CK5 - The Full-Size GM Off Road Community

My seats in my Jimmy are shot so it's new seat time (well, new to me seat time). I would like a bench seat because my wife, the dog and myself could all sit in the truck and not a whole lot of people that I've seen have bench seats in their Blazers/Jimmys. But with the bucket seats, the backs are higher and it might be easier to put 5 point harnesses on later. Or can 5 point harnesses be used on a bench seat. Any info to help would be appreciated, just biding my time with stuff that I have laying around before the 1 ton swap. Thanks. :bow:

Hey LittleJimmy,

For me, I'm going to switch to buckets in my K10. I need all the space I can get. It's not like I have room to carry 3 or 4 in the cab anyway. I want to get a nice set of comfortable buckets that will accept 5 point harnesses and open it up a little to breath. Maybe, and it's a big maybe, a center concole, for lockable storage.

I'm in the same position you are. Not much experience with this swap-over and so I'm watching your lead with interest.

Manny

Yeah, both have their pros and cons that's why I decided to ask the guys (and girls) on here. I'm getting tired of racking my brain over the question, but one thing is for certain, there will be mossy oak seat covers involved :D

Would you be able to get to the back seat with a bench?

I know they slide, but as much as the drivers seat? Or passenger seat in the '86+ K5's?

I have a buddy that put a bench seat in his blazer,he used a bench out of a 77 1/2 ton. He does'nt use a 5 pnt. harness,just lap belts. He said his kids can still get in the back seat,but thats kids,he never said anything about grown folks squeeze'n between there.He also used the tracks off the bench and fab'd up brackets to mount'em,so the seat is adjustable. He's got pics of the install,I'll see if I can find'em.

im gonna eventually go with a crew cab.. was going to do it this summer but going to push it off for 2 years now.. wait till the second kid is bigger...

then buckets up front and bench in back... can carry a few people and have comfort for me.. :wink1:

I don't have the back seat in the truck anymore, all's I have is this. So that is why having the bench would be better, but I do have seats out of my 96 pickup that I traded in for my new truck, but one is broken. I am really torn between the two. The nastalgia of a bench seat or the function of the bucket seats. :dunno:

Edit: that is a pic of before I put handles on it.

I put a bench seat with a fold down console from an '89 Burb in my K5. Worked out well and I can still get in the back seat...'course, I'm kind of a thin guy though. I don't think you'd want to use the 5 point with these. On the other hand, if you're taking your dog, he/she would probably appreciate not going anyplace that would require the harness. I think you're in a trade off area here, Bud.

I got a 60-40 split bench in my k5 it came fom a 90s extended cab chevy. It "almost" bolted right in. The kids can get in and the wife can even get back there. Both sides slide up and the rear of the seat folds down. I like it alot beter than the buckets that was in it.

The only good thing about a bench seat is its easyer to get the gf closer. :D

60/40 would definately be the way to go:bow: . I wanted to get one like my wife had in her last pickup, but it was too hard to find here and too expensive. Mine cost $40 at a wrecking yard in Sparks. Couldn't beat the price for a short term fix.

The only good thing about a bench seat is its easyer to get the gf closer. :D
X2!!!

on most bench seats the back rest folds forward correct? like in a truck so you can put stuff behind the seat? with that in mind it should be easy to get into the back seat. i think a bucket setup would be nice in the k5

I think that the 60/40 split bench sounds like the best of both worlds. I could fold down the center fer "bucket" seats and fold it up for a bench seat... Yes and the fact that it would be easier to get closer to the wife would be a plus... depending on the day (and what mood she's in). Hmmm... I"m going to start scouring the yards. Nothing like more truck seats sitting in the house to make the wife happy :D I do still have the bench seat and the two bucket seats to fall back on. Don't the split bench seats have cup holders on the back of the flip down part? Just trying to get more info so I can have ammo to talk to the Mrs. with on why I need more seats.

If I were in your shoes, I would look for bench seats out of a late model dodge. They have that big center console that folds up to make it a bench or down for buckets. YOu could still use a harness with it as well. You won't be able to use a harness on the passenger side with a 60/40.

Kind of like these but I found these when I was searching for a pic for you at chevyseats.com
http://chevyseats.com/truckbenchseats/truck_bench_images/truck_seats_bench_702.jpg

http://truckaddons.com/Catalog/seats.htm , a couple nice seats.. i wouldnt buy from em though, from what iv seen they charge way too much.

I dont think this would bolt in but it looks nice
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/95-99-Chevy-Suburban-2nd-Row-Seat-60-40-Cloth_W0QQitemZ300086881234QQihZ020QQcategoryZ3370 1QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1995-1999-chevy-truck-blazer-suburban-bench-seat_W0QQitemZ110098274462QQihZ001QQcategoryZ33701 QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

"Quit bitchin and just climb over"

Yeah, I found these at Summit, they are like the ones on that truck addons site, but cheaper. I already have two very nice bucket seats, so maybe I could find a flip up seat to go in between. I like the looks of that red seat man. I'll take a look at that site. I'm going to make a trip to the yards after work today and take a peek at what they got. I"ve got dana 60/14BFF and I'll be doing my lift and stuff soon and a long list of other parts to make it more offroad friendly. But along with those mods, good seats would definately make it more backside friendly (and wife friendly).

http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=BST%2D39804%2D04&N=700+4294925230+4294839019+115&autoview=sku

You could make yourself something as far as a middle popup goes. Youd have to make seatbelts too.

