by Todd Anderbery Ok, it sounds weird--but that's what this article will show you how to do to maximize your storage capacity and give your Sammy "theatre seating"... Ohhhhhhhhh, Ahhhhhhhhh... Ok, seriously, this isn't a hard modification and it really does improve storage capacity. Tools and Parts
Aluminum tubing is fine for this application. If it gets crushed by either an accident or overloading the seat, it's cheap to fix. If you're the kind to over-do it then use steel. I used aluminum and it turned out fine with 400lbs of people and cargo in the back, not to mention a 100lb cooler full of beer traveling off-road and on for over 700 miles one weekend. The long tubes will disperse the weight onto the bed while the bolts will hold the seat in position and will still act as they would in the factory mounting in case of an accident. Tip: To get the right bolts, take the factory ones to the hardware store. Find a nut that goes onto the factory bolt perfectly, then find a new correctly sized bolt that goes onto that nut! Walla, perfect fit and no need to eye-up the threads.> First thing to do is to cut the tubing into sections. You'll need two 4" long ones and two 5" long ones. You'll also need two 2" long ones. Next, drill through the center of the 2" long ones with an 1/8" bit. Drill through the 5" long ones 2" from one end with a ½ bit. Drill through the 4" long ones 1.5" from one end with a ¼ bit. Ok, so now you've got six pieces with a hole in each. Remove your rear seat, if you haven't already, and turn it upside down. There are 2 little rubber pads on each side held in by a Phillips screw. Remove these but keep the pad. Take the pad and the new sheet metal screw and put it through the 2" long piece of metal tube and screw it onto the little post. Do this for the other side. It should look like it did before, except with a 2" tube between the pad and the seat. Now lay the seat back down and remove the latch from the bed. Take the 5" piece of tubing and arrange them so the short end (from the hole) faces the tailgate. Now align the holes with the latch and the bed and bolt them down--but not tight. You will need to wait till the seat is in to align the seat with the latch. Note: All pieces of the square tubing should lay flat on their sides. This does not work like a body lift. Use grade 5 hardware and lock washers. Next, take the seat and lay it in the back. This is the tough part. Place the 4" long pieces under the little feet and align the holes. You may need someone to lift the rear of the seat else it will catch the latch. Bolt these down tight and then slam the seat down to catch the latch. Go to the back and tighten the latch bolts down! If all went well, you're looking at a 1" or 1.5" seat lift depending on how large the tubing was that you used. 1" will fit down inside the bed grooves perfectly, 1.5" will stick up a bit. This works great for a little extra storage room. You'd be amazed how much space you have under there. I used to fit: an air compressor, electronics tool kit, socket set, jumper cables, bikini top, flashlight, and a first aid kit. It also gives you more room to fit a subwoofer or anything else you'd want to put under it. Things that didn't fit too well before now fit great. Safety concerns: Some people feel this is unsafe. Well, as long as you use grade 5 bolts and securely fasten the seat down you should be OK. I ran this for a year and it held up fine for 15,000 miles. I now run a Lowes' storage box in place of the seat, but the other Sammy still runs the lifted seat. Good luck! More on Suzuki Seats Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/OffRoadDotCom
| Enewsletters
Stay on Top of All the Action: |
