Disco 2 Fitting dickie seats to my 5 seat TD5

Naf623 · Mar 6, 2020

I've looked some stuff up but just want to check a few details. I'm aware of the controversy about it & air suspension (which I don't have), but I'll let my insurer know, I already have uprated springs in there, and it'll not be used that much - never for an adult.

This guide appears pretty good, albeit with terrible camera work, and looks remarkably easy. Can anyone confirm if is is actually like this, or if there's anything else I should be aware of, or possible variability between variants?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Discover...rentrq:b0f2244d1700a9cc6baa923dffe7f191|iid:1
This is the listing I've found for them, and from what I can see it's missing the seat belts and brackets, floor trim, and all the bolts. The guy said he can get the rest from another he's breaking next week, if I tell him what's missing - anything else I haven't seen?

Thanks

Royston 90 · Mar 8, 2020

That sees pretty much it, although I don`t like the idea of using a bolt to form the threads on something so safety critical especially when the cost of buying the proper tap isn`t expensive. I think it was 7/16th or something like & I still have mine in the drawer somewhere.

Dan.

Pawl · Mar 9, 2020

On the video, it shows the mounting "frame" /bracket for the LH seat being installed. The bracket he shows is specifically for variants with rear aircon - which possible, but rare in the Uk. If used it pushes ths lh seat quite a lot further towards the centre of the car & makes the whole load bay smaller when the seat is folded away.
More typical is an install that has a frame which is much nearer the side panel & creates more space, but uses a different lower trim panel.
Check which version you're buying.
The ebay advert is missing lots of parts : Upper & lower lh & rh trim panels, head rests, seat belts, trim panel above the headrests & the lhs mounting frame + floor mounts

Naf623 · Mar 9, 2020

Royston 90 said:
That sees pretty much it, although I don`t like the idea of using a bolt to form the threads on something so safety critical especially when the cost of buying the proper tap isn`t expensive. I think it was 7/16th or something like & I still have mine in the drawer somewhere.

Dan.

Yeah, I was a little concerned about that; but it's cheap enough to get a tap as you say.

I'm having a lot of trouble finding the bolts and floor mount anchors for the seat belts, though; nobody seems to include them with the belts and my searches have turned up nothing.

EDIT: as below, I've found better listings now haha.

Naf623 · Mar 9, 2020

Pawl said:
On the video, it shows the mounting "frame" /bracket for the LH seat being installed. The bracket he shows is specifically for variants with rear aircon - which possible, but rare in the Uk. If used it pushes ths lh seat quite a lot further towards the centre of the car & makes the whole load bay smaller when the seat is folded away.
More typical is an install that has a frame which is much nearer the side panel & creates more space, but uses a different lower trim panel.
Check which version you're buying.
The ebay advert is missing lots of parts : Upper & lower lh & rh trim panels, head rests, seat belts, trim panel above the headrests & the lhs mounting frame + floor mounts

Any idea how I can tell the difference? Are the other parts any different at all, or is it just the brackets and the same chair bolts to it? Will the floor have the mounting points to fit either option?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Discover...866767?hash=item2cf948ebcf:g:nFkAAOSwzkReLrjK
Found this one that seems to have a lot more, though still missing trim - I was hoping to be able to pretty much use the existing and just cut holes where needed, is this feasible?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/land-rov...716883?hash=item3b42f97bd3:g:b74AAOSwgwReWojy
Alternatively this, though I would guess it looks like the air-con version you're talking about.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/landrove...850414?hash=item3b39ec2f6e:g:J5YAAOSwCd9dke5v
Or this which it's much harder to tell about.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Discover...866767?hash=item2cf948ebcf:g:nFkAAOSwzkReLrjK
This seems to have a black bracket, if that's any indication of the difference...

Have asked the ebay sellers; but my experience so far is that the ones I've spoken with don't seem too clued up what they have.

Pawl · Mar 9, 2020

The Avenger4x4 adverts appear to have everything & are both the non-aircon versions.
if you look at the photos with the long black pressed steel bracket (non air-con version), you can see the different shape vs the one in the video which was "stepped" & had the extra upright section to fasten the aircon to.

I'd imagine you could modify the existing top & bottom side panels, but I doubt it could be made look factory - as you'd probably still have a few spare holes & you'd have real challenges measuring where to cut. You'd need to buy the trim that goes around the seat belt outlets on the rear of the upper trim panels & where the rear head rests fit.
I'm not sure if the floorpan has the forms for both LHS seat mountings. It might be worth re-looking at the video to look at that guys floor.
I only know what I know from removing the seats from my TD5 to create space & save weight (the car height increased by an inch once swopped over to the "bins" design ! ).
BTW if & when you get round to installing the seats, you need to install a piece of wooden batten between the frame & the seat to take some of the spring load while installing the mounting bolts (there's a photo in the workshop manual). It can be done without, but its hard work.

Naf623 · Mar 9, 2020

Pawl said:
The Avenger4x4 adverts appear to have everything & are both the non-aircon versions.
if you look at the photos with the long black pressed steel bracket (non air-con version), you can see the different shape vs the one in the video which was "stepped" & had the extra upright section to fasten the aircon to.

I'd imagine you could modify the existing top & bottom side panels, but I doubt it could be made look factory - as you'd probably still have a few spare holes & you'd have real challenges measuring where to cut. You'd need to buy the trim that goes around the seat belt outlets on the rear of the upper trim panels & where the rear head rests fit.
I'm not sure if the floorpan has the forms for both LHS seat mountings. It might be worth re-looking at the video to look at that guys floor.
I only know what I know from removing the seats from my TD5 to create space & save weight (the car height increased by an inch once swopped over to the "bins" design ! ).
BTW if & when you get round to installing the seats, you need to install a piece of wooden batten between the frame & the seat to take some of the spring load while installing the mounting bolts (there's a photo in the workshop manual). It can be done without, but its hard work.

Fantastic. Well for the extra £50 for theirs to include everything including the trim it seems well worth it.

Yeah, the guy in the video mentions that they're difficult so I was planning to look into better ideas than his one of basically undoing them for a bit. I think I see it in the instructions I found - just to wedge between the bar and the mounting brackets?

Pawl · Mar 9, 2020

Yes, you only have to wedge it in there. It needs to be cut to a length to sit on the frame tubes each side - but not too long to go into the gap in the trim panel where the seat sits when "up".

Royston 90 · Mar 9, 2020

Pawl said:
Yes, you only have to wedge it in there. It needs to be cut to a length to sit on the frame tubes each side - but not too long to go into the gap in the trim panel where the seat sits when "up".

To be honest I have found those spring brackets east to bolt in place, especially with a battery powered wrench to quickly do them up. I just replaced my third row seats, for an immaculate set from a guy removing his to turn it into a dedicated off roader. Mine the mechanism was playing up & replacement mechanisms seemed expensive & a lot of faff.

Dan.

Naf623 · Apr 1, 2020

A couple of questions for anyone who has done this:
1. The bracket for the passenger side - does that replace the black bracket which is already in place in the car?
2. Seat belts - how do I persuade them to release?

Disco 2 Fitting dickie seats to my 5 seat TD5

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