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How to: remove rear seats w/ pics

157K views 25 replies 25 participants last post by  pbfoot 
#1 ·
Since I was taking my seats out I thought I'd do a quick how to with pictures.

Time - about 10 minutes

Tools required -
T40 torx socket
T45 torx socket
Socket wrench


Step 1
From inside the car remove the two bolts holding the lower section of the back seat using the T40 socket.


Step 2
Lift up on the backside of the lower seat and remove it from the car


with the lower section out of the car you can replace the two bolts so you don't lose them.


Step 3
Using the T45 socket remove the mounting points for the 3 rear seat belts, middle and both sides.


It is necessary to remove the sides because you have to unloop the shoulder straps on the sides through the elastic, you could skip removing the two sides and just cut the elastic if you wanted to also.


Step 4
Open the hatch and remove the cargo cover by unclipping the strings attached to the hatch lid


Slightly lift up on the cover and pull it toward you, it will pop out now you can lift it up and slide it out.


Step 5
Push in the seat release buttons and flip both sides of the rear seat forward


The back seat should now look like this, with the lower carpet removed.


Step 6
In the middle of the two hinged seats you will see a bolt this holds the middle hinge for the seats.


Using the T40 socket remove this bolt and slide the metal piece it was holding toward the front of the car to remove it.


Step 7
On the left and right sides there are 2 bolts still holding the seats, use the T40 socket to remove them.


Step 8
Lift up on the right side section of the rear seat, with some effort it should pop out of the middle hinge and right hinge


You should now be able to remove this smaller section by pushing it to the side away from the larger seat section.


Pull the larger section out now and replace the bolts in the seat backs so you don't lose them

Replace the piece of metal and bolt in the middle hinge.


And you're done the rear seats are out of the car.
 
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#3 ·
Very good write up... The people who do this though are typically going to take all the brackets out and do a rear seat delete. If you are doing this for some wiring, you can just do step one and remove the bottom seat bench. With that out of the way you have all the access you need to do your wiring.
 
#5 ·
Great write-up, but I have a question...

When I am driving, especially on the lunar surface streets of Madison, WI, I hear an infernal squeaking from the rear seat area. Just for kicks, I made my wife ride in the back seat yesterday on our commute to work. MIRACLE!! NO SQUEAKING! As soon as I dropped her off at her job and the rear seat was vacant once more, the squeaking returned. At the end of the day when I picked her up, I made her get in the rear seat again, and once again the squeaking disappeared. This problem seems obvious, right? Something in the rear seat is squeaking, and the weight of a person sitting on the seat stops it.

The trouble is, I have tried everything short of removal and disassembly of the seat to find out what is causing the problem. I tried moving the seat bottom up and down, that hinge does not squeak. Moving each half of the upper, no squeaks there either. Fold the seats down altogether, in cargo mode, squeak is still there. It only goes silent when the seats are up and someone is sitting back there.

Oh, and I thought of the seat belts, too. The reels do not squeak and I even tried fastening the belts with no one in the seat and that did not quiet the squeaking either. The only thing that quiets it is the weight of something substantial - like a human body.

Since you have completely disassembled the seats, I think that qualifies you as an expert on Focus rear seats. WHERE is this squeaking coming from and how can I silence it - short of permanently strapping my wife into the seat and never letting her out?

[?|][?|]
Thank you in advance for any suggestions.
 
#6 ·
Maby you have mouse in the seat?LOL a Dog toy mouse LOL! also if you do remove the rear seats we typically remove the brakets and all bolts and even the seatbelts and seatbelt buckles. its up to the person if they want a rear seat delet i didnt.
 
#7 ·
I get the squeak sometimes too after ive removed and reinstalled the seats i've determined its coming from the locking latch for the upper seatbacks if you don't bolt the hinges in just right they squeak like crazy, i usually loosen them up if they are squeaking, move them around a bit then tighten them back down and the problem is usually solved
 
#8 ·
Just a thought, but if a squeaky hinge is the issue, perhaps a small dab of wheel bearing grease will shut the thing up. I've done this successfully on door hinges, just don't go crazy with it. A little dab will do ya.
 
#16 ·
Thank you for your post. I have a 2001 Focus Wagon. The rear seat was stuck in the sitting position to accommodate human passengers, and when I tried to lift the seat (bench) it would not budge. I hunted for hours trying to find pictures or diagrams before I started taking things apart with no luck. I decided that if all else failed I would buy a star bit and just hope I could loosen the bolts holding the hinges to the body.

Gratefully my son was able to push the bench backward and freed the seat bottom where it was caught on some hook-looking things. So now the seat is up so I can fold the seat backs down and put my homemade cardboard liners over the carpeted cargo space to protect the carpet from being damaged.

Thanks to your photos and explanations I know what size of torx bits to buy, and I know I was on the right track. If I can figure out how to post some photos of the underside of the bench and the spot where the bench rests on the body, I will do that.

I bought this 2001 Focus Wagon brand new in May of 2001. Ford quit making the Focus Wagon, so I won't be able to replace it now. It's not that easy to find a car small enough that I can drive and big enough to carry stuff.
 
#17 ·
I've attempted to take rear seats out of 2 different hatchbacks and have broken several Craftsman Torx sockets trying to remove the seat belts. The seats themselves come out simple enough but I break the bits without a single turn every time I move on to the seatbelts. How do you unbolt them?
 
#22 ·
Interesting, I didn't really encounter any problems when I did it, but I was definitely concentrating on keeping the bit square and seated. Also used a 1/2" extendable ratchet from HF to do it and that allows for pretty smooth application of torque.

I don't miss the rear seats at all, I never really want to have more than one passenger anyway, and if it comes to it somebody can easily sit back there on the floor anyway.
 
#23 ·
Seat belt removal?

So, this may be a little off the topic, abut does anyone know how to repair or remove the rear seat-belt mechanism (the one INSIDE the wider seat section)?
When I bought the Roush, the seat-belt was really tight against the seat fabric, and I tried to pull it out, but it was locked. I finally folded the seat forward and removed the whole (wider) side of the seat-back. However, I would like to get the seat-belt mechanism out and repair or replace it, because I still have children who need to ride back there...
I think what caused the problem is that the plastic ring around the opening broke and allowed the 'nub' (stop?) that is in the belt to go inside the retractor. Unfortunately, I don't know how to release the retractor, OR get it out of the seat (without damaging the upholstery).
Anyone had this before?
Thanks!
 
#25 ·
did you ever solve this? mine is noisy too. little deeper sound than a squeak. more like an "uuurh." It's coming from the seat back moving against the rod that goes across the bottom of the seat back...the hinge rod I guess you'd call it. I've thought about squirting some WD40 in there, but just don't know if that would do it or not.
 
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