Okay @DesertDoesIt - I finally got my Option 2 kit installed last night!
TLDR - I'm about 6'3", and I did the full 2" drop. The new position, with the rake, is 1000% better than the factory - it makes the factory seats feel like proper bucket seats, plus I can now see the top of the gauge cluster (like the digital compass) and most traffic lights, without having to duck my head, for the first time. I do have a few issues with the instructions, and, even though I was sent 2 M10 cap screws after the fact, it seems like it is still missing 2 more, and the quality of the powder coat on the Front Seat Jackers is very poor - but, in spite of this, I am incredibly happy that I did this. Also, FWIW, this modification has made the forward angle of the factory headrests more bearable - but I may still try to bend the posts back to straighten them up a bit.
For me, the first step was removing seats from the Jeep and, then, the Misch Big Boy Seat Brackets from the seats.
While they did certainly fix the JL leg room issue, they made it even harder to see traffic lights because they raised the seat about 1/4" and put me that much farther back from the top of the windshield when in a comfortable driving position - and the top of my head brushed the roll bar in that position.
I got the cutting/drilling templates bolted in one side, my 20 year old DeWalt Sawzall made pretty quick work of things. Unfortunately, I only have one battery for it, and overheated/died about 90% of the way through the second side, so had to take about a 4 hour break while I, first, cooled the battery off in the refrigerator and, then, recharged it. Once that was done, and cutting and drilling was complete, I use a file to smooth the edges and then covered the cut sections with a little gloss black Rustoleum.
Here's where my first issue with the instructions comes up - they specifically state that you should, at this point, place the seat back in the jeep without attaching anything to it first. I did that, and it seemed like it made it a bigger pain in the ass to get the Seat Slammers attached to the back of the seat bracket than it would have been to get them loosely attached with the M8 Allen screws outside of the Jeep.
Second, the instructions mention attaching the Seat Jackers (for the front of the seat) to the floor of the Jeep with M10 cap screws - so, first, I used the ones sent after the fact. Unfortunately, I then remembered that they were necessary to mount the seat to the Seat Jackers because the M10 flange bolts that were originally included wouldn't fit between the rails on the front right side of the factory seat bracket. So, even though there is a cavity in the Seat Jackers for the heads of the cap screws, I had to use flange bolts. They do seem to be secure, but (maybe I'm being picky here), it seems like the cap screws would look cleaner (as it looks like it was designed for them). Did I get that right, @DesertDoesIt ? Or should I have used the cap screws in the Seat Jackers and reused the factory bolts to secure the seat bracket to the Seat Jackers (they seem too long for that)? Here is how it looks now:
Also, with just moving the seat around to get it into place, the powder coating on the Seat Jackers, especially the one on the right side, got extremely scratched up and started flaking off a bit.
Anyway, once I got both seat rails lined up and loosely attached at all 4 corners, I tested the position - and it seemed great - and torqued everything down. Switching to the Seat Slammers from the Misch Big Boy brackets also allowed me to put my factory all weather floor mats back in - I'm glad I never cut them up to fit around the Misch brackets! If I ever do decide to add any spacers into the back of the seats, the floor mats may need be modified slightly - but much less so that would have been necessary for the Misch brackets.
All that done - and, now at 1am, thanks to my 4 hour Sawzall delay, I went for a test drive and thoroughly enjoyed the new position. I could actually see most traffic lights without dropping my head, and I could see the top row of the instrument cluster, which I previously couldn't see without moving my head down, both in the factory seating position and with the Misch brackets. Besides feeling like I fit in the Jeep much better (except for my left shoulder being firmly planted in the B-pillar), I feel much more secure in the driver's seat - and I'm looking forward to testing it off-road, where the factory position sometimes made me feel like I was going to slide off of the seat. Jeep should absolutely have enabled this adjustability from the factory, rather than having to resort to cutting and modifying seat brackets!
As an added bonus, driving around in the heat today was much more comfortable than with the Misch brackets - as they placed the top of my head that much closer to my black Sunrider, which, on a hot day in the Southern California sun, radiated heat - right into my head. Now, thanks to the Seat Slammers & Jackers, my head is a comfortable distance away.
Overall, two thumbs way up on this mod!!
It is real hard getting the seat back in with all the brackets attached. But easier to assemble out side the jeep.
Thank you, good info on the 2 door JL. There is some slop on the cut/drill fixture and it sounds like the slack should be taken up by pushing the fixture back toward the feet that are being cut off. Do you think that would have done the trick?Option 1 installed on my 2 door today. My head doesn't hit the sound bar now.
Not sure if it is a 2 door thing but the driver side rear slammer bolt on the aluminum template wound up being too close to the round rail end stop to allow the button head bolt to seat. I clearanced it with a carbide burr and a die grinder. Other than that everything went as expected. The instructions were good but I relied more on the video. Overall a well engineered solution to a problem that shouldn't exist.
I found it easier to install the slammers after the seat is back in the Jeep. After loosely bolting in the slammers I shimmed the back on a 2x4 to get the front bolts started. I then picked the shims that felt best and bolted everything up.
