Suburban Tahoe Seat Questions

djmudflap

I bought a 2006 Z71 with leather seats in the middle row. I have a kid on the way and was test fitting the car seat. it didn't fit well in the buckets and would like it in the middle better. can anyone tell me how I could or if its even possible to swap out the buckets for the split bench. the parts guy at the deal said I would have to buy the seat part by part and didn't want to total it up for me. I did't get the feeling that he really cared anyway. can anyone help?

rockman59

the parts guy at the dealer said I would have to buy the seat part by part and didn't want to total it up for me. I did't get the feeling that he really cared anyway. can anyone help?
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He probably didn't want to total it up because of the price. These seats are incredibly expensive to order from GM. For example, I was quoted a price for a factory order for a Suburban leather 3rd seat....of nearly $2,000 and was told "that is if we can even get it". Seems there is no stock on this kind of stuff so GM has to actually pull the seat off the line then do shipping and handling, etc. They really don't want to do it...therefore the high price and limited availability. Your best bet would be to try to find a middle seat on Ebay....I know there are plenty of 3rd seats for sale. Middle seats probably much harder to find though.

djmudflap

well I just found a seat on ebay nad I believe it is even the correct color leather. Now I need to figure out if the bench bolts in the same spot the captains chairs do. if anyone knows please let me know. my luck the body studs or the seat belt are different.

pwjj

After 16 years of Suburbans and Tahoes, Chevy has ruined them for me with their fold and tumble rear seat system as they no longer lie flat as in previous models. Either tumbled forward taking up bed length or sitting up high with gaps. No more sliding in 4x8 plywood, and no flat floor for my dogs etc. May be forced to go to Ford Expedition XL which also has fold and tumble but were smart enough to also have an additional lever that lets them slide down and forward to give a basically flat floor. Chevy couldn't do this? Does anyone know of a modification/aftermarket solution to the Chevy seats that will accomplish this? A flip over cover can be easily made if the seats can be made to lower down and forward like the Fords.

rockman59

Seems GM has turned the Suburban into a soccer Mom vehicle as opposed to a workhorse 4x4 vehicle of years past. What a dumb move in not having a flat floor. A contractor or builder would never buy this rig now. And they could have had their cake and eaten it too if they would have just made the floor flat ala Ford.

pwjj

Yeah, I understand them going after the larger market segment but even the Ford dealers I spoke to while looking at the Expedition couldn't believe that Chevy's didn't fold flat and just gave away that portion of the market - one that they had for years with a loyal following. One Ford dealer even told me I must be mistaken Chevy couldn't be so short sighted. But you can bet all the Ford guys are making it a selling point in their sales presentation even for the occasional user. But there must still be a lot of people like me who require the flat floor so hopefully someome has heard of an aftermarket or modification that can accomplish it? It would be worth a fair amount of money (at least to me)to be able to get it done.

greggboston

Hello,

I have a 2007 Suburban and have no problem getting a 4x8 sheet of plywood in the back. You need to have the 2nd and 3rd rows folded flat and it goes in nicely and the plywood sits flat (a couple of feet before the tailgate are up in the air). Yea the Expy has the "fold flat" seats with a power fold option but you can remove the 3rd row completely in the Burb, tumble the 2nd row forward and have a pretty decent cargo capacity. You can also get a cargo mat that covers from the tailgate to the 2nd row (with 3rd row removed), protecting that GM carpet from Fido...

Regards,
-- Gregg
Boston, Mass

ceemme

Gregg,

I have a 60/40 3 person bench seat on the second row and a 50/50 2 person bench seat in the rear. I can remove the third row seat but can only tumble the second row forward. (The second row is not removable). So, how do you "fold them flat" when, at least according to GM, they don't

Carl

greggboston

Hi Carl,

Fold the 3rd row flat (do not tumble forward) and also fold the 2nd row flat (do not tumble forward). The folded flat 2nd and 3rd rows are at the same level (at least they are on the Suburban) and a 4x8 sheet of plywood fits nicely. If you tumble the 2nd row forward you cannot fit an 8 foot item behind the seats and close the rear hatch.

Regards,
-- Gregg
Boston, MA

jerrywimer

What greggboston is saying is that the seatbacks form a flat (level) surface on which you can slide a sheet of 4x8 material. The surface isn't level with the floor, but this doesn't keep plywood from sitting just fine. Some materials might not be so accommodating (drywall sheets might crumble if not supported along the entire length, for instance). But for most things this works fine.

pwjj

This is true, but not nearly as good as the old fold down flat seats. And it doesn't resolve the problem as per my original post in starting this thread, in that for my dogs (who go everywhere with me) the floor is not level when the seats are tumbled forward making footing more difficult, not to mention my cargo liners won't work. And you would have to strap up the tumbled seat so they won't fall back down on the pups. Yes there are a lot of half compromises that can be done, but it would all be a moot point if they had the brains that Ford had when designing it. I went back to the dealer again to see what I could figure out and I may go so far as to install a previous generation 2nd seat. Will require some welding but if I want the Suburban..... I have been told by Chevy that the warrantee on any of the rear seat assembly would be void but the rest of the truck would be covered. Not sure I trust them though. May have to go Ford or find a real low mileage 06.

