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Jeep
Wrangler Seat Track Release Cable Repair
Like
many of you, my TJ is more than just a vehicle to transport me through
the wilderness, it’s a daily driver too and if you have a kid
(or kids), the passenger seat will get to see a lot of use. Sliding
and tumbling your seats forward using the nifty little strap on the
side makes it convenient for rear passengers to get in and out of
your Jeep but will ultimately causes a cable operating this mechanism
to fail. When mine finally broke, I would have taken it in to the
dealer to have it fixed but like many of you, I was just about 1,000
miles over warranty, go figure? Anyway, this write-up explains what
I did to fix it.
What
You Will Need
•
Part #04886308AA
• Basic Socket Wrench Set
• Torxs Bit Set (every Jeep owner should have one)
• Wire Cutter
• Zip Ties
Some Additional Background
When I went
to the dealer to purchase a new cable, they didn’t know what
I was talking about. In fact, this part doesn’t even show up
on their computer diagrams and so the parts guys didn’t have
a clue as to what to look for. This cable doesn’t even show
up in the FSM but a brief mention is made and calls it a “Seat
Track Release Cable” attached to a “U-Nut”. Needless
to say, the dealer wound up selling me three different WRONG cables
before finally getting it right (in reality, there wasn’t anything
left). So be sure to take the part number I’ve listed with you
to the dealer. It should cost about $25.
Installation
1. Remove the (3) three ½” bolts and
(1) T-50 Torx bolt holding down your seat and remove it from your
Jeep.
2. Remove your seatbelt clip from the seat. If I
remember correctly, this is a Torx50 as well.
3.
With your seat out, turn it upside down and you should see the lever
where your cable used to be attached to as shown in fig. 2. Locate
the broken bike type cable that loops around and follows the side
of your seat to its termination point at the back.
4.
Un-zip, detach the plastic retaining tabs (fig. 3) and peel
back your seat upholstery enough for you to reach the opposite end
of the cable and detach the U-Nut. This is done by un-snapping the
plastic cable retainer from the frame and then slipping the U-Nut
out. Be sure to pay special attention of what everything looks like
as it will be kind of a PITA to get thing back in later.
5. There should be one or two zip ties securing the
cable to the frame. Cut these using scissors or wire cutters, un-snap
the other plastic cable retainer and then remove the whole thing from
your seat.
6. Now, take your new cable and
slip the U-Nut into the mounting hole at the back of the seat and
then snap the plastic retainer into the frame.
7.
Route your cable along the seat frame as before and zip tie them as
you originally found it.
8. Snap in the
other plastic retainer in front of the release mechanism and then
slip the U-Nut into the mounting hole. (fig. 5)
9. Re-assemble your upholstery, bolt your seatbelt
clip back into the seat and then install everything back into your
Jeep. That’s it!
If you have any questions, e-mail me and I'd be more than happy to
help out in any way that I can.
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