We know it can be a very difficult decision; on one hand you are thinking that someone somewhere REALLY wants your clapped-out, sweat-soaked, butt-dented seats. That's real money, cash. Or you can take a chainsaw (or preferably a socket wrench) to your old, torn seats and upgrade them to a set of scheel-mann Vario F, with an assist by Tolerance Stack, to FINALLY give your sore back some love.
Sacrificing your original Tacoma seat by removing components for the Tolerance Stack mounting system does mean you likely won't be able to resell it as a complete unit. To determine if this is a worthwhile trade-off, let's consider a few factors:
Resale Value of Your Current Tacoma (or FJ Cruiser or 4Runner) Seats:
• Used car parts, including seats, can have some value on the secondary market. The actual value depends on several factors: Condition, Mileage, Trim Level, Demand, Completeness.
• You could check online marketplaces (like eBay, Craigslist, or Tacoma-specific forums) to see what similar used seats are selling for to get an idea of their potential value, if any.
• What about purchasing other used Tacoma seats as a sacrifice instead? This could be done but we would need a conversation about what you will need to keep from your original seat. Its not just an easy 1:1 swap.
Benefits of Upgrading your seats with scheel-mann and Tolerance Stack:
• Significantly Improved Comfort: If your current seats are causing discomfort, especially on longer drives, high-quality scheel-mann seats are designed with ergonomics and orthopedics in mind.
• Enhanced Support and Posture: scheel-mann seats offer far better lumbar support, bolstering, and adjustability, which can lead to a more comfortable, and less fatiguing, driving experience especially when you have a bad back. In fact nearly 90% of our current sales are to back sufferers.
• Customization: Upgrading allows you to choose seats with features that better suit your needs, such as storage, heating, cooling, or specific material/color preferences.
• Maintaining Vehicle Functionality: As Tolerance Stack emphasizes, the system is designed to integrate with your Tacoma's existing safety systems (SRS) and occupancy computer without triggering warning lights. This is a major advantage over ALL generic, lesser quality, aftermarket seat installations.
• Long-Term Investment in Driving Enjoyment: If you plan to keep your Tacoma for a while, the increased comfort and support of aftermarket seats can significantly enhance your overall ownership experience and will only bolster resale value.
Is the "Sacrifice" Worth It?
The decision ultimately comes down to your personal priorities and the potential value you place on each option:
• If your primary concern is comfort and you find your current seats significantly lacking: The potential improvement in your daily driving experience and long-term comfort might outweigh the potential resale value of the original seats.
• If the resale value of your seats is substantial and you're only mildly uncomfortable: This is where the decision could be difficult. Maybe your truck is brand new or very low mileage and the thought of taking apart a new seat seems difficult to you. But what seems like "mildly uncomfortable" now will only progress. There is no getting away from aging.
• Consider the hassle of selling used seats: Even if they have decent value, selling them involves time, effort in listing them, and potentially dealing with shipping or local meetups. Factor this into your calculation of their "worth."
Ultimately, if your current seats are a major source of discomfort and you value a significantly improved driving experience while maintaining your vehicle's safety systems, then utilizing the Tolerance Stack system and "sacrificing" your old seat components for a high-quality orthopedic scheel-mann Vario seat could be a worthwhile investment.
Once the decision is made to move forward with upgrading, you will be removing your old seats and dissecting them in order to complete the full functionality of the Tolerance Stack mounting system. These aren't just some cheap pieces of metal slapped together to mount aftermarket seats while completely ignoring the safety aspects of the truck it's going into.
The Tolerance Stack mounting solution is a COMPLETE upgrade.
Seen in the image below are the components needed from your old Toyota seat, the passenger seat anyway. You will be removing and reusing:
• Inboard and outboard seat rails
• All four load-cells (array)
• All load-cell connectors and complete harness
• Slide handle
• All four occupancy sensors
• Seat heater computer (little black box)
• Seat-belt bracket and buckle assembly
• Seat-belt harness and connector
Comfort Requires Sacrificing Your Uncomfortable Toyota Seat