1009 Reclining Seat Project.

In preparation for our trip to Aberdeen next week, I have had to devise a way to make the seats in the 1009 recline. This was a stipulation of getting the wife to ride in it for 6 hours I have been thinking this plan over for quite some time, and had decided that I would try to take the seats from my brothers 84 Monte Carlo. The problem was 1. They weren't 'Right' and 2. They are Blue! So yesterday, I went and started taking measurements, to verify they would fit, and just figured I could either paint them with 'vinyl-upholstery' paint, or I could always put covers on them. Well, in my measuring, I had a brilliant idea. I popped the plastic covers off the side of the seats, and measured the bolt holes. Come to find out, the metal hinge points are a direct bolt in from the reclining seats!! So now, my stock 1009 seats recline, AND I repainted the blue plastic covers to replace my busted up ones

Another bonus.... You 1009 owners may have noticed, that the stock seats have too much 'recline' built into them, and you feel leaned back too far all the time. This setup fixes that, as the top position on the reclining seats, is more upright.

the only thing I have to modify on the setup now, is I have to make something work for the release cable on the passenger seat. I think a little weld and some custom engineering should make that happen too.

To much recline? It feels just fine to me. Nice info on how to make it reclining. Your info on the battery trays worked out great.
Great work on getting the wife to ride in the truck. My wife said she is not riding on anything with a camo paint job and she was in the Army too.

Chuck

Yeah, I got told the same thing... thats why its solid green.

I prefer to sit upright more than the stock seats were. Its a comfort thing I guess.

Me too on sitting upright. when I'm leaning back in any seat, its just flat out uncomfortable. I hate that feeling.

It may be that I want to leave more room to duck if there is any incoming fire. I always have my seat reclined a bit. I guess it is one of the habits I picked up from hours of driving a partrol car. I do not recline it all the way back and lean to one side like some of the kids do nowadays.

Er..Uh.. Don't Blazer seats recline?? You could probably just swap out the arms, etc.

All the 1009's I have seen dont

Bwaaahaaaahaa
You finally got to use that Kenny..

Mike,
Nice tip.

Allow me some introspection. If I EVER get an M1009, I will be pulling the stock seats and replacing them with seats from a Suburban. They recline and have arm rests, which I prefer.

I guess you could have pulled the reclining part out of a Sub also. The auto manufacturers made things pretty standard on purpose. AND THIS TIME I'm going to listen to my upholsterer and put in heated seat inserts and vibrators for those long trips. Like a warm massage when you drive those LOOONG trips. To make the missus happy you HAVE to have them in the passenger seat also, eh?

jim

Just checked the seats in my '87 Blazer Silverado. Yep, they recline. Now a previous owner could have swaped them out but mine do

I'll compare them to the M1009s I have. I'd be surprised if you couldn't just swap the hardware.

My hardware came from a Monte Carlo, so I would be almost positive they will from a blazer

Nifty idea, although I love the bench seat in mine, I will prolly eventually put a set of bucket suspension seats. They also have suspension seats in the size of the small middle seat to take up the space where a console would go.

Are the seats supposed to just fold forward or should I have to use the latch to fold them up for rear access? Right now mine just fold over with out having to unlatch them or anything.

I have often wondered why more people don't trade out the military seat in the deuces for more comfortable seats. I dont own one but still it seems like an option to look into, almost anything is better than the butt busters they come with.

Added my mod thread for association and pictures:

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showth...1009-Reclining-Seat-Mod&p=1350414#post1350414

Believe it or not, when the Hum-Vees first showed up in Army inventory one of the hot mods was a M1009 seat for the front passenger in the Hummer (usually only seen in Sargent Major or Battalion Commander's Hummers, not for the great unwashed). Stock front passenger seat in a military Hummer was worse than being waterboarded.

Also, when you were in full "battle rattle". i.e TA-50, flak vest, the recline of the M1009 seat made sense, as the flak vest took up the slack and you were sitting up straight.