I've got a 2000 Dodge Caravan and I'd like to replace the seat reclining mechanism. I've done a bit of research and found this link:

http://www.justanswer.com/dodge/0w6r...er-s-seat.html

It looks like the key is removing the bottom seat cushion. My research seems to indicate the easiest way to do this is to remove four 10mm bolts that are under the seat (threaded up into the seat cushion pan?

Am I doing this right? Is there an easier way to do it?

Thanks in advance.

 

Yes, you have to remove the seat cushion,

but I am pretty sure you will have to remove the whole seat from the car, and disassemble it.

 

I did the install yesterday.

No need to remove the entire seat. There are four bolts holding the seat cushion to the frame. If you remove these four bolts, you can pull the seat cushion up in the front by 12-18", and prop it up with a stick.

That will provide plenty of room to replace the mechanism. There is a nut at the back, and a pin w/ e-clip that holds the mechanism in at the front. You really have to bang on the pin quite a bit to get it out, and later to get it back in. I used a hammer to get it out, and later use the hammer with a block of wood to bang it in.

The entire job took about 30-45 minutes. It would go faster both those four bolts holding the seat cushion in go back in blind, and there is a bracket in the front that are held by the two screws up front. Putting that all back together blind took maybe 5-10 minutes.