Non-power seats with headrests - do they exist?

[Triumph215]

I’d like to have headrests in my ‘77 but the seats aren’t power and I like it that way. It looks like headrests came starting in the mid 80’s. Did Jeep make headrest seats in a manual adjust version or are they all power?

[candymancan]

All power. And the 80s-90s head rests suck. I have to tilt ny head till im looking up at the ceiling until it touches it. Ive been lookjng to buy one of those pillows that wrap around then so it actully can function as a head rest.

The wagoneer seats suck in general i wish they fully reclined

[SJTD]

I think headrest is a misnomer. It's there for crash protection. I've never been in a car that I can rest my head on it without reclining the seat too much to drive comfortably.

Can't argue with your opinion of the seats.

[sirrus]

I agree with SJTD, these headrests are just extra safety, not comfort. Even the picture about adjusting them from owners manual suggests the same.

I was also looking for some clip on pillow to be able to rest my head on them, but didn’t buy one yet.

In my ‘17 mustang I can easily adjust headrests to actually act as a headrest. Same for old benzes I drove before

[candymancan]

I think headrest is a misnomer. It's there for crash protection. I've never been in a car that I can rest my head on it without reclining the seat too much to drive comfortably.

Can't argue with your opinion of the seats.

Both my ZJs the head rests i only need to tillt my head 1/2 inch back and its on the rest... The Wagoneer i litterally have to look up at the ceiling. They are terrible. Wouldnt do much good in a accident if your head has to snap back so far your staring at the headliner.

How can you agree these are even remotly safe. Everyone knows they are for safety but these are the worst ones ive ever experienced in a car and ive been in dozens of vehicles from friends to dealership lots to cars i work on for extra money. The FSJ are by far the most unsafe and uncomfortable. They are virtually useless.

They should be right up against your head when you drive so when you get in a accident you head doesnt snap back.

[Triumph215]

Well that’s a bummer but it’s what I expected. I guess this is going to be a little tougher than I’d hoped. On to Plan B and thanks for the feedback.

[letank]

with a little metal work, you can swap other vehicle... mid 90's mustang were on the list ( 93-97 or around) I installed mazda truck seats, all manual which are more comfortable... dodge neon had some nice fabric to them, installed on the wrangler, only OK if you are taller than 5' 7"...
Next is to try the PT cruiser because they can be unclined... passenger seat flips forward and has cup holders and a flat work area...

[Stuka]

There are seats that can be transplanted in like mentioned above. And also like mentioned above, they only exists for safety. I don't think I have ever owned a vehicle where my head actually hits the head rest, even head rests with adjustable tilt on them.

When looking for another seat, try to find some that don't have an overly thick base, as it will make you sit too high. Because of the large center hump, our seats can only be mounted so low.

[tgreese]

The narrow-track 4-door Cherokee is the down-market version of the (Grand) Wagoneer. I would expect such manual-adjust seats would be from a Cherokee, if they existed. Or from a J-truck.

The head rests are there to prevent neck injury (whiplash) in a rear-end collision. Not for you to rest your head against. NHTSA stuff.

[Triumph215]

I’m only interested in the headrests for safety. Both my wife and daughter love the truck but fear a rear ender. I was wondering about the possibility of fabricating headrests into the existing seats. At this point I’m figuring to go to the junkyard with a tape measure and the above advice and just look around. While there I might open up the back of a few trashed seats to see just how the headrests are attached. It can’t be too complicated in there.

[tgreese]

There used to be accessory headrests that attached to the seat backs somehow. You might have to remove the back covering of the seat and figure out how to attach the headrest supports to the frame of the seats.

If you are willing to pay up for custom work, I'm sure a good auto upholstery shop could customize your existing seats with added headrests. Would not be cheap - I would expect more than a few hundred dollars for each seat. Might be an opportunity to replace worn fabric or leather panels too.

[Triumph215]

I’m going to see about adding them. I’d have to buy new seats anyway and if from another car then fabricate the mounts and potentially drill new holes in the floor. I don’t want to. I went through all that when I installed MGB seats in my TR4 for the headrests and it’s fine but I’m so enjoying that the truck is stock and everything fits as it should. Plus the fabric is shot and they need reupholstered anyway. I hope the cost isn’t too outrageous.

[letank]

fabricating the mounts is a real pain, driver and passenger sides are not image of each other. At one point I cut the OEM in half and tack welded the 2 half to gain a lower height... it was still a tad too high for anyone but me.