Tahoe seats in a 98 k1500 - Adapt Easy Entry system to Tahoe seat?

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kylenautique

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I have come across a killer set of 1998 Tahoe bucket seats to replace my cloth seats. Only issue is there is no "Easy Entry" lever on the Tahoe seats. How difficult would it be to adapt the easy entry system on to the Tahoe passenger seat? Is this possible? I only care about doing this on the passenger side.
 

Nad_Yvalhosert

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Is the "Easy Entry lever" used on 2 door SUV's to attain access to the back seat?
If so, since they were used mainly on the short wheelbase SUVs they're gonna be rare. Not one 4 door Tahoe/Yukon, Suburban, or crew cab pickup trucks have them.
Perhaps the 2 door extended cab trucks did before the 3rd door was available...?

I've got no idea how it works, perhaps you could tear down the OE seats you already have and find out.
Or better yet, make a tutorial of the swap for prosperity.
 
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kylenautique

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Yes the Easy Entry lever is the same on the 2 door Tahoe and all extended cab trucks. It folds the seat back forward and allows the seat to easily move forward on the track to gain easy access to the back seat area. I hope there's a way to adapt the easy entry lever system on to a stock Tahoe seat that does have the system installed. I hope someone has done this before so I don't have to pioneer this mod ;)
 

kylenautique

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How easy would it be to just swap the good foam/covers over to your existing seats? It’d need a small hole cut in the fabric for the easy-entry lever, but maybe that would be an option. @sewlow
That was an idea too. I don't know how difficult that would be. I've swapped out tracks before, but I've never gone beyond that with these seats. From what I've researched, the lever is attached to a cable that goes behind the seat and drops out on the back left side and then attaches to the frame. I don't know if the Tahoe seat upper frame already has the mounting hole drilled in the frame for the lever. Fingers crossed its there! If it is, I think I would just swap out the seat base frame.

Uncharted territory!
 

east302

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Not sure if it will help, but the first diagram is a four door seat and the second is a two door Tahoe or extended cab with easy entry.



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sewlow

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GM was pretty good at making parts generic with provisions for options to be added as they were needed.
Both options mentioned, swap covers & the foam between the frames, or taking the easy entry cable & lever from the one & adding it to your existing if the attachments for such actually do exist within your original seat, would work.
Personally, I'd swap the covers between the frames without messing with that easy entry system.
Once installed, cycle the release 10 or 12X just to make sure all works as it should.
A dry lube, such as a teflon-based bicycle chain lube, works well to keep that cable running smooth. A wet oil-based lube has the possibility of leaching onto & permanently staining the cover material.
The cover will fit over that stub for the release handle. Do not cut the hole for that stub until the cover is installed on your original frame.
Either tap the on the material where the stub is poking up under the new cover material with a small hammer in order to break the material for the hole, or cut a small 'X' over the stub to let it poke through.
Do not cut the material for that hole until the cover is installed.
While the covers are off, check the seat pans for twists &/or bends + all mounting points for cracks or breaks in that tin.
Check & lube the tracks while it's all apart, too.
White lithium.

Remove the seats by removing the front floor bolts first, then sliding the seat all the way forward to remove the rear bolts.
This way, with the tracks at the back of their travel, the seats will stand up by themselves on the bench.
Done the opposite & they'll be flipping & falling all over the bench, fighting you the whole way.
Electric seats are heavy & are very frustrating to work on with the tracks all the way forward. Need a 12v power supply & some jumper wires to move them into the proper position.
Manual seats have a big spring attached to the tracks to pull them forward. With the seats removed rear floor bolts first, that spring is under some pretty hefty tension. Hit that release, intentionally or by accident & the spring will slam those tracks back so hard & so fast they will cause some serious damage to the digits if they happen to be in the way.
How serious? I worked with another upholsterer for years that was missing the end of the first finger on his right hand at the first knuckle after a set of tracks caught it when accidentally released.
 
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kylenautique

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Not sure if it will help, but the first diagram is a four door seat and the second is a two door Tahoe or extended cab with easy entry.



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Awesome!!! That's super helpful!
 

kylenautique

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GM was pretty good at making parts generic with provisions for options to be added as they were needed.
Both options mentioned, swap covers & the foam between the frames, or taking the easy entry cable & lever from the one & adding it to your existing if the attachments for such actually do exist within your original seat, would work.
Personally, I'd swap the covers between the frames without messing with that easy entry system.
Once installed, cycle the release 10 or 12X just to make sure all works as it should.
A dry lube, such as a teflon-based bicycle chain lube, works well to keep that cable running smooth. A wet oil-based lube has the possibility of leaching onto & permanently staining the cover material.
The cover will fit over that stub for the release handle. Do not cut the hole for that stub until the cover is installed on your original frame.
Either tap the on the material where the stub is poking up under the new cover material with a small hammer in order to break the material for the hole, or cut a small 'X' over the stub to let it poke through.
Do not cut the material for that hole until the cover is installed.
While the covers are off, check the seat pans for twists &/or bends + all mounting points for cracks or breaks in that tin.
Check & lube the tracks while it's all apart, too.
White lithium.

Remove the seats by removing the front floor bolts first, then sliding the seat all the way forward to remove the rear bolts.
This way, with the tracks at the back of their travel, the seats will stand up by themselves on the bench.
Done the opposite & they'll be flipping & falling all over the bench, fighting you the whole way.
Electric seats are heavy & are very frustrating to work on with the tracks all the way forward. Need a 12v power supply & some jumper wires to move them into the proper position.
Manual seats have a big spring attached to the tracks to pull them forward. With the seats removed rear floor bolts first, that spring is under some pretty hefty tension. Hit that release, intentionally or by accident & the spring will slam those tracks back so hard & so fast they will cause some serious damage to the digits if they happen to be in the way.
How serious? I worked with another upholsterer for years that was missing the end of the first finger on his right hand at the first knuckle after a set of tracks caught it when accidentally released.
Excellent advice! Thanks! I'm going to try swapping the foam and covers, but then again, once I dig into it, it might not be too difficult to swap the release system over. Good think I will have both seat styles, so I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel...
 
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