Richard and Jeff both have made some great points on this Angela. I'd have to say also, this is one of those frustrating problems where it would be easier to just jump in the car/truck and come over to where your car is and do it for you!
Your carpet sounds fine, distance-wise to the bracket loop. That's where ours is too and I don't remember having to trim that tailing edge of the carpet when it was replaced years ago. The idea of getting leverage and "push" down lower on the front of the seat sounds good to me, because you basically want to flex the darn thing, or "bow" it a bit to get that wire to hook up. When you've done it, you'll sure know it because it won't lift anymore in front and it's anchored tight in the back at the same time. It will be fairly tight against the floor board in front too when successful. You'll be able to slip a narrow finger in there under the seat bottom, but not by very much if you can do it at all...and Richard is right, man-o-man, would I hate to have to do this a lot because removal of a stuck one "IS" WORSE!
I'd answer also that without taking ours out again to look at it, the wire is most likely bent on the drivers side cushion bottom. I think also that getting a picture down low on the seat, almost carpet level, wouldn't give you the detail really that you'd need to have. Just don't think you'd see very much because all the necessary detail is hidden underneath. Hard to get good light for the photo down there too, it would seem like anyway. Jeff's pictures capture that distance between the bottom of the seat back and top of the bottom cushion very well I think, but again, if you get that thing to catch and latch in front, under the bottom, and your sanity and satisfaction will return (honest!). Not sure if this helps you much but I sure do feel your pain!
-Lance
