Questions about hauling kids in the back seat

[BayHarborTJ]

Good morning everyone - I am excited to share I have become the owner of a gently used stock 2002 TJ Sahara with 171k 5speed forest green model. My uncle used to drive it only in the summer time to and from the beach and put about 100 miles per year on it. Now that jeep has been passed along to me and my family to enjoy !

Few quick questions in regard to hauling the kids seats in the back... 1. The rear seat where the back rest meets the seat does not latch down secure to the body. Am I missing something ? There is a handle to release the backrest and fold forward. 2. Can I swap older model rear seat belts that lock retract for securing my kids child seat ?

 

[BlueC]

1. The rear seat where the back rest meets the seat does not latch down secure to the body. Am I missing something ? There is a handle to release the backrest and fold forward.

I'm not sure if I follow. It sounds like you're saying the seat isn't secured to the floor in the rear. If so, it most likely wasn't latched correctly. Fold it forward, then make sure the base is flat to the floor before pulling the back up straight. Applying a little downward pressure when pulling the back helps.

2. Can I swap older model rear seat belts that lock retract for securing my kids child seat ?

You can find newer seat belts if you want to. They will likely have to be custom ordered, but they’re usually not too expensive. Some out of a newer Jeep might work, but IDK. Are you running booster seats with older kids? I still have forwarded facing child seat that are just clipped in at the bottom, so I don't rely on the seatbelts.

 

[BayHarborTJ]

I'm not sure if I follow. It sounds like you're saying the seat isn't secured to the floor in the rear. If so, it most likely wasn't latched correctly. Fold it forward, then make sure the base is flat to the floor before pulling the back up straight. Applying a little downward pressure when pulling the back helps.



You can find newer seat belts if you want to. They will likely have to be custom ordered, but they’re usually not too expensive. Some out of a newer Jeep might work, but IDK. Are you running booster seats with older kids? I still have forwarded facing child seat that are just clipped in at the bottom, so I don't rely on the seatbelts.

Thanks for the swift response. Not sure theres even an attachment point for the rear seat to secure to the floor in the rear. Can someone take a pic of their rear seats and how they mount to body ?

It's a transition seat, forward facing. No latch clips on 2002 model. Only seatbelts....

 

[SvtLdr]

Here's a thread from a couple years ago that shows the mounting bracket details.
https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/brackets-to-install-98-tj-back-seat.17364/

 

[BlueC]

It's a transition seat, forward facing. No latch clips on 2002 model. Only seatbelts....

There are exposed areas of the seat frame to clip to in both seat positions, which is how I have mine secured. Look at the thread above to see the latch point for the seat.

 

[BayHarborTJ]

Here's a thread from a couple years ago that shows the mounting bracket details.
https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/brackets-to-install-98-tj-back-seat.17364/

Thanks - "Just enough engineering parts" for sure... wonder why these rear brackets are not stock, beats me. Thanks I will look into getting this.

 

[JMT]

Remove hard or soft top.
Remove seat.
Welcome to your new truck bed.
Throw kids and dog in.
Your set.
It’s 1970 again.

It can take a minute to understand the latching mechanism for the rear seat to the floor. There should be 4 brackets.

The front seat mechanism goes into the front floor brackets FIRST. If you get it in correct, then…

The rear seat mechanism latches into the rear floor brackets.

If you don’t get the front in correctly you’ll have to look at it again and adjust to get it right then try again.

In some models in the very back by the tailgate on the floor there are two child restraint anchors. One on driver side and the other on passenger side.

 

[Sayantsi]

One reason I looked for a 2004+ TJ was that the rear seats have LATCH, which includes a floor anchor in the "trunk". Maybe you can buy a 2004 rear seat, but a floor anchor point will still be needed.

You can also hunt down some seat belts with a ratchet lock feature - my 2004 rear belts don't have this so it was LATCH or nothing for me.

Lastly, since you just got the Jeep, maybe invest in a trade up to a 04+?

 

[BlueC]

Lastly, since you just got the Jeep, maybe invest in a trade up to a 04+?

Seems like a very expensive solution to a virtually non-existent problem. Just anchor/clip the child seat to the securely mounted factory seat. I'm much more concerned with the lack of direct overhead protection than I am the extremely unlikely chance the factory seat will somehow launch out of the vehicle. Should that happen, there's very little chance anyone inside the Jeep will be around to know, and a LATCH system would not make a difference in that extreme event.