2nd & 3rd Gen Tacoma Seat Swap FAQ

FAQs: Tacoma 2nd & 3rd Gen

This page covers the Toyota Tacoma 2nd Gen (2005-2015) and 3rd Gen (2016-2023).

Installation

Q: What is the install time for a pair of seats?

A: Generally 6-8 hours for a pair, depending on the skill and experience of the installer. The passenger seat takes the bulk of that time due to the factory load cells for the occupancy sensors.

Q: Do I need to take apart my original seats?

A: Technically yes, but only partially. You need the factory seat rails removed from the driver seat to correctly mount the new components. On the passenger side you also need the SRS computer and load cell sensors. The rest of the original seat is untouched.

If you have a pristine set of seats you want to keep intact for resale, see the question below about purchasing donor rails separately.

Q: Can I keep my factory seats fully intact for resale?

A: Yes. We offer a service that sources used rails and associated components from local dismantlers. This includes the rails (inspected and de-rusted as needed), the seat handle, seatbelt bracket, and wiring harnesses. With a donor set you can complete the install without touching your original seats, keeping them in resalable condition.

Q: How long does the install take?

A: Generally 6-8 hours for a pair of seats, depending on installer experience. The passenger side takes the bulk of that time due to the load cell and SRS work involved.

Seat Rails & Fitment

Q: What if my Tacoma came with a powered driver seat?

A: Two issues come up when swapping a powered seat. First, the scheel-mann seat is fully manual, so power adjustment is not replicated. Second, the factory driver-side rails on powered-seat trucks are specific to that configuration and cannot be reused.

The fix is to swap in manual seat rails, which can be sourced from eBay or a local dismantler. When needed we can sometimes hunt these down on your behalf -- contact us for more info.

Q: What if my Tacoma came with bench seats?

A: We have not had the opportunity to confirm whether our solution works for a bench-seat equipped Tacoma converting to dual buckets. We have some anecdotal evidence that the bracket could bolt in, but the SRS, seatbelt, and occupancy sensor configurations may differ from bucket-seat trucks. Reach out before ordering if this applies to you.

Q: Why aren't armrests available for the Tacoma?

A: Armrests simply will not fit. Between the B-pillar and the center console there is no room to add one without interference.

Seat Height & Positioning

Q: Does this lower my seat?

A: Not necessarily. On the passenger side we spent considerable time ensuring the seat height matches OEM -- the challenge was the load cell locations, which is what drove us to move them inboard. The result is passenger seat height at OEM level, and we built in the front rake that most people address with aftermarket lift products, so those are not needed.

On the driver side the butt height is essentially the same as OEM, with the front edge raised slightly for added rake.

Q: Will using seat lift products with the Tolerance Stack bracket create too much lift?

A: Keep in mind that the front seat angle was already designed to mimic the effect of those lift products, since many Tacoma owners were already using them. Adding them on top of our bracket will increase that front angle by 3-4 degrees beyond what we built in. You can compensate by adding spacers at the rear of the seat to match, but that costs approximately 1 inch of headroom.

This applies to the driver side only -- there is adequate space under there. The passenger side has redesigned cross-members and inboard load cells, so usable space is limited. We do offer a storage box for both sides, but the passenger version is too small to fit a compressor.

Q: How does fore/aft and height adjustment work?

A: If your truck currently has manual seats, the factory seat rails, slide handle, and seatbelt mount all carry over. If you have a powered seat you will need a manual slider as a donor. There is no powered height adjustment -- same as a stock manual seat. The scheel-mann seat does allow you to extend the bottom cushion forward for greater thigh support, which is an adjustment not available on the factory seat.

Sensors & Airbags

Q: How are the driver and passenger sensors handled?

A: On the driver side there is a Hall effect occupancy sensor in the seat rail and an SRS connector for the side airbag in the seat, plus the seatbelt sensor. Our system keeps the occupancy sensor and seatbelt sensor in place by reusing the factory floor-mounted rails. The side airbag is eliminated with the seat swap, and we include an airbag proxy that plugs into that connector so the SRS system continues to operate correctly.

On the passenger side there is no Hall effect sensor -- instead there are four load cell sensors. Our kit relocates those load cells to a new position on the rail while keeping them fully functional. The passenger airbag proxy is also included, and the existing passenger seatbelt is incorporated into the new setup.

Seat Heaters & Klima

Q: My Tacoma doesn't have factory heated seats. What do I need to add them?

A: All scheel-mann seats include seat heaters standard. If your truck never had factory heat, you just need a switched 12V power source, a ground location, and a place to mount the switches. scheel-mann supplies the wiring and switch kit.

Q: My Tacoma has OEM heated seats. How do I integrate the new seat heaters?

A: We install a thermistor into the scheel-mann seat with the same signal output as the factory sensor. This ties back into the factory heater control system, so your OEM dash buttons continue to operate the seat heaters exactly as before. When ordering, you will have the option to add the required harness and bracket to your order.

Q: Is the heated seat still controlled from the factory dash buttons?

A: Yes. We install a thermistor with the same output as the factory seat sensor, then tie it back into the factory system. The OEM button operates exactly like stock. We think that's the right way to do it.

Q: Can Klima seats work in a Tacoma without factory heated seats?

A: Yes. Both the heated Vario and the heated/cooled Klima Vario can be installed in a Tacoma without factory heated seats. scheel-mann supplies the wiring and switch kit appropriate for whichever seat type you choose.

Pricing

Q: Why is the passenger seat kit more expensive than the driver kit?

A: The driver side is straightforward -- essentially just a seat pan with no complex electronics to carry over. The passenger side involves the SRS system, the seatbelt, and the four-sensor load cell occupancy system. The Tacoma SRS is a three-stage seatbelt restraint system, and the front airbag is also three-stage (off/child/adult). Keeping all of that functioning without any warning lights required significant development work. It is not remotely as simple as the driver side.