Katzkin leather installed in my 2023 Sport S

[Hydrashock45]

The seats look good and the color is great.

Mopar leather is made by Katzkin. I have installed the OEM Mopar leather in my 22. I did the install myself, so it cost me under $700 for the premium kit.

Curious, where did you order? Katzkin rep is refusing to sell, saying they won’t let me do self install as there are airbags in the seat sides. Is this really the case in the 2022?

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[Jhuff77]

I’ve seen the katzkin kits like this on eBay. But I don’t know if the warranty would be intact if you went this route.

 

[billfraley]

Curious, where did you order? Katzkin rep is refusing to sell, saying they won’t let me do self install as there are airbags in the seat sides. Is this really the case in the 2022?

I ordered from a seller on eBay. Katzkin doesn’t sell direct. But these were listed as Mopar leather.

 

[Jhuff77]

Did the eBay seller warranty the leather or did the warranty still apply from katzkin even though it is a self install? Just curious..

 

[troverman]

I've done Katzkin leather on a Ford Super Duty and a RAM 3500 truck. In both cases they were crew cab trucks, I ordered basic black OEM-style leather, bought the kits off eBay, and paid between $500-600.

What others say is true:
-The Katzkin leather and padding is a little better than factory, and you can feel the difference
-Your hands will be sore if you do it all in one day. Not sure if these Jeeps use plastic rails or hog rings to bind the leather to the cushions. I've done both; prefer the rail system even if it is a little harder on the fingers.
-All JL and JT Jeeps have airbags in the front seats. Its not a big deal; both the trucks I did had them too. There will be a pocket that the airbag module rides in, along with a copper stud and nut. Make sure the airbag goes into the Katzkin leather pocket exactly the same way it came out of the factory cloth pocket. You have to physically remove the seats from the vehicle for the install, so the harnesses will already be disconnected before you remove the airbag.

Note that the "Mopar" leather is not the same as factory leather like in an Overland, Rubi, etc that come with leather from the factory. My Overland has "McKinnley" leather seats, which is the name of a leather furniture company. The leather feels average quality. It definitely has a fair amount of vinyl content in it. However, the Katzkin has vinyl in it as well.

 

[JeepCode4]

great color choice, I love it. May do a gray or red katzkin at somepoint.

 

[billfraley]

There are two leather options from Mopar for the Gladiator. One is standard and the other is Tuscany leather:

Tuscany part number:
LRJT0202TU

Deluxe part number:
LRJT0202DU

I installed Jeep Performance Parts special edition but these are the same as the Tuscany kit. The Tuscany is a premium leather and it has more leather(less vinyl) than the other kit.

 

[Jhuff77]

I have the deluxe leather from katzkin- and honestly I can’t see where the leather ends and the vinyl( if any) starts. There isn’t a texture difference between the seat front cushion and the seat sides where you would think the vinyl would be.
The oem leather that comes installed( for instance- the Mojave grey leather) looks to have the same texture as the katzkin leather I have in my truck. Most oem leather seems to be smoother and more vinyl or “leatherette”..

 

[Lunentucker]

I get asked about them a lot. I make the referrals.

 

[Towzone100]

Wow! Looks great. Nice job.

 

[RubiAR]

This is the plan for my Rubi when the stupid recalls get completed and I can bring it home. Dealer quoted me for a partner shop to do it at about the same price. I wanted to order it with the perforated leather, but this is definitely a better option. Looks great!

 

[MudderNuker]

The seats look good and the color is great.

Mopar leather is made by Katzkin. I have installed the OEM Mopar leather in my 22. I did the install myself, so it cost me under $700 for the premium kit.

I did an install on a Grand Cherokee WK2 I used to own and I swore I would never do that again. It took me 15 hours by myself. Busted knuckles and bleeding hands. It looked great but the installation was a real pain. It didn't help that it was cold and the material was kinda stiff. I paid $400 for the set on ebay from someone who bought it and never installed it.

 

[MudderNuker]

I’ve read where people did it themselves and said that their hands have never hurt more and also said they would have paid to have them installed. For $600 Id rather have a pro do it and be able to get any warranty work done by them.

They weren't lying. I don't usually shy away from wrenching my own vehicles but half way through the Katzkin install on a WK2, my hands were in pain and my fingers were pretty much destroyed. I even left some bloody spots on my new leather. I also added heated seats so that added more work to the already difficult job. One of the reasons I haven't done it to my JTW.

 

[MudderNuker]

I’ve seen the katzkin kits like this on eBay. But I don’t know if the warranty would be intact if you went this route.

To me warranty wasn't an issue as the Katzkin quality is great. I sold the WK2 five years later and the seats still looked great. Almost no wear.

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