What id like to do is take one of the back bench seats that i took out of my 1990 Dodge Caravan/Plymouth Voyager(currently in my living room as couches), weld the mounts to a plate, and bolt it in behind the rear seat in the jimmy. Boom! Instant 6 or 7 passenger capabillity!, and if i make the front a bench, 8! (As if i have that many friends..)

Id have to measure back there behind the 2nd seat but i think i could fit it.
Id hope my floor would support it...dont think the engine/drivetrain would appreciate a full load though.
Edit- I also dont think it would be going ANYWHERE with 8 people, on 35s, with 2.73 axle gears. Doh!

Nice website MostWanted. Yeah, me and my supervisor here at work were just talking about making a center console/seat thing. I think that would solve my problem. Leave it to CK5 to expand my narrow little mind. The only problem would be making it comfortable enough for the wife to WANT to sit on it. But it would give me the oportronity to use my hillbilly skills.... :rolleyes: I'll have to ask her if she would like a new comfortable seat or the hillbilly deluxe.

Edit: Too bad they don't make those center consoles in real tree or mossy oak... homemade might be the way to go on this one.

Hillbilly deluxe, hands down!

yeah, I'll give it a shot. Nuthin' a little plywould, foam, nail and real tree camo cloth can't fix. I do have two nice bucket seats sitting in the house. I just have to get the passenger side one fixed. The tracks are loose so it slides forward everytime you hit the brakes :doah: and the back stays forward adn the passenger (my wife) has to lean back the whole time while bracing herself when I hit the brakes. I'll take it to a seat place to get the back fixed, but the tracks will probably get welded. I'll post up some pics when I get home.

I must have weird seats in my jimmy. Im 99% sure the passenger seat dosent move forward or back, and the driver seat spins in circles on ball bearings for those truck stop dates. Both seats match and i thought they were original. A buddy said his K5 didnt have em like mine either.

I must have weird seats in my jimmy. Im 99% sure the passenger seat dosent move forward or back, and the driver seat spins in circles on ball bearings for those truck stop dates. Both seats match and i thought they were original. A buddy said his K5 didnt have em like mine either.
PICS?

Dont want to hijack the thread but-
http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/2093/imag0018es2.th.jpg (http://img208.imageshack.us/my.php?image=imag0018es2.jpg)

http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/70/imag0020bi4.th.jpg (http://img218.imageshack.us/my.php?image=imag0020bi4.jpg)

Its not daylight so no new pics at the moment.
Thanks
And the pass seat DOES lift and tip forward towards the dash for rear entry, which is why i thought they were factory.

OK i can tell you that is a cool seat you got there. Yes the passenger side is stock Don't think the driver side is tho

Heck, them are nice seats! I'm still at work, but I will post up some pics of my bucket seats out of my 96 pickup. This weekend will be a busy one, I've got lots of stuff to do (off topic I know). I'm going to go price some materials for that flip up seat. Do you guys think that plywood or MDF (particle board) would be better? I"m thinking about 3/4 inch thick should do the trick.

hey ur up early. Me i just havent gone to sleep yet its now 6:30 here in MA

I work nights. 11pm to 8 am. It's a lonely boring shift, lots of time spent dreaming up projects and surfing CK5.

I would love a job like that.

Yeah, I don't get a lunch break, but after work, I go to the gym, then have about 6 to 7 hours to work on my truck, eat, have a drink, and go to bed. Do you think that real tree camo cloth will be easy to find? I know a guy that had his whole interior done with it, but I don't know where he got it. I would hate to (but if I have to) cut up a seat cover to make it. I am going to buy some neoprene seat covers for the two bucket seats ($30 each at the Zone), and it would be nice to have them all match. I just would hate to cut up a brand new seat cover, but I guess I cut up all kinds of new things for my truck.

Well, ya'll finally convinced me to use the bucket seats. Thanks for the great websites too. They will be good for later (and future projects). I'll do kind of like a 40/20/40 kind of thing. Here are some pics of my seats, they don't match but some seat covers will fix that. The gray one is the broken one. I'll need to take it to get it fixed or weld it into a fixed seat. Where do the projects stop!:eek1:

As always, thanks for you guy's help. Glad I re-upped my membership. :bow: :bow:

I follow a few simple rules :

Regular old truck = bench seat
Blazer = bucket seats
Hot shortbed 2wd or nice cruiser 4x4 anybed = split bucket bench with folding console for middle seat , so your ol lady can sit next to you redneck girlfriend style :D

I swapped 2 bucket seats into my 74 K20,using some angle iron,and the tracks off the original bench seat..but they were too close to the cab's back wall--I'm 6'4" tall,and had to cram the seat right up against the back wall of the cab,and change the "big" original steering wheel to a dinky one off a Cavalier,so my legs would fit under it!..buckets are OK in Blazers,since they dont have a wall right behind them,but in pickups they are too "straight up" to be comfortable for very long..even the factory ones I had in a 74 C10..

