SUT REAR SEAT MOD

[timgco]

So, i have a mod for someone to try out. I found this on another forum for a chevy Avalanche. It should work for the SUT as well...

REASON FOR THE MOD: If you want to put your mid gate down or just fold the rear seats down, normally you have to move both front seats up to do so. Than you cannot put your seats back all the way due to the rear headrests being in the way.

THE FIX: Remove your rear seat headrest and than you don;t have to move the front seats at all...unless the fton seats are pushed all the way back.

STEP 1
So, the first thing you will find is that the headrest don;t just pull out. The first part of this mod is to poll the rear seat headrests into the highest positon. If you look at the bottom of both posts, you will see a bezel. Each bezel should have a hole in it. Insert an alan wrench into each hole at the same time. Keep constant preasure and you will feel the button inside that whole depress. Since you only have two arms, have someone else pull up on the headrest while you do this. It should pull out as long as you kept both buttons pushed in.

STEP 2

Examine the posts in your removed rear headrest. You'll see that there are some smoothe notches and one small notch. That small notch is waht kept you from just pullign the headrest out all the way. Now get a round file or dremel tool out. I used adremel tool and the metal was very soft. i just smoothed out the notch until it matched the others.

Step 3
Replace the the headrest to test that it goes back in smoothe and removes the same way. if you smoothed out the notch enough, you will no longer have to use the alan key to remove them

Step 4

Repeat on the other rear headrest.

Now your done.

next time you want to lower your midgate or just fold the rear seats down, you shouldn;t have to move your front seats anymore. Just pull out your rear headrest and drop the seat. Now while the rear seat is folded down, you won;t eat the steering wheel anymore either.

DISCLAIMER: I have not tired this on the SUT yet. It should be the same as the Avalanche though.

[vlxjim]

Don't the head rest fold back like they do on the SUV?

[lvmyhmr]

What about removing the posts to completely eliminate the head rests on the back seats. Has anyone done that.

They are always in the way folded up or down. Time to get rid of them.

[BlueHUMMERH2]

No, the headrests on the SUT are smaller and don't flip back like the SUV. I think this is for added visibility when the seats are up. I don't know if they refuse to come out, however, I would assume that Tim has an SUT and has discovered that they don't remove.

Removing the headrests completely would be a safety hazard if you were in a collision.

[timgco]

Originally Posted by BlueHUMMERH2

No, the headrests on the SUT are smaller and don't flip back like the SUV. I think this is for added visibility when the seats are up. I don't know if they refuse to come out, however, I would assume that Tim has an SUT and has discovered that they don't remove.

Removing the headrests completely would be a safety hazard if you were in a collision.

True, I would not remove them altogether. That wouldn;t be good at all for passengers.

The headrest do not just pull out. If they did, the GM would be open for somne bad lawsuits for the peopel that took tehm out and had their passengers head's slam into the midgate glass.

I had an SUT and hated the fact of moving the seats up all the time to have the dogs back there. Same exact scenario with the Avalanche.

This mod will work. I'm just not sure about the holes around the bezel. It may only have one hole. I cannot remember.

[lvmyhmr]

Never have had anyone in the rear seats. They have been folded down for 56K miles. Thought seriously of using bolt cutters on them once. I have removed the padded rests as suggested above, but then the rods are flopping all over. Can not find a picture in my OEM repair manual that shows the inside of the back of the rear seat. Guess I will tolerate them a while longer. Thanks for your thoughts.

[BlueHUMMERH2]

Originally Posted by timgco

The headrest do not just pull out. If they did, the GM would be open for somne bad lawsuits for the peopel that took tehm out and had their passengers head's slam into the midgate glass.

Definately! Something interesting is that our family's old Suburban (1997 maybe?) used to have headrests that you HAD to remove the fold the seats. Then you would stick them in the supplied holes that appeared on the lower seat cushion when you raised it up. It was a PITA!

[mikejr]

that is one thing i hated about my two avalanches. Being 6'4" tall it was not comfortable to ride with my knees in the dash when i had the midgate down. Being that i have the SUV, i dont have the issue.