Child seats in a cj7

[ttuseth2]

I have a 82 CJ7 with only the 2 front seats. The interior is lined by the po and there are no brackets or hardware for me to attach a rear seat if I bought one.
My cj only came with soft doors and soft top, both of which I never use as I simply run a bikini top.
I have a 3.5 year old son who loves my jeep and I'd like to take him around more than a slow drive around the block.
What do you guys do or think about putting a child seat in the front? I would absolutely put on the soft doors but doubt my wife would allow me to drive him around.
Let me know your thoughts

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[shum8]

Honestly, I wouldn't put him in the front seat. In the event of a passenger side impact, or rollover scenario, the potential for catastrophe is high. Soft doors may as well not be there. At a minimum, I'd swap the roll bar for a YJ family bar, install a back seat, and put the child seat in the center of that. Even with this, the family bar isn't as strong as I would like, but he would be surrounded by some protection in a rollover. If the Jeep tipped over on its side, his arms wouldn't get between the tub and ground.

I guess you could weld up a steel mounting bracket just for the car seat and mount it right behind the front seats in the center, just behind where the console would sit......... Either way, I wouldn't stick him up front - not till he's older.

That's how I got my CJ - the PO's wife didn't want the son riding in a car seat so he sold it........


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[jdcaples]

I wouldn't do it myself, but it is a personal choice. What would stop me is how vulnerable passengers are and the memory of what CJs look like after being t-boned or rear ended.

Regardless of what I'd do, to comply with Texas law, I think you need to find a child safety seat that includes instructions for securing a child safety seat in the front.

Here's an snippet from Texas Constitution and Statutes - Home

Sec. 545.412. CHILD PASSENGER SAFETY SEAT SYSTEMS; OFFENSE.
(a) A person commits an offense if the person operates a passenger vehicle transports a child who is younger than eight years of age, unless the child is taller than four feet, nine inches, and does not keep the child secured during the operation of the vehicle in a child passenger safety seat system according to the instructions of the manufacturer of the safety seat system.
(b) An offense under this section is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $25 and not more than $250.
(b-1) Repealed by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., 1st C.S., Ch. 4, Sec. 69.01(1), eff. September 28, 2011.
(c) It is a defense to prosecution under this section that the person was operating the vehicle in an emergency or for a law enforcement purpose.

-Jon

PS: no, I'm not a lawyer and this posting is not "legal advice."

 

[Neuner]

Personally, I wouldn't do it either for all of the same reasons. I'd find a way to add a back seat and then consider it, maybe.

 

[007]

What " I " did was weld a loop on the back bracket of my back seat so that I could clip the over-the-back strap of a child seat to that, then seat belt it in as normal. This insured that that seat wouldn't tip over.

You can find back seats pretty easily it seems and they don't seem to cost much. Get a bad one and you can put a Bestop cover on it for around $100. I think this would be best as opposed to the front seat.

My 2cts.

 

[ttuseth2]

I'll just wait for him to get older and bigger. I'm never going to get rid of this jeep so no issue there.
I'm not concerned about rollovers as I don't really take it off road much and certainly wouldn't do it with him in there.
I just look forward to being the dad that takes him and picks him up from sports in it and makes all the other dad's jealous!


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[007]

Do as you wish, but throw a back seat in there and you'll be happy you did.

You wait until he's old enough to sit in front and he might not think it's as cool as he would now.


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[mtnwhlr]

Sorry but I'm a old guy who has raised 5 kids, I have never bought a car seat or a bike helmet and think people are way to protective now days. When one of my kids got hurt you told them to rub some dirt on it and walk it off. And guess what they all are adults now and made it thru childhood just fine.

 

[gr8dain]

What " I " did was weld a loop on the back bracket of my back seat so that I could clip the over-the-back strap of a child seat to that, then seat belt it in as normal. This insured that that seat wouldn't tip over.



You can find back seats pretty easily it seems and they don't seem to cost much. Get a bad one and you can put a Bestop cover on it for around $100. I think this would be best as opposed to the front seat.



My 2cts.

When we had our Bronco, my kids had car seats. I did not have to weld the loop, as I was able to get a conversion kit that was basically a metal piece with a loop that went under the bolt head to serve the same purpose. Worked great for the years I needed it.

I got my Jeeps after the kids were older and did not need car seats.

Personally, I would not put the car seat in the front. Even if the PO lined the tub, you should be able to find the original locations for a back seat to be mounted. And the soft doors do nothing for protection of anything other than some of the rain.

 

[Neuner]

Sorry but I'm a old guy who has raised 5 kids, I have never bought a car seat or a bike helmet and think people are way to protective now days. When one of my kids got hurt you told them to rub some dirt on it and walk it off. And guess what they all are adults now and made it thru childhood just fine.

One of my good friends in 8th grade was skateboarding over to his grandma's house to cut the grass. A rock on the street caused him to loose his balance and hit his head on the curb. It cracked his skull and they had to remove the top right part of his brain. He lost his speech ability, still has the mindset of an 8th grader and his parents have had to care for him even though he's now in his 40's.

 

[mtnwhlr]

One of my good friends in 8th grade was skateboarding over to his grandma's house to cut the grass. A rock on the street caused him to loose his balance and hit his head on the curb. It cracked his skull and they had to remove the top right part of his brain. He lost his speech ability, still has the mindset of an 8th grader and his parents have had to care for him even though he's now in his 40's.