I still have those bucket seats and frame ,but I don't think I'll put them in my current truck,the 82 K20..despite its bench seat being torn up and has additional foam stuffed under its "indian blanket" seat cover,I find the bench seat VERY comfy ,and it allows me to take a nap in the truck if I have too while plowing during a long storm..cant do that with buckets!--and they don't call bucket seats "birth control" seats for nothing either!..bench seat= girlfriend sitting close:laugh: --buckets = no nookie tonight!..:doah: :(

I've seen a Blazer with THREE bucket seats, on a custom "frame",that worked out well..guy used Caravan seats,and made the center and passenger side one hinged,so they could be tilted forward to let passengers get in the back easier--he also had a hidden storage compartment under them to hide valuables and other items..all three seats were very close together,and looked like a bench seat with three backrests at first glance!--I thought it was a clever design..

Any bench seat used in a blazer would need to have a hinged back,so passengers can get in the back seats..:crazy:

No MDF crap... Dont go halfass on one of the stages =)
I was thinking along the lines of deck boards cut and nailed into the formation of a box..

As far as camo i have no idea, try your local fabric store? Ask around im sure they can help.

Yeah, I went and priced everything yesterday, and I'm looking at about $80 to $100 dollars on the center flip up seat. The wife and I went to the store and sat on all kinds of cushions and cushoin foam material and found the ones that we (she) liked. When you say deck boards, you mean 2x6 or 2x4's?

i have a bench now and wanna get rid of it i hate it...i think im gonna get a set of racing seat they hug you well and there getting preety cheap...

i kinda like my buckets, just cuz i have a sub box in the middle, but if youve got kids and a wife, and no rear seat.... id say go with the bench, if you want the 5 point harnesses for the truck, that means you should probly be running a roll bar anyway. what alot of people do is install a bar across the roll bar at the right height to mount the top of the 5 point harness and still run the bench seat.

Deck boards, i dont know.. Just some treated deck boards. i guess about 1 inch thick, 6 inches wide.. cut em and nail em into a box, cushion it..attach seatbelts to floor? Give it some thought, think about how it will do with a passenger bouncing up and down on it, think about safety.. im sure you can come up with something nice.

Yeah, my wife is all about safety. And after seeing some pics of rigs rolled over, I have become more safety oriented. The middle seat will be for street driving only. And yes, I should have a cage before I worry about harnesses, but the wife doesn't feel safe in just the lap belts, even though I just do some mild trails/hill climbs. I did have the doors off though which I believe added to her fear:dunno: I'm going to try to get a cage from S&W here in the next few months with my build up.

Anyways, the cushioning is the most expensive part. We decided on the backrest cushioning and picked it up, but the seat part, she wants this cushioning stuff that is about 4 inches thick and is $17 bucks. I went around all of the fabric stores in town and could only find real tree wetland camo. So, I was debating on buying 3 realtree seat covers (neoprene), one for each seat and cut the one up for the middle to water proof it. That is where most of the cost comes from is the seat covers, $25 a pop. I'm going to try to take my broken seat (the gray seat in the pic) into town next week and get it fixed so I can get started.

I bought one simular to this for my old 84 deisel K5 its just the center seat in this pic. I also had a carpet kit, for a pickup with a shell, cut, and turned backwards, to fit in the back of that blazer. Alot of times I have wished I would have kept the center seat out of that b4 I sold it. This was about 6or7 years ago and if I remember correctly the center seat was about $150ish when I bought it.
http://accessory-center.com/RoadRider-Pro-Center-Jump-and-Seat-Console.stml

Balzer

Okay I say if your blazers gonna be a strictly trail machine buckets, and 5 point harness.

If you are going to be bring ladys to the drive in movie, bench seat the MOFO.

A girl once told me to never ditch the bench seat in my K10 (when I owned the bugger). But I figured if she was a die hard offroad fan, she would understadn the purpose of buckets, and save the hanky-panky for home time.... Or lockable restroom time, whichever came first... hahaha:haha: :haha:


So pick your doom.... hahaha

i installed a set of buckets in my truck and they would actually work in a blazer too because they have a lever you flip and the seat back flips forward.

I would go with the bucket seats. In your case it might be better for you to go with the bench seat.

e-bay e-bay e-bay

http://coloradok5.com/photos/data/500/phpFm5Ev3PM.jpg

i installed a set of buckets in my truck and they would actually work in a blazer too because they have a lever you flip and the seat back flips forward.

What are those out of? Or what company makes them?

I used bucket seats out a a "90 Bronco because they're easier to find around here and these were free. For some reason they come with two sets of sliders. I took one off and the holes lined up perfectly. Because its a k10, i had to cut out a set of tabs out of a suburban for the front. Right now they're screwed in but eventualy i'll get around to welding them.

I have the arm rest in now, just have to bolt it up. I liked having a bench for the third person, but i hated not having storage and not having any support. Plus the passenger can actualy slide the seat foward and recline a little to get more comfortable.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y193/nano151/Stuff%20For%20Sale/heads8-4-08232.jpg