jerrywimer

Different strokes for different folks (and needs). Good luck with whatever you eventually decide to do though.

solo

I don't think you (we) are asking too much! Whether its animals or BOXES, design a user friendly vehicle. Our American engineers are not capable. Sometimes I think they (big three) purposely come out with poor designs in order to hasten their course to bankruptcy to get government (tax payer) bailouts. I don't think your welding is far fetched. If I buy an 08 Tahoe I would torch a hole in the bed and weld in a storage compartment!

larsdog1

I have a 2003 Z71 and recently have had a problem with the power seat controls on the driver's side working in reverse and stopping before they are in the full exit position. Anyone have any ideas on what could be causing this. Thanks

bpdcpa1

I have a 2002 Suburban with gray leather bucket seats. I'd like to replace them with a split bench, so as to increase the seating capacity in the vehicle by 1. Does anyone have any suggestions where to find? I have tried junk yards, ebay, etc. Thank you.

ddevette

same problem here with my 2004 suburban z71. also the memory positions only work intermittantly.

i just started researching. did you find the problem?

1evilduck

Anyone know if it is possible and/or common to add a thrid row seat to a tahoe that didn't come with the thrid row?

rockman59

It should be no problem to add the seat if the anchor units are on the floor. I am sure GM builds every Tahoe assuming there will be a 3rd seat added. You can find seats on Ebay or Craigs List or you can bite the bullet and order a new one from GM.

fcamacho

I have a 2000 Tahoe (new body) with leather seats. Recently the passenger seatbelt locked up in the re-tracted position (wound up). I figured it just needed more slack to take in, then I could pull it out so I removed the belt from the base to feed it into the seat, but it still won't let out the belt it's wound up more now, and won't reach the base bolt anymore.

I want to take the seat cover off, but I'm afraid that I might trigger the airbag. Does anyone know how to disarm the airbag?

Additionally, I think since the problem started, occasionally my airbag light will come on, and my engine will hessitate a bit. The light turns off, then the engine runs okay again.

dreamprops

As luck would have it, I have gray (pewter) leather split bench in my 2002 Suburban. I am looking to replace them with bucket seats. How about we swap them? Let me know if you are interested, dreamprops2001@yahoo.com.

gdgr

I've got an '04 Suburban w/ tan leather 2nd-row buckets, and I'd like to swap for a 60/40 bench. Any year '03-'06 should match, Suburban or Yukon XL.

Anyone selling a 2nd-row bench, or who would like to swap?

I'm in CA, SF Bay Area.

johnny4016

My drivers side just started acting up and will not go up to the same hieght that it use to. The passenger seat is normal and now sits higher than the drivers seat. I do not like not being able to raise the seat up to the normal hieght. Any suggestions?

looie_e

Dear Sir: I too have a 2004 Suburban W/tan leather 60/40 split bench, If you are still interested in swapping please e-mail me at Looie_e@yahoo.com. I am in CA, Riverside area.

gdgr

Great! Too bad you're a few hundred miles away. Still, maybe it'll work out. I sent you e-mail.

gmato

I have a 2007 Suburban with Black interior. I am looking for a Bench Seat to add more seating capacity also by one.

johnny4016

No I have not. I've searched under neath the seat and checked all the conections, brackets, etc and can not see any problems.
It use to go up about another inch or two higher. Well I guess I'll just have to live with it unless someone post a message on how to repair the problem. I'm not going to take it to a auto shop and pay hundreds to fix what isn't that bad.

kiawah

I have not ever had to crawl into a problem with my power seats, never looked at the electrical schematics, so I'm only speculating at how I'd try to attack this problem. Use it for whatever little it might be worth....

I'm guessing there could be either a mechanical problem, or an electrical problem. On the mechanical side, I'm guessing that there are worm gears with position sensing switches, similar to many garage door openers. Worm gear turns until it gets to the max position and a switch senses it is at max (or min), and turns off the motor from going further. Perhaps this switch is loose or bent somehow, perhaps the worm gear is loose or bent, perhaps the seat scissor mechanism has something jammed in it that won't allow it to go to full extension (like a bolt that worked loose). You may have to unbolt the seat from the floor and turn it over, to get a better view of everything.

Electrically speaking, I don't know if the Z71 has the auto-position memory functions. I'd try resetting both of those memory positions, wiggle all of the switches back and forth as perhaps one of the switches has gone bad.

