Project 2008 Yamaha Rhino 700 Suspension Seating

Anyone who's purchased a new side-by-side knows how little comfort the OE seats provide. Designed as a cost-effective solution, factory seats simply fall short when it comes to comfort, support, and aesthetics. In the case of our Project Rhino, Yamaha includes a pair of rubber seats that get very hot when left in direct sunlight for any period of time. Additionally, while these seats do repel water quite effectively, they offer less than desirable cushion for your backside. This is where MasterCraft of Santee, California, comes to the rescue. MasterCraft's side-by-side-specific suspension seats offer significant improvements in both comfort and safety over the factory units. MasterCraft seats are comprised of a 0.065-inch tubular steel frame with an open-weave nylon-coated phifertex mesh designed to hold up to anything the great outdoors can dish out. That, in conjunction with the three layers of polyurethane foam, offer superior support for your body, as well as the double Pirelli straps for additional lower back support for those hard landings. What's more impressive, however, is the fact that these replacement front seats mount directly to the factory Rhino seat pans, making the installation process super-easy. We performed the job ourselves in a matter of minutes using little more than a battery-powered impact gun, two metric sockets, and a crescent wrench. Follow along as we highlight the installation process and showcase the craftsmanship found under each MasterCraft seat.

Here you can see the front...        read full caption Here you can see the front passenger-side suspension seat of the set MasterCraft built especially for our Project Rhino. As you can see, it includes an integrated headrest and openings for racing-harness-style seatbelts.	Here is the front driver seat...        read full caption Here is the front driver seat mounted in the rig. Note the four-point harness seatbelts MasterCraft hooked us up with. These belts are much more comfortable than the factory arrangement, plus they add a significant margin of safety to driver and passenger.	This is the factory seat mounting...        read full caption This is the factory seat mounting pan that comes in every Rhino. To install the new MasterCraft seats, we simply removed four bolts securing the pan to the factory seats. Next, we removed the grab handle and support bar from the pan. Then we bolted the pan to the bottom of the new MasterCraft seats.
This detail shot shows the...        read full caption This detail shot shows the black vinyl surfaces on the sides and front portion of the seat. We also opted for black piping around the transition seams to keep things simple. While these individual sections can be colored specifically to match a custom paint scheme, we went with the subtle no-bling look.	Here you can see how the MasterCraft...        read full caption Here you can see how the MasterCraft shoulder harnesses mount to the rollcage of our Rhino. Keep in mind that the factory cage does not have this crossbar and would likely present some mounting issues. We recommend replacing the factory cage with a stronger unit like the one we showcased in part 1 of the buildup (Aug. '08).	Here you can see a bonus of...        read full caption Here you can see a bonus of our quick-removable rear bench seat setup. Once removed, it can double as a chair for campouts. Another idea we had was to set up another rear area of a Jeep to accept the mounting system of the Rhino bench seat. That way we can use it in either vehicle when desired.
Fully adjustable, these four-point...        read full caption Fully adjustable, these four-point MasterCraft seatbelts offer increased comfort due to thick shoulder padding and easy body fitment thanks to quick adjusters. The latching system is the same type that is used in professional Baja racers. The design allows for quick detachment in the event of an emergency yet keeps occupants securely locked in place over harsh terrain.	Here you can see the rear...        read full caption Here you can see the rear bench seat mounted in the bed of our Rhino. MasterCraft recommends a custom mounting system that ties the frame of the seat into the chassis of the Rhino. Our arrangement, fabricated by the crew at Overkill Jeep Fabrication in Campbell, California, ti es into the Rhino chassis through the floor of the bed. It also allows us to quickly remove the seat from the bed should we need to haul bulky items or firewood. We only installed the lap belts because we don't intend to travel at high speed with kids in the back. The back seat is not intended for fullsize adults, nor will an adult fit comfortably.