Suburban 4th Row Seating?

**timbersnowman** · 09-01-2007, 10:05 PM

I just just bought my first Suburban ('97 K2500), with my first diesel engine (6.5TD). The machine seats 8, and I want to get at least 10 people in the thing. I know there are a couple web sites that sell 4th row seating, but they are fairly expensive.

I'd like to get something from a salvage yard and install it in the cargo area of my rig. I've done a fair amount of googling and I've found very little on this subject.

Does anyone have any experience with taking a 2nd or 3rd row seat out of a wreck and installing it as a 4th row in a Suburban?

Any other experience with installing 4th rows in Suburbans, or 3rd rows in a Tahoe?

Thanks!

**84fiero123** · 09-02-2007, 06:51 PM

Find yourself a matching 3rd row seat at the bone yard and have them take the mounts for the seat out, then all you will have to do is cut 4 holes in the floor in the right spots, and add the mounts.

Problem is there will be no shoulder belts.

Also the seat will most likely have to face backwards.

**unplugged** · 09-02-2007, 08:46 PM

Don't forget to check you local motor vehicle regulations. Belts that meet DOT regs will be required at a minimum.

**TA Dave** · 09-04-2007, 12:08 PM

And the people you put back there better have short legs too. ;)

If they are adults you'd be better off with a 15 passenger van. IMHO.

**Steve** · 09-04-2007, 12:26 PM

a rear-facing 4th seat can be done, but it is almost always used exclusively by children (from my experience) as it will take over your cargo area, which is already taken overy by your 3rd row seat.

Safety is always an issue for me with something like that, I'm not sure that I would ever do it becuase of the impact that a rear-end collision might even just send glass forward hitting the occupants in those seats. NOW, if you could get them forward-facing, then that's something different.

Do you have a photo of what you're looking at?

**Steve** · 09-04-2007, 12:32 PM

OK, I see. There is a company called "Little Passanger Seats" and they have a couple of different options. One is a forward-facing forth-row seat and another is a side-ways facing "Jump seat".

http://www.littlepassengerseats.com/...n_yukon_xl.htm

**timbersnowman** · 09-04-2007, 10:38 PM

Thanks for the replies. Yep, that url you listed is one of two companies I found on the internet that sell 4th row seating for Suburbans or 3rd row for Tahoe-class rigs (all for children, and that is my intended use anyway). They look nice, but they cost about $1000. That's more than I want to pay.

I figured that a 2nd or 3rd row seat from a salvage yard would be a lot cheaper and very functional. I was hoping someone on this board has gone through the experience of figuring out how to mount one of these, and how to install seatbelts for it.

I thought this would be a pretty common modification. No one?

**omegafiler** · 09-04-2007, 10:56 PM

Those custom 4th row seats look pretty nice and solid. They are a bit pricey, but they look pretty safe - which would honestly be my main concern. The site even says they do safety testing to meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and they had an independent evaluation done by AAA of California (even though it's not required).

Perhaps you can find a used one from that company or on an auction?

**TrailLeadr** · 09-04-2007, 11:45 PM

I know there have been a few conversations tossed around about doing a 4th row seat, but to my knowledge no one here has done it. Or if they have they haven't shared their experience in doing it.

My main concern if you were to do a rear facing setup is that you have head rests on both the third row, and fourth. You don't want your kids heads slamming into each other if you should ever get into a fender bender. Same would go for fourth row, even forward facing. Their heads would be near the rear glass.

I don't know if your year has headrests on the third row or not.

Anyway that's my two cents.

Fiero is right, the task is fairly cut and dry. If you have the means to fab the brackets into the floor to accept the fourth seat, then I have no doubt you could replicate the setup used on the third row's seat belts up in the roof.

If you do take on this project please keep a log of your experience, and take lots of pics. We'd love to post your walkthrough of how to accomplish this on the site for others to do as well.

**Kraziken** · 09-18-2007, 04:42 PM

I've looked at that site in the past.

It looks like a fourth row seat is around $800 or so depending on options (and shipping of course).

To be honest, when you consider the safety testing they've done. Unless you are fabricating something yourself (not tested) I think just buying the seat would be the better option.