That's awesome! Appreciate the confirmation on the compatibility with the Big Boy Brackets...we assumed they would work but we weren't 100% confident until now.I want thank DesertDoesIt for engineering a great solution for the seating being too high. I am happy with the results as other have said I can see the top of the gage cluster as well as the pitch make the seat more conferrable for me.
I had installed a set of extend my seat brackets in the past. It made the seat go back way more but the roll bar would bash my head. So, my install is a bit different.
I went with option 2 but I did not use the front raisers. I used the one thick washer in the back and nothing up front.
I started my removing the head rest and taking the seats out with the extendmyseat brackets attached. I pumped the seat up to give me more working room.
I provided a picture below:
I used a right-angle grinder with the thinnest cutoff wheel I could find at the HD. It worked great and one wheel lasted for the whole job. My finished product looked like this
Man I bet that was nerve racking but nice work on pushing through and knocking it out.So, I just finished installing Option 1. Let me begin by saying that the result of this kit is excellent.
I'm 6'4" and found that the most comfortable seat back position in my JL would leave my head just brushing the sound/roll bar. If I went back any further my head was jammed against the bar. So, I had to sit damn near perfectly upright. If I stretched out, and sat the way a chiropractor would suggest, my head would still touch the bar. The dealer joked when I bought it: "If you crash, at least you won't suffer." He was right, it was borderline dangerous.
After the install I fit perfectly. I used one 1/2" shim in the rear and one 1/4" shim in the front. It's a much better seating position for me. There is added rake to the seat bottom which supports my thighs much better. The angle between my knees and my ankle is much more comfortable for long distance driving. My heel now lands in a better position to manipulate the pedals.
My headspace went from essentially non-existent to a little less than a fist's width. I now sit under the bar instead of ahead of it. I can see better out the windshield and even at full stretch can't touch the bar with my head. Also, for the first time I feel like I'm sitting in my Jeep rather than atop it.
Bet mod ever? It damn sure is if you're tall.
As for the installation: I do not ever do things like this. I'm mechanically un-inclined. I had to go to Home Depot and buy most of the tools necessary for this job. Looking back: Unless you actually enjoy doing this kind of stuff get a professional to install this thing. In my case I had to watch YouTube videos to figure out how to use a sawzall or an angle grinder. I bought one of each because I didn't know which would be better. In the end, I got the job done but it took me the better part of four hours. My first cut with the sawzall was sloppy, the second was better. The angle grinder will rot in my tool shed for eternity... unused.
But if you know how to use all these tools and are even remotely competent with them this should be no problem. The most difficult part was obviously cutting off the brackets. I struggled to drill the holes too, but I'm sure that's because I had garbage drill bits. One of the holes looks like it goes through two pieces of metal, and that was a little difficult for me to get through.
But, all in all, I'm basically ecstatic to have this mod in my Jeep. I was a hair's breadth away from selling a 6 month old jeep because I was just so uncomfortable. But, I've put in an hour or two driving and I'm so glad I held out.
Thanks DDI. I never put stickers on anything, but I'm sticking the one you sent on my baby somewhere.
I believe it would. I wasn't paying as much attention as I should have when I bolted it on. If I had looked on the bottom side of the bolt holes before I drilled I would have noticed it wasn't lined up quite right to clear the stop. But even so a burr and die grinder will fix it.Thank you, good info on the 2 door JL. There is some slop on the cut/drill fixture and it sounds like the slack should be taken up by pushing the fixture back toward the feet that are being cut off. Do you think that would have done the trick?
Hi Steve @DesertDoesIt -That's awesome! Appreciate the confirmation on the compatibility with the Big Boy Brackets...we assumed they would work but we weren't 100% confident until now.
That was my plan. A few different bolts and all will be good.Hi Steve @DesertDoesIt -
Actually, not sure they are compatible with the Misch Big Boy brackets, specifically, at least not without replacing some of the hardware. @rdsii has brackets from another manufacturer.
With the Misch, the seat bracket attaches to the Big Boy Bracket with carriage bolts that are fairly short (see pic below), so you would likely need to find longer carriage bolts to be able to use any of the spacers with the Seat Slammers
Did you use a sawsall or an angle grinder? I have an angle grinder but never have used one. Want to try and use what will make the best cut and easiest to use of the two.Just got done with the install. Started laying out tools at 12:30, done with cleanup at 2:50. The biggest obstical I had for this project was Me! The thought of taking a saw to my new vehicle was a little daunting. I read the instructions and watched the video, dururing the install I stopped twice to rewatch the video just to make sure I was on track. I had already installed the seat jackers so I had already delt with the red thread locker and odd bolt angles, I probably spent more time than I needed to making sure the cut angles were dead on but all in all I would say aside from my fear that this was an easy project and so worth it.
Thanks to carmodyarc for his review it was a help and of course thanks to Desert Does It for a great product. Only advise I would add is make sure you have a quality cutting blade and drill bit, cover everything as there will be medal shavings.
Hey Jeep! 60 thousand dollar vehicle and I have to cut up the seat brackets and add my own dead pedal?