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Blazer Buckets are quite different from a Suburban's Bench

The Griff

The Griff

High drag, low speed
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Ok, my Blazer has vinyl buckets, they are like brand new, but vinyl seats get hot, very hot, and also get sticky when it rains, (?) so I decided I would look for some cloth seats, I friend of mine has an 86 454 C20 Suburban, We pulled the front seat out of back in July to mount on a tool box, and sit on at the truck pulls and mud drags. We did that and learned that it is very, very comfy.
Call me weird by I've always preferred a bench to buckets, so I asked If I could get that seat, and I got it.

Today I pulled the seats out, broke one bolt, and discovered a bit of floor rot, (not much, Its only about an inch around that one bolt, so don't get too worried) and when I had the seats and seat frames out, I set the bench in, and learned that the hold are all about 3-4 inches off, and it sits very low, like mexican syle, so then I decided to put the frames back in on the wrong sides, and then it turns the holes on the seat are still about 3 inches away from the ones on the frames too.
So now I go back to the garage and make some brackets to make the front bolts line up, enough so that its alteast "mounted", I hop in, and instantly learn that something anit right, the steering wheel is all the way up, and and its in my crotch, and there is about 4 inches between my head and the roof.

I didn't think that the seat from a Suburban would be that different from a Blazer's. Did the Suburbans have special seat bracket? Or do I need the one from a pickup? I know the floor in a pickup would be different from the saddle tanks.
 
Burbs had floors like a pickup. Blazers have flat floors. Totally different
 
Shiznit


I will make this work, but It might take some more engineering work, but It will work.
 
I have never done it but I think you can bolt on blazer sliders. With a bench it might take some welding to join them. Measurements the mounting holes on the seat
 
I Wonder If I can make some blocks, about 3 inches tall, that I can put a long bolt through, and drill another hole about 2 inches offset from the one going through the floor, and just bolt it through that. Just leave the back end alone for the time being.
 
I used tapered wedge shaped oak blocks and long bolts under the seat brackets to install a power leather seat from a 70's Caddy into my '72 K5,so it was at the right height and angle to sit comfortable in it...loved that seat,only drawback was it was like a couch,and was easy to nod off in while driving it!..
Also liked it better than bucket seats at the drive in,on dates too..:D

I used a steering wheel off an 80's Cavalier that was 3" smaller diameter in my 77 GMC,after I made a seat frame using the old bench seat brackets and some bed frame angle iron to mount two bucket seats in it --the steering wheel rubbed on my pecker,so I had to do something,and I wasn't about to do the whole mounting bracket setup over...the seats stood almost straight up too,which kinda sucked..pickups and bucket seats dont jive well,unless they were factory it seems..not enough room behind the seats to angle them back enough to be comfortable..

I'd use all 4 or 6 bolts--you dont wants seats coming loose in a panic stop or crash...on all my trucks I had to put flat steel plates under the floor to beef the floor up,they were rather rusted and flexy..didn't want the bolts to pull thru..
 
Ok, I just went and performed some late night engineering, out of rough cut oak.

I have an ample supply of 2x4 rough cut, so I cut 2, 4 inch blocks, and drilled an inch down with a one inch spade bit, and did the same catty-corner from the other side, and then did the same to the other one.

I got the front of the seat mounted and learned that it is still quite low, Like full on Mexican hot rod low, I was eye level with the top of the dash, and I'm 6'1. But it was extremely comfortable, I sat out there for probably 20-30 minutes just sitting in it, listening to the radio. I didn't want to get up.
Sitting in this computer chair seems pathetic after getting out of the Blazer with that bench.

I figure tomorrow I'm going to double or triple up on those blocks, and see if that helps the height, and figure out a rear mounting idea.
The outside right, rear, bolt is going to be a bit sketchy, as that spot is a bit rusty, Not sure it will hold.


Also, does anyone still make a proper saddle blanket seat cover? Like one that isn't made from windbreaker material?
 
Last edited:
The Griff said:
Call me weird by I've always preferred a bench to buckets, so I asked If I could get that seat, and I got it.
Click to expand...

You are weird. I have yet to sit in a vehicle that had seats more comfortable than those that come in a k5 blazer
 
Prolly too late for this thread, but a seat from a GMT400-series Truck/Suburban fits nicely without significant modifications. I chose a split-bench from a truck for my M1009 to allow me to have the benefits of a bench while allowing passengers into the back more easily. The seat came with rails at a good height, all I had to do was drill a few holes. I was even able to reuse 2 of my original holes on the driver side. Passenger side has not been bolted down yet (due to the truck's status as a constant project), but it sits nicely where it should be without requiring mods. You can use the original seatbelts or switch to something with a third seatbelt.

Another option for you to consider, rather than fabbing up a bracket for a Suburban seat...
 
Too late, figured out how to make this work.




Turn the old bucket seat bases around backwards, and with 2 new holes drilled in them for the front mounts of the bench, and a piece of angle iron across the back, bolted to the rear mounts of the bench, and then that piece of angle bolted to the old seat bases, and voila! Bench in a Blazer, solid, slides forward and back, and for whatever reason, mine already had the seat belts for a bench, so that was all good too.
 
My picture taking device is functional!

But not very long, I got two pictures though,

Bench in a Blazer
gO47WA0l.jpg


And I need a longer piece of steel.
S8NHtGxl.jpg
 
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