Radian in 98 suburban

[zeo2ski]

I can't get it FFing in any seat. But I found a thread on here saying a couple people were able to get it in. They were twisting the female end 2x and the latchplate 180*. So I tried it, and mine would only twist 1.5x, and after a LOT of fighting I got it buckled and the top of the seat was solid, side to side was solid, but when I yank the front out, it would slide out significantly--several inches.

What else can I try? I had given up on the seat installing, but then I read that some people--techs--were able to get it in...

[unityco]

I don't know if there's much difference between a '98 and a '97, but I've had my Radian installed FF in my parents' '97 Suburban (and my uncle's '96.) I used the centre lapbelt position of the second row in both cases.

It's not an easy install, nor the most secure I've ever had, but it's within acceptable limits (less than 1" movement.) I can only get the female stalk twisted once, and I do flip the male end 180°. I also use the recline base.

You only need to test for movement AT THE BELT PATH. Grab with your weaker hand where the belt goes through the seat and check for forward and side-to-side movement there only. You shouldn't be "yanking" the front of the seat, or pulling the top. You can tether it (once you've ensured it's independently secure with the seat belt) to a third row belt.

I hope that helps! :)

ETA: I'm not a tech, and I've never had those installations checked by one. :o

[zeo2ski]

Yeah, you are one of the ones I saw on the other thread! I removed the plastic pieces around the stalks and was able to get 2 full twists in the middle row and 3 in the third row.

*You only need to test for movement AT THE BELT PATH. Grab with your weaker hand where the belt goes through the seat and check for forward and side-to-side movement there only. You shouldn't be "yanking" the front of the seat, or pulling the top.*

Well yes, at the belt path it is "acceptable" but why shouldn't I be checking by yanking out the front? when I do pull it, I get 5-6 inches of movement where the whole seat slouches down, and THEN it is loose at the belt path also. I'm not convinced that is an acceptable install. Techs?

[Gypsy]

Are you using the recline?

[zeo2ski]

Yes, I've done it with and without the recline, twisted the stalk and rotated the buckle 180*, kneel IN the seat to do it...

So now I've been told that it's okay that it comes out at the front, since FFing seats are designed to move in a crash, and that a seat that moves in the front is just AS safe as a rock solid all around install. Is this right? If I keep this seat I'll be getting it checked for sure, but right now I'm deciding which seat to keep (radian, truefit, signo--truefit and signo have not arrived yet), and I don't want to just give up on the radian because of the install IF it is actually okay. I do like the 8 years and the potential for three across in my third row, but I like other things about the others (like the side impact).

[Gypsy]

Absolutely NOT.

It can't move more than an inch side to side or front to back at the belt path to be considered an acceptable install. This is the biggest installation issue I have found with the Radian, it appears to be a great install, then the whole bottom just slips forward - not good!

[zeo2ski]

Thank you, that's what I thought!! I can't understand why you would only want to check at the belt path. The way it goes in, perfectly tight at the belt path, it seems a toddler climbing in and out of it would be enough to wiggle it loose over time.

I think what I'll do is try like heck to get it installed "good enough" and then return it, go with probably the signo for now, then approach the radian again if I ever do need to do 3 across in the third row of this vehicle.

Question though--with the new ones having the grippy base (will the XT have it too?), won't that give the false impression of a good install?

[strollerfreak]

That is the *EXACT SAME PROBLEM* I had...and I have a '99 Suburban!

I could twist the snot out of the buckle stalks and it would give the appearance of a good installation, but as soon as I tried the front to back, it would loosen up and move like crazy like you are describing.

I was taught at my tech class that if you have a feeling that the installation isn't the best that you SHOULD check the front to back motion, and have had several senior checkers (including one who is a CPST-I) check seats that same way at check events just to make sure that the seat was installed 100% properly.

This is a video clip I made after I tried, and tried and tried to get the darn thing installed properly... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8tRNyM3oqU

Then I found this video clip on YouTube (maybe it's someone here?) that's basically the same thing in a different vehicle... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvR-BKqjrNs&NR=1

I thought I was crazy! Everyone keeps saying how great they can get them to install, and I really would like to get 3 across my 3rd row with kid #5 on the way. I was about to buy another one and try again just to make sure I wasn't crazy!

