[genesis]

So the neck got busted bad (on way to partial recovery) and doctor threatens to bring jeeping desires to an end.

Took the CJ for a spin on the road on the weekend, and despite the wide grin, the stock seats seem too less insulation for the spine. The vibrations give a nice massage but I dont think they do too much good for the neck.

Wanted to check in on experiences of people in fitting aftermarket seats
innova/recaro/sparco/tavera seats on a CJ before starting the hunt.

How does one take care of the tool box and the petrol tank under the seat?
What else to look out for.

Any practical pointers are much appreciated.

[Tejas@perioimpl]

Speaking from experience from my classic days. My problem was a bit different. I needed more leg space to fit myself and my belly into the jeep.

The problem is that the rear wheel well doesn't allow one to go with bigger seats.

Recaro / sparco / racing seats are out for your needs. You will feel every thud and judder down your spice.

Try xylo seats. Heard they are the most comfortable of the lot. Next option is the tavera seats.

What i suggest: get your existing seats re-upholstered with extra foam / cushion. This is your best bet in my opinion without loosing the charm of the CJ.

Tool box is not an issue to relocate. In my old gypsy and classic, i had fit a motorcycle side box to the inside of my tail gate. Or else you can do what i subsequently did on the classic where i welded a metal trunk to a front facing seat and attached that to the jeep.

Read Here:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/4x4-ve...ml#post1897874

For petrol tank, see how Fazal has shifted his in the lynx.

[SS-Traveller]

You need a "lift kit" for the seat back - it can easily be custom-made from an office chair back design, with the frame of the seat back welded on to the existing seat base, and incorporating a ratchet mechanism for adjusting the back for tilt. Something like this:

From http://mumbai.olx.in/ergonomic-offic...-iid-285925322.

Long live Indian jugaad!!

[GTO]

Genesis,

Just get custom seat & upholstery work done. I'm very, very particular about the kind of seat I use (whether car, office or home) and have had no complaints with my Jeep's seats (remade a couple of years back with beefed up support). A+ support & cushiony enough to take the sharpness of the basic suspension away. You could get your existing seats redone for 4 - 6K. This is far simpler than trying to retrofit the seats of another car.

If you want to try them out, drop me a PM and swing by my place. This is the chap who was in charge of my seats. I would recommend trial and error before zero'ing in on the right shape & compound. The best part about a seat specialist is he can strengthen support just where you need it.

Hope your neck gets well soon!

[satan]

Hi Soumya, sorry to hear about the neck. I have Tavera captain seats with arm rests and lumbar support installed in my Gypsy. They have made a day and night difference to the confort in the Gypsy. Innova seats offer better padding but they are wider (too wide for the Gypsy atleast). You are welcome to come over and try them out.

Cant comment on the tool box and fuel tank although Tejas' suggestion seems logical.

[yamaniac]

I have Opel Corsa sets installed on my 540. They are good for long drives are wide and provide ample back support.. even during the OTR,s they are comfortable.. No vibrations!

[fazalaliadil]

Soumya,

Replacement of good seats in a Jeep from the OE, is a thing that needs to be well planned. I did, for the Lynx.

When I was doing up the brown 550, I picked up these seats in the seconds market two years before I built the Lynx, never saw another pair since.

Very comfortable, flat spring loaded rather than foam. They have adjustable head rest, seat height, thigh support, three stage lumbar support, apart from tilt and slide.

Since I had the seats I could plan out the much needed recess on the wheel wells when I was getting the new tub fabricated, to accomodate the large size seats and also make it possiible for them to tilt back. Another thing was relocating the fuel tank, which was no problem, but the 16 gauge tool boxes on which the seats sit tight needed to be designed with numerous trials until the dead center alignment with the steering, correct height, gap inbetween seats/dashboard were achieved. Brackets for bolting the seats were then placed and welded/ bolted.

I didn't change the fabric as it is very durable, cleans easily, breathes and matched the color.

My friends call them sofa's in a Jeep. A bit large for a 3B but worth their weight in gold when I do city, out stations and off roading. The spring mechanism right under my butt takes half the jerks off and the other half is the entire suspension, thus hugely reducing fatigue, injuries and jerks.

I have no idea which car they are from, but seem high end, if you find these pay whatever you can but get them, I paid 8 thousand for the pair while other best ones were for 5 thousand. The adjustable head rest will be a boon for you.

Whichever seats you are going to install, follow the steps above, sit on the seats placed inside..adjust, readjust and you may not go wrong.
Regards,

[Desmosedici]

In my previous Gypsy, i had done what GTO suggested and got the stock seats foamed from the same guy GTO has mentioned. He did a super job however the stock Gypsy seats were never enough and my spine went for a toss.

I now bought Guru's Gypsy which you have seen so many times during OTRs. It has the Tavera Seats and trust me, they make a huge difference, your spine will say a big 'Thank You' if you got those or something similar. You are welcome to come and check it out.

[paras211]

tavera seats are damn comfy and they do demand a premium at cst road.

[madhkris]

I have been using scorpio seats with some lumbar support and have had no issues since almost 2 years.

However, have heard that innova seats are very comfy too. Like GTO, Fazal and others have suggested, its better to sit with the seat maker and get it done. Get well soon to attend more OTRs.

[Desmosedici]

Tavera Seats with Lumbat Support and Arm Rest.

[vikramvicky1984]

Not very sure of this suggestion

I found the w123 seats, they seemed to have springs and not foam and were exceptionally comfortable.

Will it work here?

[Grace]

Well.. Every one can't get lucky as Fazal sahib for the Lynx.

I had initially installed Sierra seats when I did EXAMM OTR in 2011, the seats gave away the moment I touched Bangalore soil. I now have installed Xylo seats and they are much comfy. For the shorter guys ,there's even seat height adjustment, though I never use it. The head rest is massive.

Here I would like to clarify something. All the folks who've raved Innova seats, please evaluate this. Please see the Innova regular & captain seats railings and compare with Xylo seats. If you observe the railing mechanism on Xylo is much broader (after all good ol' Mahindra). The kind of body and chassis flexing that happens in our OTRs, and general Jeep/Gypsy floor board health, I'd strongly recommend Xylo seats. The Innova seat railing is comperatively weak (in the sense, delicate) and meant for Innova which is rather a highway and city vehicle with minimum vibrations. The highway vehicle seat structure would not last an offroading vehicle (ab)uses. I faced with Sierra seats.

Fiat 118NE seats and Cielo seats were a rage a decade back for Jeep restorations as they provided a 'sofa' like comfort, but were short lived.

Andy

[prabhuav]

Premier 118 NE and army bucket seats are the same.

So is the brake booster..

Coincidence that DB moved from PAL to M&M around the same time?

[genesis]

Circling back with the final outcome...

Used gypsy seats as a base (a friend had them handy) and had custom padding and upholstery done, especially to support the neck. I have a original steering wheel which is much larger than what most people fit, so a larger seat like innova and tavera was not practical.




Had to cut the wheel wells a little and weld the sheet back to create a recess, since space is very very limited. A frame was created and fitted using the existing bolt fitments at the side of the cj. Passenger side petrol tank was accomodated without major surgery.



Drivers side and passenger side seats were interchanged so that the reclining mechanism was in the middle and not on the sides to cater to the limited space




Empty space in the middle was filled using a spare ammo box with padding inside and out




Building cat was immensely satisfied with the end result. Personally I think she is just happy to have her sleeping place back.



The ride is much much improved.
Thanks everyone for all your inputs and suggestions!