(2-door 97-01 XJ) The Knob on Front Seat Folding Lever??

[ArmchairSamurai]

Howdy everyone,

This is my first post here so I will start with something interesting. I am on a quest. I have posted to other forums, Reddit, and even FB groups, and no one has yet to know of, or show, the knob that goes on the lever that folds the front two seats of a 2-door 97-01 model XJ. I am starting to think they do not exist. I have never even seen one. No photos exist online that I can find, nor can anyone produce any. The only thing I have to go off is a MOPAR technical diagram. Thoughts?

Recliner & Adjuster - 2000 Jeep Cherokee

MoparPartsGiant.com offers genuine Recliner & Adjuster for 2000 Jeep Cherokee with great price and fast delivery.

www.moparpartsgiant.com

 

[Tim_MN]

Some parts were never inventoried as repair parts, and others were only available as a component part of a complete assembly. Jeep Dealerships have long ago gotten rid of any unsold XJ Cherokee parts. Check other Chrysler vehicles of the same vintage at the junkyard, they may have the same part or something similar.

If you know a Machinist, it would not take much effort to make a couple custom billet aluminum knobs.

 

[Goose_XJ88]

Are you referring to this bracket on the 97+ 2 doors? Ive had these pics saved from a WJ seat swap into a 2 door thread. Lovely Photobucket crash of yester-year stole the pics from the original thread it seems.

 

[ArmchairSamurai]

Are you referring to this bracket on the 97+ 2 doors? Ive had these pics saved from a WJ seat swap into a 2 door thread. Lovely Photobucket crash of yester-year stole the pics from the original thread it seems.

View attachment 12371
View attachment 12370
View attachment 12369

Yes, I am indeed referring to those but with the original knob for the XJ. I have seen many folks swap the TJ seat hinges or just the knob from a TJ itself, but I have yet to see an actual XJ knob. They are always missing. Part of me thinks they were poorly designed, hence why they were always gone--it's just crazy that no one seems to have one, or a picture of one. The earlier 2-door Renault 84-96 model XJs always have their knobs, granted they are placed higher on the seat owing to a different seat design, but regardless, they are still there.

 

[Goose_XJ88]

The brackets above are what the 95+ XJs use. the pics are the brackets unbolted from XJ and onto WJ. I had pulled a pair from a 96 a while back to give more adjustability in a WJ seat when I eventually did the swap but I dont know if I still have the brackets or not and if I do have them, I dont know where they are without a lot of searching.

Only the 84-94 xj seats had the upper release mechanism. 95-00 was just that bracket/hinge setup all in one.

 

[ArmchairSamurai]

The brackets above are what the 95+ XJs use. the pics are the brackets unbolted from XJ and onto WJ. I had pulled a pair from a 96 a while back to give more adjustability in a WJ seat when I eventually did the swap but I dont know if I still have the brackets or not and if I do have them, I dont know where they are without a lot of searching.

Only the 84-94 xj seats had the upper release mechanism. 95-00 was just that bracket/hinge setup all in one.

That's all fine and dandy, but what about the knobs? The knobs are what I am searching for. The knobs you present are TJ knobs. My apologies if I am speaking in a confusing manner. I am searching for 97-01 knobs for the 97-01 seat brackets on 97-01 2-door front seats.

 

[Goose_XJ88]

That's all fine and dandy, but what about the knobs? The knobs are what I am searching for. The knobs you present are TJ knobs. My apologies if I am speaking in a confusing manner. I am searching for 97-01 knobs for the 97-01 seat brackets on 97-01 2-door front seats.

I have no idea what you are talking about.

The pictures I posted are the knobs/levers that fold the front 2door XJ seats forward. There is a lever on the door side like a 4 door and the little nub near the bottom for the back passengers to use to fold the seat forward. The difference between the 2 door and 4 door levers on the side that adjust the back rest are the 2 door have a much bigger range of motion. There are no other knobs on an XJ seat 97-01.

https://naxja.org/threads/98-2-door-seat-upgrade.1148778/

 

[ArmchairSamurai]

I have no idea what you are talking about.

The pictures I posted are the knobs/levers that fold the front 2door XJ seats forward. There is a lever on the door side like a 4 door and the little nub near the bottom for the back passengers to use to fold the seat forward. The difference between the 2 door and 4 door levers on the side that adjust the back rest are the 2 door have a much bigger range of motion. There are no other knobs on an XJ seat 97-01.

https://naxja.org/threads/98-2-door-seat-upgrade.1148778/

View attachment 12373
View attachment 12374

Friend, I said where the knobs are. You posted a picture of the brackets for folding the front seats of a 2-door XJ. I said that was what I was referring to, but with the original knobs. The original knobs are different than the ones you posted. That is all. The brackets you posted had TJ knobs. Apologies again if I confused you. I should have been much more specific with my wording I suppose. I will post pictures so that I am absolutely clear about what I mean. Apologies again.

EDIT: For whatever reason, the website will not allow me to post images from another forum site, so I will link it. The photos I intended to post are there. The OP is asking a similar question to me. The photos he posted are what I wanted to post here: https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f67/2-door-front-rumble-seat-action-lever-248992/

 

[Goose_XJ88]

I understand now. Sorry, when I hear Knob, I immediately think of something more round.

For a vehicle seat knob, my brain jumps to this which is why I was saying there isn't a knob for the 97+XJ.
My brain classifies what you are looking for as more of a "plastic cover for the seat release mechanism." or at least more of a lever cover vs knob.

I dont know of any aftermarket sources but Id have to guess that Teamcherokee or ebay would be your best bet. Otherwise, it shouldnt be hard to 3D print a replacement or do an epoxy set like was suggested in the link you posted.

As for the brackets that I posted being TJ, I can assure you the pictures I posted are brackets from a factory XJ and look the same as the ones I personally removed from an XJ.

2 DOOR Seat Swap....flip forward*WRITE-UP*

www.jeepforum.com

Doing a google search, It looks like the mechanisms might be the same between the two. Buy a TJ replacement cover and see if it works on your 2 door.

 

[ArmchairSamurai]

I understand now. Sorry, when I hear Knob, I immediately think of something more round.

For a vehicle seat knob, my brain jumps to this which is why I was saying there isn't a knob for the 97+XJ.
My brain classifies what you are looking for as more of a "plastic cover for the seat release mechanism." or at least more of a lever cover vs knob.

I dont know of any aftermarket sources but Id have to guess that Teamcherokee or ebay would be your best bet. Otherwise, it shouldnt be hard to 3D print a replacement or do an epoxy set like was suggested in the link you posted.

As for the brackets that I posted being TJ, I can assure you the pictures I posted are brackets from a factory XJ and look the same as the ones I personally removed from an XJ.

2 DOOR Seat Swap....flip forward*WRITE-UP*

www.jeepforum.com

Doing a google search, It looks like the mechanisms might be the same between the two. Buy a TJ replacement cover and see if it works on your 2 door.



View attachment 12375

Yeah, I have no idea what else to call it other than a knob, given that would be what you would think would cover such a lever. Apologies for the confusion. As for the brackets, I said the knobs in the photos you posted were TJ, not the brackets themselves. I know the brackets are practically identical and interchangeable. What I was trying to get across is that people generally either swap the brackets entirely between the XJ and TJ or they simply take the knob from a TJ and mount that onto their XJ bracket. I am just trying to see if anyone on the wider internet has ever seen the original factory part (knob for lack of better words) that went on the factory 2-door seats for a 97-01 XJ. From the MOPAR diagrams the knob looks almost angular, rather than round and bulbous like the earlier 84-96 XJ's knob. Anyway, the search continues!