The back seat fold-without-tumbling mod is better than just pulling the headrests or trying to get a JL seat (which doesn't improve visibility much) in there. There are a few write-ups on how to do this. Simply put, each side of the seatback hinge has this cable. When you fold the seat down, it pulls these two cables, releasing the latch from the hooks on the floor. If you remove the cable on one side and ziptie a handle to it, you can fold the seat flat while one side stays latched in place so it wont' flip forward. When you want to flip the seat up, you pull the latch and the seat will fold up. However, when you want to latch the seat back down, you need to keep tension on the cable by pulling the handle. They should've come from the factory this way IMO.

 

They measure the same as far as hardware, but its a thickness issue with the base. Someone tried and it won't latch into place. I just removed my rear headrests and keep them for the occasional rear seat passenger. Or as stated, just fold it down.

 

The back seat fold-without-tumbling mod is better than just pulling the headrests or trying to get a JL seat (which doesn't improve visibility much) in there. There are a few write-ups on how to do this. Simply put, each side of the seatback hinge has this cable. When you fold the seat down, it pulls these two cables, releasing the latch from the hooks on the floor. If you remove the cable on one side and ziptie a handle to it, you can fold the seat flat while one side stays latched in place so it wont' flip forward. When you want to flip the seat up, you pull the latch and the seat will fold up. However, when you want to latch the seat back down, you need to keep tension on the cable by pulling the handle. They should've come from the factory this way IMO.
View attachment 4596088

I found a video on this mod:

Looks good. I'm going to give it a try.

 

I found a video on this mod:

Looks good. I'm going to give it a try.

That's the video I followed. Don't actually cut the cable, that metal end is what holds it together. Just pop it out.

 

D Robs,
This is great! Thanks for sending it.
Please let me know how it goes. I'm seriously considering doing this myself.

Thanks again.

 

I have a 2016 2 door and love everything about it but the head restraints on the back seat which really block a lot of the back window when I'm backing up. I'm wondering if the newer rear seats with the fold-down head restraints would fit my 2016.

I realize I'm probably going to get the "I just took out the back seat" answers here and that's fine for some, but I need the back seat to stay so that is not an option for me.

I appreciate some may just take it out and call it a day but I need the backseat to remain in my Jeep so please do not offer that as a "solution."

I'm just wondering if the newer rear seats whose head restraints fold down will fit my slightly older 2016.

Thanks.

The fold don't flip thing is a good Idea but obviously doesn't help the OP when the seat is in use, which is why he posted. So I guess all I would say is, if you have factory mirrors you really don't need to see out the rear window in a 2dr. The only thing you can't see via the mirrors is directly behind the Jeep and if you have a full sized spare you can't see that anyway.

I've got a heavily modified '13. If the back isn't full to the ceiling with cases packed w/overlanding gear, then my 35 inch spare, AEV carrier post and AEV fuel carrier pretty much fully block my view. It's been that way for about 8 of the 10 years I've owned it. NBD. But mine's not a daily. Only street driving is to get to a trail or during tops/doors off season to go on Sunday drives with the Mrs. So YMMV.

 

The fold don't flip thing is a good Idea but obviously doesn't help the OP when the seat is in use, which is why he posted. So I guess all I would say is, if you have factory mirrors you really don't need to see out the rear window in a 2dr. The only thing you can't see via the mirrors is directly behind the Jeep and if you have a full sized spare you can't see that anyway.

I agree. When I reverse, 99% of the time it's using my side rear-view mirrors. The same way you'd back up a van, I guess.

 

OP how many backseat passengers do you carry regularly?

If only one, you could remove the headrest behind the driver seat giving you a little more view out the back. Have your back seat passenger sit on the right side with the headrest.

I recently put my backseat back in my Jeep as I had 2 friends riding with me on a trail ride about a month ago.

 

Almost every weekend I have 2 in the backseat and oftentimes during the week I have one. I've gotten used to holding up the folded and tumbled back seat with a bungee cord but more often than not the seat is not in the configuration I need. Mostly I'm wearing nice clothes when I have to fold/tumble it up and inevitably getting dirty when I'm reaching into the back to attach the bungee cord. I know, first-world problems but I really think this hack would work for me. I think my next step is to remove the seat from the Jeep and see what it will take to un-hook one side of this cable system.

