that I removed the headrests from rear seats and find a placed or them each time I folded them down,
3) They weigh 15 pounds a piece just to support a butt. Sold both for $30, too.

If you want to be able to remove and return them quickly, look at first-gen XTerra system - no hinges.