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WJ Rear Seat Write-up

RSchurig356

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Michigan
I searched for a good write-up on installing a WJ rear seat and couldn't find anything too helpful, so I decided to do one myself.

After removing the stock seat, I used the stock seat back holes to mount the WJ seat back. After positioning the seat where I felt it would be best, I started on the drivers side and drilled a hole through the WJ bracket and put the stock bolt back in through the hole and into the threaded hole. I then found a spot on the WJ bracket that was away from an obstacles below and drilled another hole and repeated on the passenger side.
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I then used the stock WJ bracket that connects the two top seat backs together and flipped it 180 degrees towards the cargo area. I then drilled one hole to secure this to the body. I suggest putting in two bolts, as I plan on doing this soon. That's all for the top half of the seat.
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Now, you're halfway there. After positioning the seat bottoms in the XJ, I realized that the shape around the wheel well on the WJ seat bottoms is different than that of the XJ. After removing the latches, I used a dremel to shape the plastic seat bottoms to the shape of the wheel well. Just take a little off and test fit it and cut accordingly. I think that removing the foam from the plastic bottom will allow you to get a good fit while not ruining the foam and seat fabric. After you get a good fit, position the plastic bottoms how you want, and then mark the holes in the stock WJ brackets and drill the holes. I then reattached the foam cushions and bolted the seats to frame rail.
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And that's basically it. I tried not to drill holes in the floor pan as much as I could and that's why my seats may not be mounted the same as others, but I believe that they came out pretty well. The legroom feels much better than the stock park bench that's in there. The kneeroom may be less, but you sit up higher and you have a nice backrest with head rests that make all the difference. If you have any questions, feel free to pm me and I will be glad to help. Thanks for looking!
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Also, the stock rear bench is up for sale. http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?p=244413654#post244413654 And if anyone has front seats to match this 2002 WJ bench, I am very interested in completing the interior of my jeep. Thanks!
 
did you use the WJ buckles or are those the XJ seatbelts. I just ask to see if you have connected them to make sure they work if it is a mismatched set...

otherwise it looks nice.
 
They still fold down, although it is not perfectly flat. The seatback is a little higher so there is about a 1" step-up from the cargo area to the backs of the seats.
 
Very nice looks good, I am going to have to go scronge thru the local JY soon, I like the idea of having the rear head rest and since my son is getting bigger, it makes a good safety move for the rear seat passanger. Great wrtie up with pics, thanks Man...
 
Looks awesome!

Do you still have use/access to the "cubby" area under the seat?

Can you post some pics of the seat in different folding positions?
 
NICE!! Does anybody know if this would work in a pre 97?
 
I need to do this to safely drive my daughter around but I have a question, do the seat backs still snap into the clips on the side that hold them in place. I like this a lot.
 
I need to do this to safely drive my daughter around but I have a question, do the seat backs still snap into the clips on the side that hold them in place. I like this a lot.

The WJ backs have their own internal mechanism with a latch on the top of the seat beside the head rest, so the stock clips aren't used with the WJ seat.
 
Looks good.

I did mine a bit different but have the 1-inch rise too. I have to pull the head rests off to fold the seats down/forward. Do you?

Did you leave the stock front seats in it?
 
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