Bench seat swap

[Fat Lou]

Long time CJ 7 guy here that just picked up a MJ. I learned through the CJ that it's easier and cheaper to ask before I begin a project. I'd like to start by making this truck comfortable. I hate the bench seat and I hear that the cherokee buckets and console can be modified to fit. What years should I be looking for? Any tips? Thanks for any ideas, I'm open to all of them.

[Automan2164]

Welcome to the group! Yep, you can modify the XJ seat bracket to fit an MJ... But I would check the classifieds and Cragislist and see about some MJ seats. They arent all that hard to find and will go right in... But, we have a pretty good DIY section, and this is one of the posts:

 

http://comancheclub.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=8093

 

Should be everything you need! :cheers:

Rob L.

[Fat Lou]

Thanks that helps a lot! I'm doing a frame off restoration on the CJ 7 this winter so the progress on the MJ will be slow. It was meant to be a home depot/trips to the dump rig but that didn't last long. Now I can't wait to get the CJ done to start the MJ, what a sucker.

[Eagle]

The lower seat pedestals are different between the XJ and MJ because the MJ has different floor bracing. The bucket seats from an XJ can be removed from the lower pedestals and bolted onto the pedestals from the MJ bench. The passenger side won't be adjustable unless you rig an arm for the release. Driver's side will work fine.

 

What you want to avoid is the XJ buckets from the early (84 thru perhaps 89 or 90) years that had the "rocking chair" tilt adjustment in addition to fore-and-aft adjustment. The tilt mechanism adds height to the seats. In an MJ, unless you are well under 6 feet tall, it'll make you sit much too high.

[Pete M]

Also, 2-door XJ seats will tilt forward, 4-door XJ seats do not.

 

 

[glundblad]

Others may disagree but I have found that having seats that do not tilt forward is not a big deal if you don't have the large center console.