Seat Recline Hack 2003 Avalanche

So I was wandering aimlessly through the CAFCNA Forums and discovered people discussing that they shared my frustration about the Chevy Avalanche seats reclining about as much as a military vehicle (doesn't recline at all) so I decided that I would do something about it and share my experiences and findings! (excuse the messy truck!)

Ok so for those who would like to embark on this journey with me! Here we go!

First remove 5 screws that hold the plastic molding that contain your seat controls.

Second simply pull gently on the lower plastic to remove it and gain access to all the goodies that await you under the seat!

It should look like this.



Now the way the seat works, is a motor spins a gear that rides along a threaded rod and there is brass keeper that prevents it from going all the way back.

As pictured here!



Using a dremel (That I ruined the little attachment to!  ) I simply cut the Brass Keeper off and used vice grips to assist in removing it.

As shown here!



And Bingo-Bango! Done your seat will now recline until it almost hits the back seat!

The picture doesnt quite do it justice but it is night and day difference in seat positions!!

Hope this helps!



Sorry I dont know why theyre side ways just tilt your head like this! 

Interesting mod. I know several have complained about that in the past. Nice find. Now you've got me wondering if there is a way to relocate that brass keeper further back on the screw to prevent it from reclining the whole way off the thread part of the screw.

.... "gangsta lean mode activated" ....

ohiobellboy said:

Interesting mod. I know several have complained about that in the past. Nice find. Now you've got me wondering if there is a way to relocate that brass keeper further back on the screw to prevent it from reclining the whole way off the thread part of the screw.

Click to expand...

If you were to use a smaller set of channel locks or something I believe it would be possible to thread it down lower but it is on there pretty tight, so it might be a little harder.

I know us old timers miss dating days when a fully reclining front seats were great on dates.....

Families liked to be able to recline on long trips to let the front passenger take a nap and as mentioned above some urban folks liked to look cool driving low in the gangster lean.

Problem is that was in the days before accident studies and safety tests became standard fare.
Depending on the accident forces this mod could allow the seat back to "break" and fall backward which would then make the seat act like the person was reclined while the vehicle was moving.....the problem there is seatbelts are not designed to hold people in place who are laying down and they would slide under the belts and hit the dash or get choked by the shoulder strap or get their neck broken. You would also be under the majority of the safety zone for the airbags too.
I would hate to have someone in my AV to get injured and there was a civil lawsuit on injuries and the other side found out you "tampered" with a factory designed safety feature and their injuries resulted from your actions........
Just my .02 but I would not do this mod, if I was uncomfortable I would take a break and walk around on a trip. And unfortunately I'm too old to get busy in a vehicle anymore...

Vaeagleav said:

I know us old timers miss dating days when a fully reclining front seats were great on dates.....

I would hate to have someone in my AV to get injured and there was a civil lawsuit on injuries and the other side found out you "tampered" with a factory designed safety feature and their injuries resulted from your actions........
Just my .02 but I would not do this mod, if I was uncomfortable I would take a break and walk around on a trip. And unfortunately I'm too old to get busy in a vehicle anymore...

Click to expand...

Sounds like time for a 5 point harness...

I guess i have to add this to the list 

Vaeagleav said:

I know us old timers miss dating days when a fully reclining front seats were great on dates.....

Families liked to be able to recline on long trips to let the front passenger take a nap and as mentioned above some urban folks liked to look cool driving low in the gangster lean.

Problem is that was in the days before accident studies and safety tests became standard fare.
Depending on the accident forces this mod could allow the seat back to "break" and fall backward which would then make the seat act like the person was reclined while the vehicle was moving.....the problem there is seatbelts are not designed to hold people in place who are laying down and they would slide under the belts and hit the dash or get choked by the shoulder strap or get their neck broken. You would also be under the majority of the safety zone for the airbags too.
I would hate to have someone in my AV to get injured and there was a civil lawsuit on injuries and the other side found out you "tampered" with a factory designed safety feature and their injuries resulted from your actions........
Just my .02 but I would not do this mod, if I was uncomfortable I would take a break and walk around on a trip. And unfortunately I'm too old to get busy in a vehicle anymore...

