Rear Facing bench?

[J33P3R]

got a question for y'all my fiancee has two young boys, one 7 one 11. I've been trying to figure out a good way to "secure" them in the back of the heep when we go out riding...child-shaped projectiles are a bad thing...

one of my mechanic friends said to just ratchet strap them to the seat, but somehow i don't see that as being street legal or humane.

What i was thinking was to reverse the rear bench seat and install a crossbar in the roll cage between the driver/pass seats and the "rear compartment". then attach 2ea 4 point harnesses to the cross bar for the back and possibly do the same for the front harnesses. Has anyone done something like this or have any ideas? Switching up the seat isn't a big deal, but does the harness thing sound sturdy enough?

[USMCHarleyJeepGuy]

What's wrong with them facing forward and using their seatbelts?

[usnavymitchells]

What's wrong with them facing forward and using their seatbelts?

X2.

[crazy4ink]

I'm with Jeff and Dave on this one. The engineers at Jeep spent a lot of time and more than enough money configuring the OEM seat and seatbelt mounting locations with many validating crash tests.

While your idea sounds good, I don't know what kind of impact (whiplash) your fiancee's kids would be subjected to in a head-on impact.

[theyeti1775]

Don't TJ's (least thats what you have according to the sig) already have the Family roll bar? (Think from 93 YJ's forward they did.)

Now if you were doing full seat's like some replacement bucket seats in place of the mid back bench, I could see it being fine for those rear facing as the whiplash factor isn't as bad that way.

The other thing you have to figure in is your gear, where are you stowing it with them facing backwards as such? I know I pack as much as I can into it when going out.

[J33P3R]

the problem is size...lol...they are both too big for car seats but they are still small enough to slide around in the stock belts...trying to figure something out...figured attaching a harness would be the easiest way, just not 100% sure how to hook it up...any ideas?

[usnavymitchells]

the problem is size...lol...they are both too big for car seats but they are still small enough to slide around in the stock belts...trying to figure something out...figured attaching a harness would be the easiest way, just not 100% sure how to hook it up...any ideas?

When you say slide around arre you talking just everyday driving or off road? You can try a booster seat for the 7 Year Old. Not real certain the 11 yo would appreciate that though. Only think I can think of but I am not expert in fact tools shy away from me due to lack of experience. Is rigging an old style (airplane type) seat belt.

[brown-man]

here's your solution . . . the 7 year old can be the camera monkey, and the 11 year old can be the spotter, and if they whine too much bout walking , just buy then rellerskates! ! ! lol ! ! !

[NEjeeper]

What's wrong with them facing forward and using their seatbelts?

x3

[USMCHarleyJeepGuy]

Velcro in conjuction with the factory set-up or teach your fiance how to cook. Fatten them up and velcro their bony little arses down, THEN put their factory seatbelts on them.

The factory belts REALLY should be fine man. Unless you are attacking vertical waterfalls at wide open throttle daily, you should really be fine man.