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Wish me luck, I'll be a busy Beaver tonight.
Updates below. Took me probably 6hrs. It sucked. Like most things, it gets easier/quicker after doing one seat.
Before moving to an Engineering tech position at Altec Ind. I worked in production for 13yrs as an installer, hydraulic tech, tester, and electrical tech. My hands and forearms haven't hurt like this in about 5yrs lol. If you are not one for manual labor, you will want to pay for the install. It is totally doable on a weekend by a DIY person. I've never done upholstry before. It will be years before I think of doing it again. I'd rather do the timing chains and water pump on my sons Cobalt again haha.
UPDATED WITH RESULTS:
Damn, I don't plan on doing that ever again lol. Looks good, smells good, feels good to sit on, and feels even better knowing I saved over a grand doing it myself. I did not intend to do a writeup, so there are things I left out. I took photos of some things for myself as I was doing it. Sorry I didn't get better details for you guys reading in the future. It's all off memory. It's a bit backwards in order and messy.
I did not use any heat gun or steamer. It's hot and humid here in MO, worked out fine. My fingers and forearms are tired. Made a few mistakes and learned some things.
I'll post some tools and more pics later
DIY WRITEUP & PHOTOS:
Tools I used:
-Dykes/side cutters,6-8"
-Hog Ring Pliers (Harbor Freight)
-Needle nose plyers, 6"
-Flat head screwdriver or small prybar
-Fir tree removal tool if you have one
-1/4" impact driver
-socket extension
-impact socket swivel
-18mm socket (deepwell)
-13mm socket (both deep & shallow)
-10mm socket (deepwell, I think size is right, airbags)
-T50, T30 & T20 torx bits/driver
-Razor knife (smaller, for cutouts of rear cargo anchors, rear seat latch releases and headrests)
-Plastic bags(for front headrests)
-Vaccuum (for front headrests)
-Hog Rings (I found these Dewalt ones for ~$12 at Tractor Supply Company. Work great. Really sharp and are staggard so they wrap around without the tips touching ()
Cut holes for the headrest, rear cargo anchors, etc. with a small razor knife. Cut holes smaller than the plastic so it hides under when you press down.
Go slow, and don't screw it up
The plastic guard has one T30 Bolt under the butt-hip area of seat, and one spring clip that pops in near the T50 hing bolt. You can see the slot in the arm for the clip. Just pop it loose and manhandle the plastic off.
Don't forget to put this inner plastic guard back on BEFORE bolting the legs to the floor. I had to take it back apart a little. the inner arms arm close together, so you have to twist/pursuade the plastic guard back on there.
All the seat bolt covers just pop out with spring clips
Don't get in a hurry and be a dummy with the razor knife like me. You do NOT need to cut a slit in the section for the rear driver seat belt lol. It runs over it, not through it... Luckily my screw up hides behind the belt well.
Be careful pushing down on the cargo flaps behind the rear seats. I leaned on it, hyperextending it too much. The springs shot loose and nailed my knuckles and chest
Seat belt bolt is 18mm. After the nut is removed with deepwell 18mm and extension from under seat, use pry bar to push the spring retainer washer loose. I pryed it up a little and cut it with dykes. It did not want to come off.
Use something like cable or thick string to pull the zippers on and off. One of my zippers sliders broke. I found a #5 zipper slider at Hobby Lobby for a purse that worked perfectly.
Air bags have two nuts on the inside-rear of seat frame;outside facing edge of seat. Might have been 10mm socket, I didn't take note of that. Bags slide out of the yellow sleeve. I did not unhook my battery. You can though. Once I hooked my seat connectors back in, there were no warning lights on dash.
I actually used needle nose pliers for the new hog ring crimps more often then hog ring pliers. There just isn't much working room in there. Maybe my hog ring pliers were a little big. Have a good 6" set of needle nose. You have to be sort of rough and force your way into the foam.
Have some sharp dykes, maybe two pair. You will cut a lot of hog rings.
The front headrests-look up the plastic bag vaccuum trick on Youtube, it works. I even used Walmart bags and it worked haha.
