Seat back locking

[supreme_style21]

Instead of whoring up the other thread about seat back locking, I'll ask here.

 

Are these seat backs SUPPOSED to lock? Sure would be nice if they did. I was coming back home the other weekend and had to lock up the wheels for a bunch of deer... and whatta know... everything I had packed up in the back ended up on the front floor, front seat, the dash, and my lap.

[terryk2003]

i don't think they're supposed to...i mean, mine don't (or, @ least i've never had em lock)..i think it just relys on the weight of someone being in the seat & them having their seatbelt on...then the seatback wouldnt come forward...i'm not 100% positive on this...but, i KNOW mine don't like either...

[Justin]

I've never had a problem with the locks on any of my cars, I've seen them work many times on the CS I drive now, (deer and suburban). There is a pic in the service manual showing that if you have the seat on a bench, then tilt the entire seat forward, bottom and everything, the back should lock. So gravity and inertia should both do it.

[supreme_style21]

Huh.. It never worked in that '89 and now this '95 doesn't work. There is a little lever/knob in the location that every other brand places they're locking lever, but it does nothing. They rarely cause a problem... its just more of a matter of fixing an annoyance.

[Justin]

Yeah that lever really is completely useless. I believe the technical use of it is if you're parked on a (really) steep hill, facing downward. The seatbacks should be locked back, then release with the lever. It is really dumb though, I like to put my arm around the pass. seat when backing up, and in the W's the seat just flips forward.

[Cutlass88er]

There's a nob? My 88 cs never locked, and IIRC it didn't have a nob? Did I get gypted?

[Brian P]

My locks work when I stop short or park facing downhill.

[THe_DeTAiL3R]

Well I have the seats from my 88' in my 95, and they don't lock. Hard breaking, shit flys forward. I have the original seats here in the basement, so I took a look at them and the levers look like they do nothing.. the seats will not lock. :? Was also the same on our 1985 Tbird.

I think they probably break the first time you force them forward without using the lever.

[z34_nut]

well my lock have never worked in my car.

 

kinda weird if you ask me.

[GutlessSupreme]

One of the seats I have locks, and the little black lever does work. The other two don't.

[supreme_style21]

So what is the mechanism that makes these lock?

[cutlsp]

i wish i knew but i at least have 2 sets of seats that lock for my cutlasses finally

[1990lumina]

IIRC the owners manual says something about these are suppose to lock and when you pull the level up the seat is suppose to tilt forward and slide forward?

I know that's at least what happens in my friends J-Body Cavalier. His seat stopped sliding and it was some spring that fell off the bottom of the seat...I checked under my seats for springs that have broken or anything but turned up with nothing.

 

- Jeff L.

[jeremy]

........mine lock correctly.....

[GnatGoSplat]

The seats are supposed to have an inertia lock like the seatbelts.

They're designed to fold forward freely, but are supposed to lock on hard braking, pointed downhill, etc. The release lever is so you can unlock it if it should lock on a hill.

 

That said, my 89's seats fly forward on hard braking. I don't think the inertia lock works, or if they do, it takes a helluva lot more inertia to lock them than hard braking. I don't know if the 94 has this problem or not. I've never seen W-body seats that are locked at rest. I would guess ones that do are defective or have been modified.

[Regal_GS_1989]

Hmmmm, Both My 88 and 89 regal seats lock up when I brake. I don't have to brake that hard either to lock them up.