Rear seat removal

[Michael Kirk]

Just bought a 2003.Alphard, but wish to remove the second and third row of seats for a dayvan conversion. Has anyone done thus can guide me please. I do not want to remove the rails, but wish to remove the clip parts. Any help would be useful.

[pasty_and_a_pint]

Second row of seats are pretty easy, if you look where the seats meet the rails there are 4x plastic caps that cover the bolts that fix the seats to the sliders(per seat). Simply remove the caps, unbolt and lift the seats out.

 

Third row of seats are also quite simple, unclip the seats as if you were folding them away. Next, where the seat meets the side of the vehicle there is a hinge bracket that bolts into another slider. This is hidden under a plastic & rubber flap trim. Remove the flap trim and undo the 2x bolts per seat bracket.

 

Now, I found getting the floor sliders out a complete PITA. Carpets out, sound deadening out, unbolt the rails, slide the slider cassettes out and re assemble.

 

Hope this is of help. 

[Michael Kirk]

Great help,thanks. I have already removed the 4 bolts on one seat as a trial, but the sliders seem to be the problem. Can I remove the sliders and keep the rails. Do I need to access under the van for the rails and slides?

[Alfie]

Hi, I've just removed seats and rails from my Alphard. It doesn't look like you can just remove the sliders, I wanted to do the same. Managed to get away with just removing mats and carpet. Remove the steps and rear boot lip trim carefully (I got a trim clip remover tool) replacement clips are a bit of a pain to find! You can lift the insulation just enough to fit a socket wrench on. The rear seat rails on the wheel arches can be removed by loosening the lower half of the trim, first remove rubber door trim/boot trim a bit, undo seat belt bolts near doors, I think there's 3 bolts on each rail, you'll need a spanner as well. 

 

Hope that helps

[Willk200]

Thinking of doing the same to a 2003 alphard I am hoping to buy to turn it into a day van too. Are the sliders below the floor level so if you remove the seats by undoing bolts you just have the rails set in the floor with the sliders in them? Thanks for any help

[Rojie]

10 hours ago, Willk200 said:

Thinking of doing the same to a 2003 Alphard I am hoping to buy to turn it into a day van too. Are the sliders below the floor level so if you remove the seats by undoing bolts you just have the rails set in the floor with the sliders in them? Thanks for any help

 

Hello Will,

 

Welcome to the Forum.

 

The seat carriers are above the floor level, the sliders (that they run in) are level with the floor.

 

You should consider an 8 seater if you want to reverse the middle seats.

A few 7 seaters have, I have read, got reversible middle seats, but are quite rare.