Updates below. Took me probably 6hrs. It sucked. Like most things, it gets easier/quicker after doing one seat.
Before moving to an Engineering tech position at Altec Ind. I worked in production for 13yrs as an installer, hydraulic tech, tester, and electrical tech. My hands and forearms haven't hurt like this in about 5yrs lol. If you are not one for manual labor, you will want to pay for the install. It is totally doable on a weekend by a DIY person. I've never done upholstry before. It will be years before I think of doing it again. I'd rather do the timing chains and water pump on my sons Cobalt again haha.
UPDATED WITH RESULTS:
Damn, I don't plan on doing that ever again lol. Looks good, smells good, feels good to sit on, and feels even better knowing I saved over a grand doing it myself. I did not intend to do a writeup, so there are things I left out. I took photos of some things for myself as I was doing it. Sorry I didn't get better details for you guys reading in the future. It's all off memory. It's a bit backwards in order and messy.
I did not use any heat gun or steamer. It's hot and humid here in MO, worked out fine. My fingers and forearms are tired. Made a few mistakes and learned some things.
I'll post some tools and more pics later
DIY WRITEUP & PHOTOS:
Tools I used:
-Dykes/side cutters,6-8"
-Hog Ring Pliers (Harbor Freight)
-Needle nose plyers, 6"
-Flat head screwdriver or small prybar
-Fir tree removal tool if you have one
-1/4" impact driver
-socket extension
-impact socket swivel
-18mm socket (deepwell)
-13mm socket (both deep & shallow)
-10mm socket (deepwell, I think size is right, airbags)
-T50, T30 & T20 torx bits/driver
-Razor knife (smaller, for cutouts of rear cargo anchors, rear seat latch releases and headrests)
-Plastic bags(for front headrests)
-Vaccuum (for front headrests)
-Hog Rings (I found these Dewalt ones for ~$12 at Tractor Supply Company. Work great. Really sharp and are staggard so they wrap around without the tips touching ()
Cut holes for the headrest, rear cargo anchors, etc. with a small razor knife. Cut holes smaller than the plastic so it hides under when you press down.
Go slow, and don't screw it up
The plastic guard has one T30 Bolt under the butt-hip area of seat, and one spring clip that pops in near the T50 hing bolt. You can see the slot in the arm for the clip. Just pop it loose and manhandle the plastic off.
Don't forget to put this inner plastic guard back on BEFORE bolting the legs to the floor. I had to take it back apart a little. the inner arms arm close together, so you have to twist/pursuade the plastic guard back on there.
All the seat bolt covers just pop out with spring clips
Don't get in a hurry and be a dummy with the razor knife like me. You do NOT need to cut a slit in the section for the rear driver seat belt lol. It runs over it, not through it... Luckily my screw up hides behind the belt well.
Be careful pushing down on the cargo flaps behind the rear seats. I leaned on it, hyperextending it too much. The springs shot loose and nailed my knuckles and chest
Seat belt bolt is 18mm. After the nut is removed with deepwell 18mm and extension from under seat, use pry bar to push the spring retainer washer loose. I pryed it up a little and cut it with dykes. It did not want to come off.
Use something like cable or thick string to pull the zippers on and off. One of my zippers sliders broke. I found a #5 zipper slider at Hobby Lobby for a purse that worked perfectly.
Air bags have two nuts on the inside-rear of seat frame;outside facing edge of seat. Might have been 10mm socket, I didn't take note of that. Bags slide out of the yellow sleeve. I did not unhook my battery. You can though. Once I hooked my seat connectors back in, there were no warning lights on dash.
I actually used needle nose pliers for the new hog ring crimps more often then hog ring pliers. There just isn't much working room in there. Maybe my hog ring pliers were a little big. Have a good 6" set of needle nose. You have to be sort of rough and force your way into the foam.
Have some sharp dykes, maybe two pair. You will cut a lot of hog rings.
The front headrests-look up the plastic bag vaccuum trick on Youtube, it works. I even used Walmart bags and it worked haha.
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