How-To: Tilting Headrests

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Sep 22, 2023
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Richmond, VA
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Step 1

Obtain factory tilting headrests, such as Town Car long wheelbase rear, pre-99 Continental, etc. (preferably any model with leather which tends to keep the inner foam cleaner).
My local junkyard charges $6.99 per headrest, so this is a budget friendly mod.

Step 2

Remove your headrests. They are held in with metal spring clips. It's easiest to simply remove the upholstery, but you can also disengage the clips using a screwdriver - your choice. For illustration, this is the clip, but removal of the bases is not necessary:
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Step 3

Swap the guts of the headrests. The tilt inner body (plastic) is slightly taller than the non-tilt (metal), so you must also swap the foam, so that foam and inner body fit together. Junkyard cars can be dirty. Check the foam before you buy; even if clean, it doesn't hurt to spray the foam with disinfectant, etc.
Everything is super tight. Take your time. Opening the headrests is particularly tedious.
Note the two screws: they are used to make the tilt harder or easier.
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Step 4

Put your headrests back in and enjoy!
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Tip for those with tilting headrests:
If you want your headrest to stay in the forward position even when you lean against it (or more importantly, in a rear end collision), simply push an appropriately sized rubber bushing into one of the slots above the horizontal part of the metal rod. Then push the headrest back slightly, which will prevent the bushing from falling out.

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