Sorry can't be of much help, I'm really only speculating as to what I'd look at.

shgreenway

I have a 2003 Yukon with a 60/40 tan leather seat in perfect condition that I would love to swap for second row bucket seats. Please email me at susan.greenway@spartanburg2.k12.sc.us

jbgreen

Does anyone rate car seating for comfort, power positions, details of upholstery etc. My arthritic wife is a stickler to have ability to reposition seats that are firm yet comfortable I think the French car maker, Citroen is known for attention to such details (no longer distributed in USA). We've bought up to BMW much because of seats, though the cost of ownership is high. Heard Lexus is good too. What about less costly vehicles? Anyone know out there?

kdownie

Same problem with my 2003 Tahoe. Battery died. Had to boost it to get to garage for a new one. When I shut down at the garage, seat sucked in to steering wheel (easy exit in reverse) now the driver's seat forward/back switch is reversed. Any ideas? Thanks in advance.

kcargile

Hi all I want to replace my bucket seats with a split bench, for a new baby. I have the tan leather. Please email me at hkkcargile@gmail.com if you are interested in swapping.
Thanks

kcargile

Hi I tried to email you but it didn't work please email me if you still have this seat.

bigolebob

i have an 04 suburban with 2nd row buckets and need to swap in a 2nd row bench or add a middle seat to the setup. ive got the tan leather and would prefer to color match, but i guess that the most important setup would be just to have the extra seating. Anyone know how to remedy this?

can also email me at robert.lombardi@us.army.mil

bcarder

i am looking for 2nd row bucket seats. i have grey 60/40 bench 2nd row...looking to switch.

brandon.carder@risd.org
214-282-5056
Dallas, Texas

4kidsmom

">I am looking for a bench seat for my 2000 Chevy Suburban. I have bucket seats and need the bench with 4 kids. If anyone knows where I can get a wheat colored bench please let me know.

Fort Worth, Texas

rockman59

If anyone knows where I can get a wheat colored bench please let me know.
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Check out Ebay and your regional Craigslist...you'll find a seat.

sagelake

I have a 2004 Tahoe with Charcoal leather interior, 3rd row seat is available.
I live in Los Angeles. Condition is like new.

lmcintyre1

I have 2 captains chairs - gray shale leather in perfect condition. Is your bench leather? Mine is a 2001 so there may be compatability issues if you still have it. Thanks, please email me lmcintyre@hastings.edu

Lloyd

lmcintyre1

I have two shale gray leather captains and would like to swap for a same colored bench. The captains are in excellent condition, I'd give them a firm 9 on a 1 - 10. Please email me if interested. Also does anyone know of the any compatability issues in doing a switch like this? Any help would be greatly appreciated - my wife and I are expecting another baby in May and need another seat..

Nebraska

lmcintyre@hastings.edu

4kidsmom

I have 2 bucket seats in good condition and am looking for a bench seat. I have been told that you can get them recovered for fairly cheap. I need a bench seat that will fit a 2000 suburban. We are leaving Jan. 2nd and really need the bench before the trip. I am willing to swap and recover if you are. We are close to Fort Worth, but can meet half way if you still are interested, also if they are compatible.

cmonicat

I have a 2000 suburban with a 2nd row grey cloth bench seat. I want to switch for captain's seats. Is that possible? My son has a hard time climbing over the bench seat to get to his seat on the 3rd row.

rickyg1

I have two Tahoe 3rd row seats that we wish to sell. They are in the folded over "carry" position and we cannot figure out how to open them to photograph. There are three levers and a bar but none of them seem to pop the seat open. I don't want to force anything. We are selling these for a client who no longer has the Tahoe and does not remember how to open them. Any help would be appreciated. Thanx!

Ricky G

4kidsmom

I am have oak leather captain seats that can be recovered. Yes the bench can be replaced with the captain seats as long as its the same year. I am in Fort Worth Texas and I am needing a bench seat by 1/1/08.

cmonicat

I'd rather wait to get matching captain seats. But good luck!

buckshotb

I am looking for 2nd row bucket seats in titanium color leather for my 07 suburban, which came w/ the bench seat. Anyone have any to sell?

gigtahoe

my 2004 Tahoe heated seat no longer stays on for more than a minute, does anyone have any troubleshoot ideas before I take it to the dealership?

vermbird2

i need a 2nd row bench seat in grey (leather or cloth) for my 2001 tahoe. it must be 2003 or later with the center passenger shoulder harness integral with the seat. this is for my childs bolster seat. does anyone know what year tahoe 2nd row seat will bolt right in my 2001? thanks. warren, 858 759-7059.

kiawah

Warren,
Be sure to check the wrecker yards

mbbanners

Hi, I have a 2001 suburban with a second row 40/60 bench. Grey cloth in good condition. Two shoulder lap belts and center is only a lap belt and has a pull down tray hidden in the back rest. I know you were looking for a special center shoulder harness but I thought I would find out what you have in your second row.

I am looking for captains seats for a 2001 suburban in Grey cloth in good condition. What do you currently have in your second row?

mari

vermbird2

I have a 60/40 split bench, graphite leather, in my 2001 Tahoe at present. I am looking to replace it with the same bench but from a 2003 or newer Tahoe, Suburban, or GMC so that the middle position will have a lap/shoulder restraint instead of just a lap belt. Sorry I can't help you.

Warren

tdebry

I have a new Tahoe with 2nd row bucket seats. It is the sport version with the two tone black and silver bucket seats. I need a bench for the additional seating. If you have one please respond and let me know if you are interested in somehow swapping? Located in Salt Lake City, UT.