Seat Upgrades?

I'm with you. I have removed and taken apart my Platinum seats to add/adjust the foam more times than I can count. It's become a running [bad] joke with the neighbors. Scheel-Mann is kind of the last step for me and I'm really trying to avoid going that route, since I'd lose the airbag, height adjustment, memory settings, cooling, etc. Please let us know what you wind up doing.

 

Just spoke with Toby from scheel-mann up in Portland. Sounds like I'm not the first to call him about a Tundra. Unfortunately it's a pretty tough add-on. There are two main sacrifices:

1. Side airbags in the seats
2. Occupancy sensor in the passenger seat (this turns the dash airbag on if it senses someone within, or off if it senses the seat is empty)

He didn't know any installers who would work on a Toyota truck for this reason. The occupancy sensor is definitely harder to work around because you'd have to somehow tell the truck to leave that airbag on all the time. I'm not sure how to do that. Could it be done with a carista or techstream? IDK. And then you also have the side airbags to sort out. No idea what happens if you turn the truck on with the seats disconnected from the airbags.

It's so weird. I've sat in a 2008 and 2012 recently. Both seats are sooo much more comfortable than my 2.5 gen. I've been pondering a swap with a gen 2, but then that's going to have similar issues with the airbags and electronics. I know some folks on here have said that Platinum and Limited trims are different than the rest, but I'm pretty sure that's just the covering. I think the dimensions and padding are the same.

A little bit stalled out for now. Maybe I'll try a cheap bolster from Amazon.

 

I ended up buying a Silverado, and honestly I don't care if I have to buy a new one every few years.
After putting about 5K miles in the silverado, doing approx 250 miles a day, I wouldn't drive the Tundra if it was free.

I actually needed to charge the battery so I was gonna drive it 10 mins down the road, and I literally didn't make it a mile before I turned around and just took the Silverado. The seats but also the seating position is just so far from what I consider comfortable that it just would have never worked.

The truck is for sale and drives and looks pretty damn close to brand new, and it's one of, if not the cheapest TRD PROs in the country at this mileage.
Stupid forum won't let me post in the For Sale section. If you don't mind the seats, my loss is your gain:
https://boston.craigslist.org/sob/cto/d/south-weymouth-2016-toyota-tundra-trd/7469199702.html

 

I truly cannot understand all the seat comfort hate for the 2.5 gen. My limited seats are fine. I drove it 5 hours home when I bought it and thought it was comfortable. Wife didn’t think her seat was uncomfortable. Friends that went with us were raving about the space and comfort in the backseat. Are they Lincoln Continental 17 way adjustable massaging seats? No, but they aren’t wooden planks. I’ve had cloth seats in a Silverado that were certainly softer, but I wouldn’t trade my truck for that Silverado interior. Or it’s non-functioning air conditioning after 15k miles. Or the transmission dipstick oil leak.

 

I think the problem for any auto manufacturer is there is no way to please everyone. There is such a wide range of body sizes / weights, there is no way a single seat design will be comfortable to everyone. My needs as a 5'5" 160 lb. person are drastically different from someone who is, say, 6'1" and 350 lbs. What fits me best obviously won't fit them, and vice-versa.

Quite frankly, for the price of these damn things we should ALL get custom fitted seats as part of the sale.

 

6’1”/235# and 48 years old. Just rolled into the 100k mile club over the weekend and still love my 2018 CM Platinum seats. Every day is a minimum 25 minutes each way to the office, with countless trips in the 3-hour range. No issues there, and I never hesitate to hop in and drive 15 hours straight through to San Diego for fishing. That’s over 1,000 miles with only fuel and potty stops. Yeah, I’m ready to be done by the time I get there, but it’s not due to the seats…

My last rig was my ‘05 Yukon XL. It also had pretty good seats.

 

6' 220lbs 37yrs old 2018 sr5 trd crewmax driver seat to me is pretty comfy. Several 8~ hour trips now driver side has a lot of adjustments. I'm surprised as well selling or buying another truck over the seats. Maybe my ass and back are humble. I had a dodge neon before my tundra and Integra before that.

 

Softer is not always better. For me, the Tundra seat foam is too soft. As a result, coupled with all the body roll, I move around in the seat way too much when driving and am constantly trying to stabilize myself. My Impala seats are still leather but nice and firm, which holds you in.

