Seat cover replacement and foam replacement.

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The Grey Beast

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well my 2011 Chevy Tahoe lower drives side seat is cracked and needs replacing. I want to replace the foam seating as well. I want to try to replace it myself but this isn’t something I can get wrong and expect to drive the Tahoe comfortably .

Does anyone know what the dealer charges? Do you recommend buying the parts and taking it to someone that can assemble it.? I’ve been doing research and the foam and seat cover runs together about $300 dollars. I don’t have the tools to dissemble and resemble.

Thanks ahead of time.

Ken
 

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petethepug

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Aftermarket is the way to go. Especially in black, as the color match is exact. OEM padding is still available and around $1h for the base. It can be done without removing the seat and takes a few hours your first time.

Check out the YouTube videos. It makes a hellava difference. The dealer would get you for about 5-$6h for one base. Aftermarket is about $2h per base.
 

Geotrash

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well my 2011 Chevy Tahoe lower drives side seat is cracked and needs replacing. I want to replace the foam seating as well. I want to try to replace it myself but this isn’t something I can get wrong and expect to drive the Tahoe comfortably .

Does anyone know what the dealer charges? Do you recommend buying the parts and taking it to someone that can assemble it.? I’ve been doing research and the foam and seat cover runs together about $300 dollars. I don’t have the tools to dissemble and resemble.

Thanks ahead of time.

Ken
I did mine in my '07 on a Saturday afternoon. I used the foam and leather from The Seat Shop. Really nice quality stuff. Relatively easy job as well. They have helpful videos on their site that help you avoid messing something up.
 
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The Grey Beast

The Grey Beast

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Nice response thank
You. I have heated seats. Did you just change the cover or the pad too
 

Geotrash

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Nice response thank
You. I have heated seats. Did you just change the cover or the pad too
Both. No point in doing just the cover because it's the worn/flattened foam that accelerates the wear on the leather. I have heated seats as well and the heating pad is easy to move to the new seat foam. The Seat Shop includes the adhesive to stick it to the new seat foam.
 
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The Grey Beast

The Grey Beast

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Sorry I re-read your post. You did mention both. I’m getting a quote from the dealer but this looks like a doable thing to change for even me. Thanks again for the links’s. I’ll let you know what I end up doing.

Thank you.

Ken
 

Gearz

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I change the drivers seat pad and cushion on my 2011 Tahoe LTZ last month. You need to remove the seat with inverted torx bits, and put the seat on a work table so you can turn it upside down. I have heated and cooled seat options so there wasn't any pads to deal with because it uses a blower system.. The biggest issue is that there are plastic clips that latch on to the metal frame of the seat frame and the outside of the drivers side can be torn if your not careful so a wide plastic putty knife is a good option. I use Gm parts from a dealer on sale and cost me $290.00. The seat looks brand new and feels much nicer. You have to have some kind of mechanical skills but if you don't I would find a shop that is willing to do the job. I would estimate around 2-3 hours in labor plus the parts so it can be costly. Make note that if you don't replace the cushion it is very possible that the plastic retainers that hold the leather seat to the cushion will tear.
 

truckindon71

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well my 2011 Chevy Tahoe lower drives side seat is cracked and needs replacing. I want to replace the foam seating as well. I want to try to replace it myself but this isn’t something I can get wrong and expect to drive the Tahoe comfortably .

Does anyone know what the dealer charges? Do you recommend buying the parts and taking it to someone that can assemble it.? I’ve been doing research and the foam and seat cover runs together about $300 dollars. I don’t have the tools to dissemble and resemble.

Thanks ahead of time.

Ken
You don't need any special tools ,I'm replacing my seat covers now,there are a few videos on YouTube,also you can order the covers off eBay
 

Gearz

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Disconnect the battery because of the air bag! You need inverted torx sockets for bolts and nuts. 5 in total including the seat belt. E-16 & E-20 internal Star Sockets. Wide plastic putty knife like 3-4 inches wide. Like I said be careful with the outer clip because it's only held on by foam and leather that will tear if your not careful then you have to repair it with a sewing needle and nylon thread to reattach it. Good luck
 

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