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Seat Conversion


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So I'm looking to replace my worn out MJ bucket seats. I know that certain year cherokee seats can be modded to fit in a MJ. But I also heard about Grand Cherokee seats fitting in a cherokee. So I'm wondering if they can also be modded to fit in my MJ. If anyone knows what years will fit, or has a link about the grand seats please share. I have a lead on a nice pair of buckets from a 98 grand cherokee, and I don't want to lose them if I can use them.

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Just got through mocking up the mounts to throw a set of zj seats in my quad cab today. The zj seats with zj brackets don't line up anywhere near the xj bolt holes. I used a couple of pieces of 2" angle and drilled to holes for the front mounts and matched up the holes for the cab floor. Then marking and drilling two new holes for the back bolt locations. The manche floorboards have an incline to them so you might want to use a piece of 2x3 angle for the front mounts so the seats don't lean forward and will sit flat.

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Thanks for the reply, I ended up buying the seats because I just couldn't let them go. Now I have some reassurance. The ZJ rails are spread considerably further than the MJ ones. I think I could use some 1/8 plate across the rails, then bolt the brackets to that. Not sure what I'm going to do yet. I havent considered angle, but it may be a possibility.

 

And on a side note, your Manche is real? I thought it was a photoshop :doh:

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Keep your Comanche seats if they fold forward.  Then check out the local yards for decent Cherokee seats.  They are out there and you can find them for a reasonable price.  When I did my conversion from bench to bucket seats I found a set of Commanche buckets cheap for the seat mounts and the folding seat backs.  Then I looked hard for Cherokee bucket seats in good condition for the fabric and cushions.  I purchased two sets of Cherokee buckets then put the best parts of the seats together to make a close to new set of buckets.

 

You have the time to do this with your build.

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Keep your Comanche seats if they fold forward.  Then check out the local yards for decent Cherokee seats.  They are out there and you can find them for a reasonable price.  When I did my conversion from bench to bucket seats I found a set of Commanche buckets cheap for the seat mounts and the folding seat backs.  Then I looked hard for Cherokee bucket seats in good condition for the fabric and cushions.  I purchased two sets of Cherokee buckets then put the best parts of the seats together to make a close to new set of buckets.

 

You have the time to do this with your build.

Thanks but I already bought the ZJ buckets like I said. 

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I used ZJ seats, What I did was remove the electric base and used 1/4 flat stock bolted to the bottom of the seat and bolted the MJ brackets to that.

They are ok but they are going this year for suspension seats.. I have the leather and its way to slippery...

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Yah I've got a build thread going on tnjeeps. Got the carpet in this week so this weekend will be putting in the carpet and start putting the interior back together.

 

http://www.tnjeeps.com/topic/293-1993-quad-cab-comanche/

I have seen your thread before.. if you get this done it will be so cool.  I may have to do this..... man its so cool. awesome tow rig ...

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I used ZJ seats, What I did was remove the electric base and used 1/4 flat stock bolted to the bottom of the seat and bolted the MJ brackets to that.

^^^^

 

THIS is the best and easiest way to do it if you are swapping in anything but MJ seats.  when you do this you can swap in almost any kind of seat.  Take care that the seat you're putting in is not too wide, too tall or too short...and do NOT use the rocker (rocket?) sliders if you are any taller than 5'5".

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THIS is the best and easiest way to do it if you are swapping in anything but MJ seats.  when you do this you can swap in almost any kind of seat.  Take care that the seat you're putting in is not too wide, too tall or too short...and do NOT use the rocker (rocket?) sliders if you are any taller than 5'5".

 

That's what they made sun roofs for. Wear goggles.

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I started to look into mounting them yesterday. I think I decided on removing the feet from both the MJ and ZJ seats, bolting 1/8 inch plate to the ZJ rails, then mounting the MJ feet to the plate. I'm going with plate instead of flat stock so I can position the seat to fit as close to factory as possible, also the ZJ seats are not electric. 

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  • 4 weeks later...

i apologize if i came across as ungrateful. :doh:  i appreciate your post. i found that picture a couple of days ago and it is what helped me to realize that i do have the correct floor brackets but, that is ALL i have. i found some seats to pull that I'm going to have to use some flat stock to mount the sliders with. shouldnt be too difficult providing the bandsaw at work hasnt walked off again and the factory seats sit centered on the brackets.

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Put the flat stock on the new seat sliders, sit it on the MJ brackets where you think it should be, clamp it in place with vise grips or C-clamps, sit in it, slide it forward and back, re-adjust where it's clamped, sit in it, slide it forward and back, re-adjust it again, etc., etc.

Then when its where you want it (clearance on door panel and tranny hump/console confirmed) bolt or weld the flat stock to the brackets. Also, make sure your flat stock doesn't interfere with the seal adjuster handle movement throughout the seat adjustment range.

I don't have MJ brackets, so I had to fabricate and re-fabricate and modify some brackets for XJ seats using 1-1/2" angle. They're sturdy but heavy. May refine the design again at some point if I find some other type seats that look good and after I've driven with the current mounting long enough to see if it feels right.

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I started a thread in the DIY section about mounting buckets, or mayby even 60-40 seats.  I have an 88 with a shot bench seat, but the mounts are good.  Instead of trying to find MJ buckets n mounts or XJ buckets n brackets and fabing them up, and still ending up with 15-25 year old seats, I'm going to build a platform.  Goint to use just the seat mounts from the bench.  Cut the sliders off just leaving the mounts which will just bolt to the floor.  Use 1/8 inch steel plate or mayby 1/4 inch aluminum plate and basically replace the bench seat frame with the plate, using grade 5 or 8 hardware to connect the plate to the mounts.  This platform will be the same height and angle as the original, so seating position is no problem.

Give it a coat of bedliner paint and cover it with same carpet material as the floor.  Now have a platform full width of cab and as deep as needed.  Can bolt just about any seat/sliders (with flat mounting tabs) to the platform.  Should be just as strong and safe as original seat mounts, with the plus of having modern, comfortable, seats instead of old seats that will probably need recovering or new foam.

Local pick n pull sells seats for 40.00 each no matter the make/year/condition.  Have a metal fab shop near and know the mgr.  Figure I can do the whole project for less than 200.00, ending up with fairly new seats.

Feel free to chime in with pro's or con's.

GrumpysMJ

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Keyav8r: thanks, that makes plenty of sense

 

GrumpysMJ: i like it! will the plate clear the tunnel mounted directly to the brackets? i don't know how tall the original sliders were as i don't have them but, seems like youll lose some amount of altitude. i dig the idea!

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