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions.

 

I think my next step is to remove the seat from the Jeep and see what it will take to un-hook one side of this cable system.

If you do, PLEASE take pictures and come back here to show how you unhooked it and what your final solution worked out. This has been on my to do list for years. I've got a handle that's been waiting for me to remember to get to it. This thread is a great reminder and I'd never realized the issue you mentioned so if you work out the details it would help out a lot. Thanks!!

 

there's a tie down right there behind the seat in 2012 - 17 JKs. I haven't had my backseat in in years, but when i did I used to just use a strap (Titan, Eisen, Viole, any generic equivalent will do) and connect it to the two u-brackets that stick out of the the lower rear of the seat. no need to cut or unhook anything and takes about 10 seconds. titan or similar straps aren't ratchet straps. they're like a pants belt meets bunge meets ratchet strap. fast and easy to use and store

 

Just a heads up...if you're using an iPhone to take pictures, it may be set to save images as a .HEIC file instead of a .jpg file. The site doesn't accept .HEIC files so they have to be saved as a .jpg. May not be your issue, but thought it worth mentioning. If not, please ignore my ramblings.

Yeah, I converted them to jpeg but still no joy. But thank you!

I’ve added straps to the bottom rungs of the back of the seat ( I think they’re there to attach children’s car seats ) to the tie downs closest to the rear seat so we’ll see how that goes. It has a little bounce left but we’ll see.

I may yet unhook one cable if there’s any bouncing back there.

Thanks again.

 

Yeah, I converted them to jpeg but still no joy. But thank you!

I’ve added straps to the bottom rungs of the back of the seat ( I think they’re there to attach children’s car seats ) to the tie downs closest to the rear seat so we’ll see how that goes. It has a little bounce left but we’ll see.

I may yet unhook one cable if there’s any bouncing back there.

Thanks again.

Good luck. To be totally honest, unless you've removed your spare and don't plan on reinstalling it, this whole thing seems like a LOT of trouble to pick up very little additional rear view beyond what the mirrors provide. You may be better off just going with an aftermarket rear cam.

 

Thanks DBL,
Later today will be my first driving with my "strap mod" in place. I hope this will work since I'm not really looking forward to removing the backseat again. Actually the removal wasn't too bad, it was the re-installation that was a royal pain.

For those who've talked about the already limited visibility, I agree there isn't a lot of visibility but for some reason, the rear seat head restraints really bug me! I'm glad they're there for passengers of course but having them obscure what little I can see out the back window just annoys the crap out of me ...

Anyway, I'll report back later after driving with the straps in place.

 

OK, first report:
The seat mostly stayed down but still had a little bounce when I went over speed bumps. I found I hadn't cinched them down quite as tightly as I should have I guess. It's possible they loosened up a little but more time will tell me more on that.

Overall, whichever way I go with the fold-but-not-tumble, I feel it's going to be a good thing for me. I won't have to bungee the tumbled seat any longer and I can see much more out the back window.

I know, many who have responded above have said, for a variety of reasons, it's practically impossible to see out of the back window on their jeeps but I can see more so that works for me. Granted, between the spare tire and the hard top wiper blade housing it's not the greatest visibility, I'm used to it.

More info to follow probably.

 

OK, first report:
The seat mostly stayed down but still had a little bounce when I went over speed bumps. I found I hadn't cinched them down quite as tightly as I should have I guess. It's possible they loosened up a little but more time will tell me more on that.

Overall, whichever way I go with the fold-but-not-tumble, I feel it's going to be a good thing for me. I won't have to bungee the tumbled seat any longer and I can see much more out the back window.

I know, many who have responded above have said, for a variety of reasons, it's practically impossible to see out of the back window on their jeeps but I can see more so that works for me. Granted, between the spare tire and the hard top wiper blade housing it's not the greatest visibility, I'm used to it.

More info to follow probably.

So a follow up question, with the seat strapped down - folded, can you unfold it (lock it in place upright) without removing the straps?