Click to expand...

Hey!  A real old-timer would think about the bench seat.  Now THAT'S  a mod to look into.  Remember when your sweetheart could slide over to the middle of the seat and you could cuddle until she fell asleep and you'd keep driving?  Until you, too, fell asleep and woke up in a cornfield

ms38w said:

Hey!  A real old-timer would think about the bench seat.  Now THAT'S  a mod to look into.  Remember when your sweetheart could slide over to the middle of the seat and you could cuddle until she fell asleep and you'd keep driving?  Until you, too, fell asleep and woke up in a cornfield

Click to expand...

Or as Mr. Seger would say:

Out past the cornfields where the woods got heavy
Out in the back seat of my '60 Chevy
Workin' on mysteries without any clues
Workin' on our night moves

My av has a bench seat ... its definitely not the same though 

EXT4ME said:

Or as Mr. Seger would say:

Out past the cornfields where the woods got heavy
Out in the back seat of my '60 Chevy
Workin' on mysteries without any clues
Workin' on our night moves

Click to expand...

You're telling us all how old you really are. 

ohiobellboy said:

You're telling us all how old you really are. 

Click to expand...

Started humming a song from 1962 ....

Vaeagleav said:

I know us old timers miss dating days when a fully reclining front seats were great on dates.....

Families liked to be able to recline on long trips to let the front passenger take a nap and as mentioned above some urban folks liked to look cool driving low in the gangster lean.

Problem is that was in the days before accident studies and safety tests became standard fare.
Depending on the accident forces this mod could allow the seat back to "break" and fall backward which would then make the seat act like the person was reclined while the vehicle was moving.....the problem there is seatbelts are not designed to hold people in place who are laying down and they would slide under the belts and hit the dash or get choked by the shoulder strap or get their neck broken. You would also be under the majority of the safety zone for the airbags too.
I would hate to have someone in my AV to get injured and there was a civil lawsuit on injuries and the other side found out you "tampered" with a factory designed safety feature and their injuries resulted from your actions........
Just my .02 but I would not do this mod, if I was uncomfortable I would take a break and walk around on a trip. And unfortunately I'm too old to get busy in a vehicle anymore...

Click to expand...

I understand where you are coming from but I assure you that the only time the seat will be reclined like that is when I am sleeping in the truck. now that being said I only removed an 1/8 inch thick brass ring off a threaded shaft that would not compromise the structural integrity of the seat at all. Just my two cents I spose. 

ms38w said:

Hey!  A real old-timer would think about the bench seat.  Now THAT'S  a mod to look into.  Remember when your sweetheart could slide over to the middle of the seat and you could cuddle until she fell asleep and you'd keep driving?  Until you, too, fell asleep and woke up in a cornfield

Click to expand...

Well unless you live in the mountains well asleep once driving home yeah I woke up really fast!!!!!!  it wasn't a fun experience however just for that reason I want a bench seat in the front being 17 I would love to have my girl sit next to me

Did this mod on the driver seat prior to my trip to OH a couple of months back.
Used a dremel to cut into the channel lock instead of breaking it off, I cut it so so it was just loose enough to turn it like a nut and screwed it with the pliers until I got it almost to the end.
The seat reclines and now stops where I want it to.
On the other hand I tried to do the same thing on the passenger side because I really only needed this mod for my girlfriend for long trips however the passenger side on mine is different.
There happens to be a spring on that side with a plastic cone inside the spring that I could not get to without taking the whole seat apart.

Dluvr22, any chance of getting a pic of how much (and where) you cut it, to get it to turn?

Just seen this.
I'll try to get at it this weekend and take a pic. The lady on the other hand is still asking when I will get to her seat. Especially since we had to do the Tennessee trip without a reclining seat for her.

I did this too!  I just cut into the gold collar in 2 places with the dremel until I could fit a flathead into the cuts.  Then twisted until the little piece of collar popped off.  The rest was easy after that.  Definitely an easy mod.

Thanks for the info!

-mark