Contemplating Leather for Cloth Seat Swap

l008com

Original poster
Member
Feb 19, 2016
942
Massachusetts
So I'm thinking about doing a swap like this. Giving up my leather seats and installing cloth. Obviously leather looks the best, I know. But I find cloth seats to be much more comfortable. And far less ice cold to the touch (it is currently 17° out). And cloth tends to hold you in place, where with leather, I tend to slide all over the place. I only weight 155lb-ish, most car seats are made for people much fatter than I. The result is lots of rolling around the seats around corners.

If I did this, I would expect to swap with someone whose seats were perfect like mine. And since mine are more valuable, I'd expect them to be paying me some amount of cash with the swap.

Details aside, is there any technical info I need to know about this? I assume the seats all come out with a few bolts? Are there different connectors for different sets of seat options, or do they all use the same connectors, just with unused pins? Do all these trucks use the same seats? I know the SS seats say "SS" on them, but I believe mine say nothing. Is it the same for GMC, Saab, Olds etc?
Would a cloth seat be any easier or harder to disassemble and install heated seats into?

I'm certainly not *definitely* doing this. But I'm thinking about it.

I've had lots of cloth and lots of leather seats over the years. The worst leather was a 2006 Acura TL. I sweat those seats are made for people that weigh 300lbs and up. I was all over the place on those seats. I've had a million S10s all cloth, and when the seats were new and clean, they were awesome. I had a 2010 leather Camaro and then a 2013 cloth Camaro. Other than the lack of heated seats, the 2013 seats were way more comfortable. My RX8's had leather seats that held on to you very tight. They were like little race car seats, wrapped right around you.
 

littleblazer

Member
Jul 6, 2014
9,267
Most of the cloth seats you're going to find are going to be full manual. That's something to consider. Aside from the slight wear on the drivers side from getting in and out mine are near perfect. :tongue: and yes it's like 4 bolts and a few plugs. The plugs changed over the years iirc.
 
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hockeyman

Member
Aug 26, 2012
726
I have leather seats in my '11 Acadia and want to put cloth covers on them due to the hot summer months that are coming!

Anyhow, headrests will most likely have to come off but that's not too hard if you either have the the buttons that releases them, or something like this (minus the handkerchief):
 

gpking

Member
Dec 27, 2013
534
Berkeley Springs, WV
Cloth seats are fully manual and only utilize the connector for the seat belt sensor, which is there for all seats power and non-power.
I swapped manual cloth for power leather (http://gmtnation.com/forums/threads/how-to-convert-power-memory-seats-to-power-seats.15314/) and only had to add wiring for the power functions.

You might want to look into reupholstering your seats you already have. I assume the cloth and leather coverings are the same dimensionally, so you could could buy the cloth coverings and swap them out.
Or just buy all cloth seats from the local pick-a-part if you can find a set that's not completely trashed.
If first gen seats are identical to second gen ones and you're willing to make the trek to Maryland at some point I'd give you a good deal on my old ones. I have no need for them, they're just wasting space in the basement. The design screams 1990 though.
 

l008com

Original poster
Member
Feb 19, 2016
942
Massachusetts
Yeah I was looking at TBs on cars.com last night, definitely lots of cloth power drivers seats. My passenger leather seat is manual now which is fine.

Also what do you mean first and second generation? Surely you don't mean you imported a 2013+ TB from overseas?
 

littleblazer

Member
Jul 6, 2014
9,267
S10 vs tb?
 

HARDTRAILZ

Moderator
Nov 18, 2011
49,665
Alot of people think the 06 change with HP and the change to LT front makes it a different generation. Some electrical and stuff is different plus ABS setup. Enough differences to be seen and a changeover.breaking point in the years.
 

jsheahawk

Member
Jan 16, 2013
533
Kansas City
Well, I just threw two perfectly fine cloth-covered seats away because no one wanted them. I'd have sent you the covers for the cost of shipping. Wha waaaaaaaaa.
 

djthumper

Administrator
Nov 20, 2011
14,956
North Las Vegas
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