Technical > Installation Guides > Jeep Quickies
Rear Seating
Pro Comp Backseat Install
In a previous installment we introduced you to the Pro Comp line of seats for the front half of our Jeep. Well, they also offer a rear seat too. Like the front seats, the rears can be had in either vinyl or with a comfortable fabric facing. Pro Comp offers two styles of rear seats, the Fold & Tumble Rear Seat that allows you to fold it forward when cargo space is needed or fold it down for passengers to ride along. Fold & Tumble seats are great for CJ7s and Wranglers due to their longer wheelbase, however the feature is useless on the shorter CJ5.
For use in CJ5s and for those who just want a fixed seat in other applications, Pro Comp offers a standard rear seat. The seat is a fixed back design. The frame is tubular steel and is covered with a thick cushion and is covered to match the standard front seats we had previously installed, a prefect match. They come with brackets and mount easily and only minimal drilling is required. However, we opted to modify our mounting and move the seat back as far as practical to allow more rear leg room in the back of our CJ5. This required a little welding on our part. This modification is not required if you are using the stock mounting locations in the floor. One note, the 1981 CJ we have had mounting holes in the floor but they where not threaded from the factory, we solved this by taping the existing holes with a 7-16/20 tap. This is the same thread the factory would have used if the Jeep had come with the rear seat option.
Installation is simple, but you may have one issue to be wary of. The factory seat bolts were grade-8. Do not use a lesser grade bolt as they are not strong enough in the event of an accident. Also, your rear passengers will need seat belts, if your Jeep doesn’t already have rear belts. A simple set of lap belts can be obtained at most auto parts stores. Be sure to mount them to the rear seat mounting bolts. Once you have the belts and mounting bolts in hand, the installation of the seat should take under an hour, start to finish. Of course, if you’re modifying the mounting location like we did it will take slightly longer.
Source: 4 Wheel Parts & 4 Wheel Parts Performance Centers
Buy a Pro Comp Backseat from www.4wheelparts.com.
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1. Here you can see our Pro Comp standard rear seat and the brackets we built to move our seat back. This is not something to be undertaken by just anyone. The brackets must be made out of material the same thickness or greater than the seat frame and any welds MUST be done by a competent welder. |
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2. We had to tap the existing holes in the Jeep floor with a 7-16/20 tap, This is the same size thread the factory used on Jeeps with the rear seat option. |
3. The rear seat is simply placed in the bed of the Jeep and bolted into place. This is the position it would rest in when utilizing the factory mounting holes. Notice the small space behind the seat and the limited legroom in this CJ5. |
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4. Here the rear seat has been pushed back as far as practical. This increases the rear legroom but eliminates any cargo space behind the seat. Looks like it’s time for a rear cooler rack. |
5. Here is our rear seat in place and ready for a couple of willing passengers. The seat belts are behind the seat and need to be pulled thought the gap between the bottom and back cushions. |