Sorry to hear that.

 

[jdcaples]

I sorta wanna wear a motorcycle helmet when I'm driving the CJ around town, now.

Am also sorry to read about that horrific injury.

Life and a sound mind are way precious.

-Jon

 

[HackFabrication]

I sorta wanna wear a motorcycle helmet when I'm driving the CJ around town...

I'm doing a quick survey on the interior of my CJ5 , and I'm not finding anything that's impact friendly. Even with my 6pt roll cage, shoulder/lap belts, and beefy bumper/rock sliders: I don't think I (or my passenger) will fair well in a collision.

CJ safety gear:

Airbags? Maybe barf bags or duffel bags.
ABS? Always Be Safe.
Blind Spot Monitoring? Keep your head on a swivel.
Collision Avoidance Systems? Stay alert, drive like everyone else is trying to kill ya, and keep the cell phone put away.

 

[shum8]

Stay alert, drive like everyone else is trying to kill ya, and keep the cell phone put away.

Bottom line - Drive a CJ like a motorcycle and you'll be be much better off..... I always joke that if everyone drives defensively, I'll take the other side and drive offensively...... But in a CJ I drive like I'm on a motorcycle - as Hack said, every other driver is trying to kill me. That should take out most everything but an on board mechanical failure.



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[Peanut Butter]

Yes Texas does have a seatbelt law for children, but I think this website is a much better reference. Parents Central | Keeping Kids Safe | NHTSA I have a 7 year old grandchild that is ready to use the installed seatbelt. He is excited about riding in the Jeep. His little sister however, is not ready, but a couple more years will change that. My rebuild of my CJ7 was totally wrapped around my dream of taking my grand children down Padre Island National Seashore. My rebuild should be fully ready for that trip while the grand kids are just right to ride in the Jeep. I know it'll be fun and I can't imagine taking any chances before that with their safety. What you and your wife decide is totally up to you. You have been given the responsibility to keep your children safe. What we all are trying to say is make your decision using good common sense, and don't rush your excitement to provide them with the fun your having with your Jeep.

 

[Hedgehog]

Honest to god I have no idea how people of my generation and before every lived long enough to breed these later safer generations.

One of my fondest memories is our family piled in my grandfathers flat fender Willys, 4 of us sitting on the rear fender seats heading out for a picnic and some fishing at Lincoln Pond. How any of us lived I'll never know. Pretty soon there will be a law requiring hammers to have rubber heads so we can't smash our widdle tums while coaxing a nail into some predrilled splinter free wood.

There are lots of horror stories about injuries. They should make you think about being as safe as possible, NOT isolated from being alive.

 

[tarry99]

I have a 82 CJ7 with only the 2 front seats. The interior is lined by the po and there are no brackets or hardware for me to attach a rear seat if I bought one.
My cj only came with soft doors and soft top, both of which I never use as I simply run a bikini top.
I have a 3.5 year old son who loves my jeep and I'd like to take him around more than a slow drive around the block.
What do you guys do or think about putting a child seat in the front? I would absolutely put on the soft doors but doubt my wife would allow me to drive him around.
Let me know your thoughts

My Opinion........it's all about How you use your Jeep.....although trying to predict the outcome of any accident would make a fool of most..........I think 3.5 years old is still young for a Jeep......although I have seen some pretty sophisticated off road child seats that offer 5 point harness's , arm restraints and side protection......I think an approved helmet would also be warranted if it was my Kid , but the seat and hat may only work if you have a full cage around that seat area supported by the chassis and not the body..........

To much protection is never enough when planning for the unknown............

I've spent many weekends of my life going fast........and do enjoy coming home on Sundays......the old adage that you can be just as dead at 5 mph as 200 mph applies here.......when planning for your child's future you can't afford to leave anything on the table..........make it safe.

 

[Neuner]

Honest to god I have no idea how people of my generation and before every lived long enough to breed these later safer generations.

There are lots of horror stories about injuries. They should make you think about being as safe as possible, NOT isolated from being alive.

Whoa there Burt Reynolds. No reason to get your frizzled chest hairs caught in your compound bow. No one said to bundle his kid in bubble wrap.

 

[Peanut Butter]

Whoa there Burt Reynolds. No reason to get your frizzled chest hairs caught in your compound bow. No one said to bundle his kid in bubble wrap.

Now that's funny HH.

I remember my sister learning to drive our family's stationwaggon. I was hanging out the back window when she slammed the brake. Next thing I knew I was up in the front seat. I asked my mom if we could do it again! I get where your conning from HH.

 

[Hedgehog]

Neuner - I understand exactly where you are coming from. Reasonable safety is important. But to me we are heading into a generation where bubble wrap isn't nearly as ridiculous as it once was. But you have to understand where I'm coming from as a driver. I'm not nearly as obstacle obsessed as many jeepers are, especially if small children (or a frail person of any type) are involved. My natural inclination is toward the safer side. It was said before, it all depends on how you use your jeep.

The subject does seem fairly cut and dried though. Texas law obviously leans heavily towards child safety. If the above is correct, in Texas a surprisingly large child can not ride in the front. How do they handle a pickup truck? For one I would bring a child in my CJ. But I'd find the very best seat available for the child to sit in and find a way to bolt it down within arms reach in the back. Safety, within reason first.