I haven't done anything with my backseat yet. And those Titan straps look handy, I have a couple uses for them:

Amazon.com: Titan Industrial Straps – Strong & Simple Tie-Downs for Construction (Welders, DIY Home) & 1st Responders – 3 Year Warranty, Batch Tested – 70 lb. Working Load, 20" Length, Black, 2-Pack : Tools & Home Improvement

Buy Titan Industrial Straps – Strong & Simple Tie-Downs for Construction (Welders, DIY Home) & 1st Responders – 3 Year Warranty, Batch Tested – 70 lb. Working Load, 20" Length, Black, 2-Pack: Ratcheting - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

www.amazon.com

 

Hi D Robs,
Yes, when I fold up the back with the straps still in place it locks just like normal. I do not have to remove the straps.

The one issue I THINK I'm facing is the straps I'm currently using (Home Depot tie down straps) seem to slip just a little bit and I think the ones you show in your message will fix that. Unlike yours with the buckle and holes in the strap, mine are the type where one end of the strap is sewn onto the female end of the buckle and the other end goes into the male end and folds back on itself. I don't know for sure that the strap slips but I think it does jus a bit based on what I hear going over the many speed bumps in my area.

I may give yours a try to see how it goes. I will say keeping the seat in and just folding it down has been great so far. While it's true Jeeps have terrible rear window visibility, having just that much more is noticeable. My Jeep is a Sport S so I do have the rear camera when backing up but I still use a mixture of camera, mirrors, and rear window when backing. Especially in store parking lots.

Thanks again for the Amazon link for those straps. Here is what I'm using now:

Husky 8 ft. x 1 in. Luggage Straps (2-Pack) FH1072 - The Home Depot

8 ft. x 1 in. luggage strap is ideal for commercial use. Mainly used to secure suitcases or luggage is ideal for commercial use. It has been designed with a long, wide open padded handle for more tension.

www.homedepot.com

 

Hi D Robs,
Yes, when I fold up the back with the straps still in place it locks just like normal. I do not have to remove the straps.

The one issue I THINK I'm facing is the straps I'm currently using (Home Depot tie down straps) seem to slip just a little bit and I think the ones you show in your message will fix that. Unlike yours with the buckle and holes in the strap, mine are the type where one end of the strap is sewn onto the female end of the buckle and the other end goes into the male end and folds back on itself. I don't know for sure that the strap slips but I think it does jus a bit based on what I hear going over the many speed bumps in my area.

I may give yours a try to see how it goes. I will say keeping the seat in and just folding it down has been great so far. While it's true Jeeps have terrible rear window visibility, having just that much more is noticeable. My Jeep is a Sport S so I do have the rear camera when backing up but I still use a mixture of camera, mirrors, and rear window when backing. Especially in store parking lots.

Thanks again for the Amazon link for those straps. Here is what I'm using now:

Husky 8 ft. x 1 in. Luggage Straps (2-Pack) FH1072 - The Home Depot

8 ft. x 1 in. luggage strap is ideal for commercial use. Mainly used to secure suitcases or luggage is ideal for commercial use. It has been designed with a long, wide open padded handle for more tension.

www.homedepot.com

Good to know thanks for the follow up!

Another member mentioned those Titan straps on page 1 of this thread. I don't have 1st hand experience with them but will be buying some. I can see using them for some other things as well as the backseat in my Jeep. I have Fire Extinguisher mounted on the roll bar in the back of my Jeep. It's not a very secure mount and I could see using a Titan strap to tighten it up a bit.

 

I think the Titan straps would work very well for securely fixing your fire extinguisher in place. They even show that in one of their videos.

I'm also considering using a small amount of rubber wrapping on the body connection points where the seat bottom latches. Since the bottom does bounce slightly and probably always will, this should stop that noise. I just hope it won't interfere with the latching itself. More info to follow.

 

Update: I never got around to wrapping the body connections with the rubber tape I was planning but I did manage to tighten the straps themselves.

This has turned into a very good solution for me and I recommend it to anyone who wishes to keep their back seat in place. By shortening the straps the seat remains down with no modifications to cables or anything else. The seat stays put in the folded position and I have a better view out the back window. When I need the rear seat available for passengers I just flip it up where it locks in place like normal. The straps holding the seat bottom down do not interfere with the locking mechanism at all. When the rear seat is up it's as though nothing has been done.

Hope this helps the 3 other 2-door owners who want to keep their rear seat in place while gaining better visibility out the back window.

 

I used a couple small gear ties and tied the backseat down. Since my driver & passenger seats are all the way back, I had to remove the head rests from the back seat.