y5mgisi
1 ton status
You guys are good people.
CK5
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'90 K5 - The Nevada Blazer [Post 1437: School me on alternators)
- Thread starter colbystephens
- Start date
Thanks. 
That's kind.
That's kind.
andyblack
Registered Loser
Nice Christmas trees. And I still can't believe how cooperative your dog is. Last night I went into my shed to get my air compressor out and I had to set a sandblaster I borrowed out in the yard for a minute to get to the compressor. In no time at all, my pit bull had jumped up and grabbed the plastic funnel that was on top of the sand blaster and eaten the end off of it. I mean she actually swallowed about 1/2 oz. of plastic just like that. Wanna trade dogs with me? 
Lol. 
I HATE puppies. I wish all dogs were born seven years old and just wanted to hold down shadows on the porch.
Martin
Martin
454Sub
5/8 ton status
Haha. I got lucky with mine, she never chews on anything. Except small animals like cats and such.
As regards the suspension seats: I found a place locally that has some PRP seats of several different kinds in their showroom. They don't have the reclinable seat, however. But, in my research, I'm leaning more and more toward a non-reclining option.
So, next week Claire and I will go out there and try a few out. Probably ask them for a quote, too, but I'm suspecting that they won't be able to touch DIY4x's price.
In other non-news, I have a bunch of maintenance to do on my truck. First task is to take care of the alignment. All the bouncing knocked my lock-nuts loose on my tie rod, so it's all out of whack. I think I'm going to go through and re-torque everything for the 3rd time, also.
So, next week Claire and I will go out there and try a few out. Probably ask them for a quote, too, but I'm suspecting that they won't be able to touch DIY4x's price.
In other non-news, I have a bunch of maintenance to do on my truck. First task is to take care of the alignment. All the bouncing knocked my lock-nuts loose on my tie rod, so it's all out of whack. I think I'm going to go through and re-torque everything for the 3rd time, also.
andyblack
Registered Loser
Did you say that you were "leaning more and more towards a non-reclining option"? 
More like not leaning as much as you would be in a reclining seat right? 
I just thought that was funny. It's still really early in the morning. 
More like not leaning as much as you would be in a reclining seat right? I just thought that was funny. It's still really early in the morning. 
K5 Jess
1/2 ton status
I find that suspension seats are so comfortable and the fact that you sit in them NOT on them like a normal seat that the reclining feature is not that big of a deal.
Now with a blazer and at your age I'm going to assume that a couple sex trophies (I mean kids)
are in your future. With that in mind I would be installing the passenger seat as a flip up just like the factory did. That way getting in and out of the back seat is easier. Another thing to look at is the cost to have said company build a bench for the back seat, they all basically do but you might take the cost of that into account for future plans as well. I am looking at building a 4 seat buggy and will be using two PRP buckets for the back as I prefer the way a car seat fits into the seat over a bench. However a bench will allow for even three kids to ride comfortably in the same space without a car seat involved when they are old enough.
I was sort of imagining that this would be the case - it would cradle a sleeping person on a long drive.
Now with a blazer and at your age I'm going to assume that a couple sex trophies (I mean kids)
At first, I thought you were going a different direction with this comment, referring to how a reclinable seat could be used...
But, you're right. I am thinking about planning for kids - it's a big part of why I got a new truck to build. So, I have been thinking about a flip up mount for this, in spite of having a non-flip up reclining seat now. I'm also considering buckets for the back. We will only have two kids - our plan is to make one and adopt another. I'll get snipped right after the first, so we can guarantee not having a 3rd.
So 4 seats total would work well for us. The only thing I think might be problematic is if the kids want to bring a friend on some camping trip or something, and it makes me lean towards getting a bench for the back. Still undecided. Maybe I get 2 buckets for back there right now, and at some point in the next 8 years, when they'll be old enough to want to bring a friend camping, I get a bench to switch out as needed. That's another reason I'm leaning towards PRP - I can get the custom fabrics years down the road to make sure it all matches.
Colby, something to think about.... if you are planning on having kids, car seats and their anchoring systems. I'd hate to see you put all kinds of money into custom seats just to find out you can not anchor a kids car seat into them. Obviously when they get older it's a non issue, just boosters and belts. But the first few years you have the reverse mounted seat and then the forward facing seat. Today they are held into cars/trucks with what is called a LATCH system. Our old trucks are not equipped with it.
FWIW the Silverado seats I put in mine seat 3 across the front as well as the pass side having the LATCH system built in to anchor a baby seat. It would be easier for those few years to lift a child into the pass front seat then try and haul them up into the rear seat of a lifted K5 every time you need to go somewhere with child. And wife could easily sit in the middle front or climb into the back seat a lot easier than trying to lift a baby seat and child back there.
My daughter is 7 now and can climb in to the back and buckle herself in, which is awesome (after years of having to do it for them you enjoy when they are old enough to do these things themselves). But, I used to have to climb into the back of my 2 door lifted S10 Blazer and the wife would have to hand her to me and then buckle her in and then climb back out. Sounds insignificant, till you have to do that countless times, every time you stop and want to get out for years.
