Seat Compatibility Questions

[carluvr]

I have a '95 Z71 extended cab with power drivers and manual passengers bucket seats. I also have an extra passenger side pwr/heated seat from a '99 Denali.
My drivers' seat has a bent seatback frame. I'm wondering if the passenger-side seatback frame from the Denali seat would work as a replacement for
the driver's seat that is broken in my Z71? Does it matter that the left and right side seats have the folding armrests or does this mean they are not interchangeable?

Also, could the power seat portion (the seat base) of the Denali (passenger) seat be transferred to my non-pwr passenger seat without losing the slide feature for getting into the back seat?

I do have the driver's side Denali seat as well but it was crushed between the B-pillar and the center console (!?!) when the truck was hit broadside by a
runaway forklift while parked (long story...) If the internals are still good, can the heated portion of the two Denali seats be transferred to my current cloth
buckets? Lots of question, I know. Just trying to weight my options. Thanks in advance.

Shawn

 

[sewlow]

Passenger side backrest will not work on the driver side. Not a chance.
If the Denalli is a GMT800, nothing from the seats are interchangeable. Totally different design. If the Denalli is a 400, as long as you swap the tracks from your truck to the Denalli's, the sliding ability should be retained.
GM seat heaters are not like the aftermarket heaters. The elements are embedded into the foam when it's formed in the mold.
So...if the seats are of the EXACT same design, you could swap the foam in the cushions to get the heaters into your existing seats. If not, you're S.O.L.
Why not fix the existing driver seat? Pulling the covers & foam is not a highly technical job. The seat frames are just made outa pipe. Once the cover & foam is off, fire up the welder!

 

[carluvr]

Thank for the response, Sewlow. I was hoping you might chime in. The Denali seat I have is from a GMT400 Denali. Once I'm able to pull the damaged driver's seat out of the Denali, I'll know more about what if any of it is salvageable. Perhaps I can transfer parts. You've given me something to think about. Didn't realize the seats were that easy to pull take a part. Thanks!

 

[carluvr]

Is it possible that the seat heater element is actually in the seatcover itself on a Denali seat? When I pulled the bottom cushion seatcover off, there are wires coming up through the foam from underneath that attach to the cover itself. They're two yellows, a black, and a black/red. I can't imagine why there would be any other sensor there, especially on the driver's seat.

 

[sewlow]

My seats came out of a '96. Maybe GM changed 'em in the later years. I know that there has been probs with seat heaters in general over the years. Overheating, failing to turn off, paraplegic's (hand-controls) suffering from burns 'cause they couldn't feel the heat, on & on. Lawsuits & stuff.
The ones in my seats were in the foam. And phukt up. Wish I had taken pix! I had to cut out a 4" square outa each cushion because the wires had shorted out & MELTED the foam that size & 2" down. The bare wires were suspended in air in the middle of the holes!

 

[carluvr]

I decided to cut into the seat cover on the bad Denali seat and found that the heating elements are sewn into the cover itself rather than the seat foam. The wire goes through a hole in the middle of the bottom seat cushion up into the seat cover itself. I haven't seen a bare C/K bucket but I have a feeling that Denali/Escalade differ more than I initially thought they would.

I also noticed that only rear Denali headrests will fit in the front seat of my Z71 buckets. The prongs for the front Denali seats are too far apart. Too bad because the fronts are kind of cool looking and have the tilt feature.

 

[sewlow]

I've found that the small rear seat headrests from an ECSB won't fit the front bench either! Same prob. Pegs won't line up.