 

Came across this last night and made sure to make it a point to feel the seats this morning. 30 min drive to work. Seats felt more comfortable then I remember. Katzkin may have added a little more cushion but all in all is a comfortable ride

 

Here’s a post on taco world about the process of installing with all of the airbag wiring. If I had a second vehicle and could just park the tundra I’d go for it and try to figure it out. I just can’t be out of a vehicle if things go wrong. Wish I could find a mechanic/professional to install these seats.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/aftermarket-seats-in-3rd-gen-some-info.611276/page-3

 

Its all subjective. Like different firmness in mattresses. I HATE HATE HATE the f150 seats. Tundra limited leather seating was far more comfortable to me , but thats because my back has problems anytime i sit or lay in anything soft where i sink in. The fact they are extra firm is the most comfortable to me. My wife hates them says their too hard and uncomfortable

 

Just get yourself the Ultimate Purple Pad and smile.

I have 10s of thousands of miles on mine and I never move around or wish I had something better.

It IS the ultimate in comfort...no kidding.

https://purple.com/seat-cushions/ultimate

 

Put the seat in its lowest position, add purple pad and seat cover and voila! Seat jacker / comfortable seat combo achieved!

 

It's not just the seat. The seating position is really the problem. It's way too high. The steering wheel is way too upright even in it's lowest setting.

Truck is actually on EBay. It's not even arguable, that it's a better truck then anything from the domestics in terms of quality, but they're literally decades behind on ergonomics:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/224968136398?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

 

Not sure I saw this mentioned about the Platinum vs Limited seats. The Platinum will have perforated seats and foam to allow the air to pass through for the ventilated seat option that isn't available on the Limited, or any other trims for that matter. Which should make the Platinum seats more squishy vs the limited, even if only a little bit

 

If you are considering Scheel man, you may as well reupholster the seat with new cushions, seats in principle are the same, you get a frame, springs, and cushion, I've been looking deep into this Toyota/Subaru seats issue for a while, Tundra is not so bad cause I am built like a linebacker, but 4runner is lacking lower back cushion that causes lower back pain, you could technically transfer all the sensors and some motor functions from oe seats to new ones, but at almost 7k for a pair, I'd not keen to take apart brand new seats.

I've measured BMW e38 seats cushions , they are near Tundra width , those seats were some of the most comfortable seats, right behind Recaro Ortho seats, which I hope I can get cracking on using BMW seat cushions on Tundra/4runner seat frames.

Here's a photo of Recaro Ortho in a gen 2

 

Seat jackers helped the seat comfort in my truck. They are still stiff, but the place where they support your legs somehow helps with the overall ride experience. Pricey for what they are, but solved my short term problem with total ease.

I have also read in general that on long drives if you’re a guy, wear loose fitting pants instead of jeans. And I highly recommend Meundies or similar personal upgrades. Sounds totally dumb, I know, but you’ll never go back!

 

Wow, those look beautiful!

 

After having my drivers seat apart MANY times, I think I finally found a technique that will give me some comfort. I bought a huge sheet of 0.5” foam off Amazon and cut it to cover the entire front of the seat. Then I cut two additional strips to build up the side bolsters some more. Now I don’t slide around in the seat and don’t feel like I’m always leaning in toward the middle. Oh, I also added a small little loop of picture frame wire to the lumber adjustment spring, which allows the lumbar support to be more flat in the most relaxed position.

 

Dedicated work and looks much more comfy!

 

Those Recaros look like the recliners in my living room, wow! Do they have options for the occupancy and side air bag sensors?

 

Bumping this. Anyone thought of putting 3rd gen seats in a 2nd gen?

 

Hmmmm! Would it be a direct drop-in? Both from a mounting and an electrical standpoint? If not, not worth it.

 

Here are a few pictures from some TRD PRO seats I found on ebay. I've never taken my seats out so I'm not sure how they mount but maybe these pictures can help if someone if more familiar with the process

 

I guess another question would be if the 3rd gen seats are any better than the 2nd gen. I've never sat in one. They could still be the same seats for all I know.

 

I'm going to bet money they won't drop in. Different cab dimensions, different seat frame dimensions.

 

I love my truck. 2021 TRD Pro. Just spent ~4 hours in the saddle doing some Easter travel to Shiner, TX.
It’s comfortable, BUT…I definitely feel like my forehead is on the windshield with these seats. I’m 6’, 185# and would prefer something closer to the floorboard, firmer, with some higher foam on the sides.
My wife has a 2020 4Runner Pro. Those seats are killer. You sit IN the truck in hers.

 

Yep, night and day difference between my 4R and Tundra too. Seat jackers helped a bunch with the Tundra. Someday I'll address it and probably ditch the airbags feature. Somewhere here there's a thread about an aftermarket seat swap and it explains how to overcome the airbags issue. Good luck with the seat mods y'all!

 

So I had the same issue with my 2021 CM and when I did my Katzkin leather upgrade I asked the guy to add some extra cushion foam all around and it does make a huge difference for me now as I am so much comfortable. Just an idea.