My advice to you, newer Silverado seats for at least the first few years or so of having a kid(s). Do your custom seats later on after the kids are old enough to climb in and buckle themselves in. The newer seats are a lot more forgiving than the original buckets, a lot more supportive at the same time, and readily available fairly inexpensive at the junkyards (in comparison to new custom seats). This is just advice, it's your truck and you do what you want.
FWIW the Silverado seats I put in mine seat 3 across the front as well as the pass side having the LATCH system built in to anchor a baby seat. It would be easier for those few years to lift a child into the pass front seat then try and haul them up into the rear seat of a lifted K5 every time you need to go somewhere with child. And wife could easily sit in the middle front or climb into the back seat a lot easier than trying to lift a baby seat and child back there.
My daughter is 7 now and can climb in to the back and buckle herself in, which is awesome (after years of having to do it for them you enjoy when they are old enough to do these things themselves). But, I used to have to climb into the back of my 2 door lifted S10 Blazer and the wife would have to hand her to me and then buckle her in and then climb back out. Sounds insignificant, till you have to do that countless times, every time you stop and want to get out for years.
My advice to you, newer Silverado seats for at least the first few years or so of having a kid(s). Do your custom seats later on after the kids are old enough to climb in and buckle themselves in. The newer seats are a lot more forgiving than the original buckets, a lot more supportive at the same time, and readily available fairly inexpensive at the junkyards (in comparison to new custom seats). This is just advice, it's your truck and you do what you want.
I think for the street you can easily add the current tie down restraints, hell I would bet you could attach the restraints to a 5 point harness and tighten them up that way.
What I do is just put the Whole car seat in the big seat and use the harness over the car seat. I did wait until my oldest was close to facing forward for any real offroad stuff. I had the buggy nearly on it's side one time with him in the passenger seat and he was cool as a cucumber and the car seat was firm in the big seat.
I have also taken a car seat base for the younger kids and bolted it to the floor. Then install the car seat as normal. Worked very well also.
Ya the base and seat setups kick ass.
I have to wonder about the "legality" of most of what we do with kids off-road anyway. My theory is that my kids will be looked after in the best way that I see fit. Obviously with my background and other hobbies with vehicles I know a thing or two about piling a vehicle in and what kind of forces are there, so I tend to be Conservative in my approach to them being in the vehicle both in seating methods but more so in driving.
I'll lay the buggy over on it's side at .05 MPH with them in it provided the consequences are just that laying it over. I will not drive 70mph getting all desert racer with them, at least not yet as their too young.
454Sub
5/8 ton status
Yes, its so much easier now that mine are old enough to buckle themselves. Mine are 6 and 4, and basically short of the microwave and oven they are self sufficient. Granted they have to be observed from time to time, or chaos can ensue. But for the most part its much much much better. Now when I did mine I bolted down some latches, basically 1/4in thick rod bent in a hoop with eyelets at each end. Then hooked ratchetstrapped the base down to them, and the car seat clipped into that base thing. Which btw is the greatest thing since probably the TV remote. But now I dont need all that stuff, cept a boosters, and my daughter is about not needing that, as at 6 she is the tallest kid in her school almost, which goes 3 grades higher than her first grade class. She looks like Shaquille Oneal out there.
But thats a good idea on waiting on the suspension rear seats until you figure out about the kids and how thats all going to fall into place.
But thats a good idea on waiting on the suspension rear seats until you figure out about the kids and how thats all going to fall into place.
Yeah, you definitely wheel differently with your kid(s) on board. But I was bringing to light his rig may be a bit more daily useage than most others. I know his wife has a car but there comes a time when the wife needs her car and you have the kid and the truck. I don't like to build anything that can't be used on a day to day basis and having to lift a baby seat into the back of my K5 by myself would kill it for me.
Do you guys ever put your kids in through the back of the truck instead of through the passenger door? Seems like it would be easier to do as one adult that way, since you could put the kid up on the tailgate and then hop up there yourself and lift them over the seat.
y5mgisi
1 ton status
I would suppose the do-ability of that would hinge on how much stuff you had in the bed.
Gave my truck some love today. I knew my alignment was off: you could see the tires were at different angles, and the lock nuts on the tie rod ends were no longer in contact with the tie rod. 
The distance between the centers of my front tires, front side of them, was 69", the back of those tires were at 66.75"... 
Talk about having a toe-out problem! Fixed it, and the truck drives nice and true again.
I also suited up in my rain gear and went down to the self serve car wash. i gave it a 15 min hot pressure/soap wash and got the underside of the body and undercarriage all cleaned up. I refuse to let muck sit stuck in the crevices, so as to avoid letting it hold any moisture against the body.
Thanks for all the tips on seats. I'll check back in about that after I go sit in some next week.
The distance between the centers of my front tires, front side of them, was 69", the back of those tires were at 66.75"... Talk about having a toe-out problem! Fixed it, and the truck drives nice and true again.I also suited up in my rain gear and went down to the self serve car wash. i gave it a 15 min hot pressure/soap wash and got the underside of the body and undercarriage all cleaned up. I refuse to let muck sit stuck in the crevices, so as to avoid letting it hold any moisture against the body.
Thanks for all the tips on seats. I'll check back in about that after I go sit in some next week.
