Where can I get some different front bucket seats? the stock sr5 seatback is too narrow for me and actually hurts my back. its squeezing my lower rib cage BIG TIME!! :cry: does anyone else 6'+tall weighing 200+lbs have this problem????

it seems fine for smaller folks since my wife doesnt seem to have this complaint and neither does my buddies wife that also has a 4th gen sport. I took a 4 hour drive to the mountains (each way) this past weekend and my buddy said the same thing to me about the passenger seat hurting his back in the same place without me ever mentioning it to him and we're both about the same size. pumping up the lumbar support to its max seems to help in the drivers seat since it gets me 'out' of the seatback somewhat. but its still noticably uncomfortable.

I havent had a chance to swing by the dealership and ask to sit in a Limited so I dont know if the seats are designed differently than the sr5 or not. (anybody else know?) but I imagine I could buy aftermarket cheaper than the Limited seats and I dont want leather anyway. I checked out Classic Soft Trim which I found after extensive searching here but it looks like they only offer leather.

Im planning on Wet Okole seat coverings. I want fronts too and I want to buy them all at once so they all match. but I need to resolve this front seat issue first.

PLEASE HELP!!!

 

Maybe you have a weak lower back try some situps

 

 

Uhhhhh, Im 6'2" 215 lbs and about %8 body fat so Im sure its not a 'weak back'. Thanks for nuthin ****!

 

Brian, have you tried sitting in both the sport and limited seats? i'm not sure since i'm a tad smaller than ya but you might want to give them an try. if those seats are better maybe you can find one at a junkyard or something.

if all else fails, you're best bet is going purely aftermarket. and that would be something new so you'll be going where no person has.

good luck.

 

Have you checked the lumbar support on the seat? It irretates me in a big way, unless I move it completely. I have a limited, but I think lumbar support is on all models.

 

I'm eventually going to convert my runner's front seats to volvo seats with custom brackets so I can fit! Once you sit in a volvo for a long trip you will be sold! Not sure how easy 850 seats are to find, but thats probably what I'm going to go with, they even have memory and heat built into the seat! (i'm pretty sure about the memory thing, I remember the 1,2,3,set buttons are all down by the adjustment switches. If you do go custom, and want an oem look, I'd look into volvo seats.

my .02

 

Thanks for the more serious replies to my post folks.

GT,
I have sat in a Sport and the seats appear to be the same design. Its the metal bracket underneath the seat back wings thats getting me. I havent checked the Limited because I would rather not have leather.

As far as aftermarket goes Ive checked with Classic Soft Trim since they have TRD rights but it looks like they only offer leather too. I havent contacted them yet but I may be able to arrange for them to be covered in cloth. Does anybody know anyone else that makes OEM fit aftermarket seats for Toyota's?


bulldog,
I did play with the lumbar adjustment. It seems to help if I pump it almost all the way up since it gets me somewhat out of the seatback. But Im afraid its not providing the solution to my discomfort.

turboale,
thanks for the suggestion. Theres a shop called tops and trends near me that offers aftermarket interiors so I will check with them for other options before I try to fab something to make another manufacturers seats fit. That sounds creative though!

Thank you all for your feedback!

 

I have the same problem with my 3rd Gen and Im only 5'8''. Ive seen TRD racing seats but I am not sure if they are real TRD. Im still doing research. Hit me with an email if you have questions.

 

thats a crap situation. and with a lot of aftermarket seats they are even meaner to big people.

so far the volvo seat idea is the best IMO. i'd try an find a seat you like in another car an get some used.

 

2 things, 03 seats have less lateral support/wings, I noticed this when riding in my buddies 04 sport versus my 03 sr5. If I am making sense the 03 is less deep or dished out so the side wings dont dig into the back.
Second, I find the amount of support under the legs is not that great since I am 6,4" and this stresses the back. unbolt the front seat bolts, then stack a half inch or 3/4" of washers under the seat bracket, rebolt, this will bring the front of the seat up, giving more leg support reducing stress on the back. Every see those films on ESPN of basket ball players sitting on folding chairs designed for "regular folks 1980s era. Cheap mod that really works

 

TRD makes these racing buckets that are extremely comfortable. Look into them...

 

I’ve got a friend that installed a pair of BMW M3 seats in the front of his 4runner with some minor mods to the mounting feet and custom spacers to bring them up to the proper height. Another friend installed a set of Saab 9.3 Viggen seats in his Taco. There are many options. I actually stopped at an import only bone yard yesterday to pick up a fuel tank for my mx5 and took a little walk around. There are a lot of Lexus, Mercedes, BMW Range Rover Volvo etc out there that you could pick up a like new set of front seats for under $500 and with a little mods if any you could really set your truck off and be comfortable while doing so! I do remember the BMW seats needed some wires ran to power up the motors but it was rather simple!

 

There is a vender on Ebay that sells seats out wrecked cars pretty cheap, shipping isn't too bad. Then just have some brackets fabed up that will allow you to install them in your truck. Your best bet would be to find another yota seat you like since you have a better chance if the dimensions fitting properly. Alot of people have said the celica seats were good. If you have a larger frame, I'd suggest something out of an avalon, they tend to be a little wider. If all your looking for is extra lumbar support, get one of those strap on pillows to add to the lower back that might be your cheapest solution ($30).

good luck

 

I thought I'd share some info on seats that I heard on Dateline a couple minutes ago. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety did tests on over 75 seats and found that only 8 met thier highest standard of "Good", 3 of them were Volvo seats! It seems to me if Volvo seats are comfertable to sit in, they might be the best choice for your safety in a fender bender (> 20 mph) for wip-lash. Here is a link to the IIHS's listing of the seats they tested http://www.iihs.org/news_releases/2004/pr111404_1.pdf . I should mention that they did test 5 Toyota seats, but none were from the 4Runner. Of the 5, one recived an Accetable, one a Marginal, and three a rating of Poor. Something to think about and maybe tell Toyota to fix if it matters to you. Also, I don't know if the Volvo seats they did test are the ones you want to get.

Just thought I would share. Heres the IIHS's website http://www.iihs.org/

Erich