Katzkin Leather Kit

[Kansas1230]

Some before and after pics of my recent Katzkin Leather Kit and front/rear heated seat install. I will be adding more photos and elaborating on the process as time permits...


Before- Khaki Cloth. Upgrading to leather at some point was one of my conditions to buying this vehicle. Glad I finally had the chance!



If you ever wondered what the insides looked like... Simple foam, recessed Velcro strips, and lots of little hog rings.




2nd/3rd headrest removal- the silver clips work just like the front seats, you just have to pinch them through the cloth/leather.



I mounted my front seat heated-seat buttons in the unused bay of the overhead console. I had to splice/lengthen the wires to run up the A-pillars, but am pleased with the results.



Ugh. This was one of the most difficult parts of the process, several times. Spring loaded cables have to be taken off to remove the OEM cloth. Took me awhile to figure out that all three springs were relaxed if the seat was propped at a certain angle. Also, discovered why OEM heated seats are only in the front; all the flipping, folding, flexing action makes for tough wire running. Wound up cutting/splicing in some coil wire from a cig. lighter extension thing to allow the seat to fold properly, while not tugging on the wires and/or looking like Red Green did it.



Placement of the rear heated-seat switches. Not quite as fluid as the front switches, but they still integrated pretty well, IMO.



Heard alot about hog rings before the install, but never really knew what they were until I tore inside. Pretty simple. This is getting ready to crimp one around a plastic Katskin rib and a molded-in cord of the OEM seat.



Finished product. Went with a Two-tone "Canvas" and "Slate Grey" combo, with "Pewter" embroidery. None of these colors were recommended by Katzkins (Canvas is new this year for a Subaru match), but in the end everything matches perfectly; Canvas to the headliner, Slate to the carpeting, and Pewter to the seatbelts.

[Kansas1230]

Placement of the wiring harness; relay tucks under the seat frame, two wires run up the side to the heating elements, and power leads and switch connection tuck under the carpet and run out to the door sill.



Test run of the switch-wire length. Just enough to make it... (there are about seven inches of wire harness connected to the switch already installed.)



Closeup of the harness that clips into the B-pillar. Was expecting an open passage for the new wires and was really frustrated to find none.



After some brainstorming and finagling I finally figured out how to pass the wires through: removing a section of the shrink tubing allowed the wires to fit through the small space on the OEM harness.



Reassembled with the extra wires run through.



Looking through the hole where the window switch goes (door panel on) I expected a quick and simple pass through the door alongside the window-switch wires for a direct route to the warmer-relay wires. Yeah right. The switch wires run down to the bottom, across, then back up to the B-pillar hinge as to not interfere with a recessed window pane. It was only after disassembling the entire door and peeling the sound-foam off that I discovered a hole in the sheet metal JUST big enough to pass my connector through. You can see the faint outline of the hole above the speaker hole. This layout allowed for my wires to just barely clip together, yet tuck safe behind the window regulator motor/wires and complete my direct route wiring sceme. Clearly it was meant to be.



Final switch assembly.

[kitkat]

The seats look great!
I have thought abought changing to leather but since I already have 1 cig burn in the drivers seat, I better not

[strokeZ]

how did you source the katzkin? Through them directly? Was the heated seat for the RR an option (I have for the front).

[Kansas1230]

how did you source the katzkin? Through them directly? Was the heated seat for the RR an option (I have for the front).

Katzkins will only sell through a retailer, but luckily they have a partnership with Chrysler/Jeep so you can not only purchase the kit through a dealership parts dept., but can customize and add options that would usually cost hundresds for free! I got mine from here:

http://www.moparsupercenter.com/katz...eather1pu.html

The heated seat kits were an eBay purchase; universal carbon-element kit, with TONS of modifications and splicing to get them to work on the rear seats. Definitely doable, just takes some time.

[strokeZ]

very cool and very reasonable...thanks!!!