[zeo2ski]

That second video is exactly what mine does!

For three across, the radian does install RFing in mine. You could keep that RFing in the third row with two other seats (I fit it with a Marathon and a snugride, or a booster). Problem is once your youngest has to FF, then you're stuck.

Another idea I've considered would be any booster that's not belted/LATCHed/tethered in would be easy to put on the second row entry seat and just slide it forward and back to get kids in the third row. Would be tough to get in to buckle though, unless you took the booster out and maybe set it in the front while buckling, then move it back. Quite a process but should be do-able. Do you have any other ideas for 5? I'm curious how to do it. I can't believe my big suburban can't fit any more than a minivan!

[strollerfreak]

That second video is exactly what mine does!

For three across, the radian does install RFing in mine. You could keep that RFing in the third row with two other seats (I fit it with a Marathon and a snugride, or a booster). Problem is once your youngest has to FF, then you're stuck.

Another idea I've considered would be any booster that's not belted/LATCHed/tethered in would be easy to put on the second row entry seat and just slide it forward and back to get kids in the third row. Would be tough to get in to buckle though, unless you took the booster out and maybe set it in the front while buckling, then move it back. Quite a process but should be do-able. Do you have any other ideas for 5? I'm curious how to do it. I can't believe my big suburban can't fit any more than a minivan!

Right now I have a Decathalon & a Parkway in the 3rd row, and in the second row I have a RF Roundabout & a FF Wizard. When #5 comes along, the kiddo in the FF Wizard will move back to where the kiddo in the Parkway is and the kiddo in the Parkway will move to that access spot, and like you said, the booster will just have to get taken in/out when we go somewhere with all 5 of 'em.

My 2nd row access seat doesn't slide though, it just tumbles forward, and during the week if I put the kiddo who is in a booster full time there I can leave it tumbled down so the other kids still have easy access back there. :thumbsup:

[zeo2ski]

Right-o! That slide feature is easier than flipping my seat all the way down, but you still have to tip the seat back forward to slide it, and it doesn't leave a ton of room to get in and out, so you're not missing much!

[Jewels]

Then I found this video clip on YouTube (maybe it's someone here?) that's basically the same thing in a different vehicle... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvR-BKqjrNs&NR=1


To me, in this video it looks like they are really pulling hard to test for movement (and with two hands) which seems to be loosening the seat. At the start of the video you can see there isn't much movement and then they move to the bottom part of the seat and at first there isn't much movement but the more it is pulled back and forth with that force the more loose it becomes with each pull.

[zeo2ski]

To me, in this video it looks like they are really pulling hard to test for movement (and with two hands) which seems to be loosening the seat. At the start of the video you can see there isn't much movement and then they move to the bottom part of the seat and at first there isn't much movement but the more it is pulled back and forth with that force the more loose it becomes with each pull.

Right. They are pulling hard. But a child climbing in and out of the seat, over time, would cause the same looseness. Is that acceptable?

Also, if the seat were fairly wedged between two other CRs, that should solve a lot of the "loosening over time." So as long as it installs well AT THE BELT PATH, and then the other seats are installed next to it, it should be okay?

I am not comfortable with the way it installs at the moment, but in the future, if I need to get three across, I may try the radian again.

[Jewels]

Right. They are pulling hard. But a child climbing in and out of the seat, over time, would cause the same looseness. Is that acceptable?

Also, if the seat were fairly wedged between two other CRs, that should solve a lot of the "loosening over time." So as long as it installs well AT THE BELT PATH, and then the other seats are installed next to it, it should be okay?

I am not comfortable with the way it installs at the moment, but in the future, if I need to get three across, I may try the radian again.


Pretty much any seat will loosen when checking for movement is checked like that. You only need to use one and at the belt path and pull not yank to see if there is movement.

Seats in a 3 across can give you a false sense of it being a tight install so it is extremely important that each seat is installed independeantly of each other.

If the seat is installed properly there is no way that a child climbing into the seat would cause it to tip. Also, I know that my seat would not loosen that much just from having my DS climb into it.

Could you show us pictures? The frist time I installed my RN in my vehicle I could not get a tight install both side to side and the front of the seat pulled away. With a few tricks I learned here (http://www.car-seat.org/showthread.php?t=28939)(twisting the buckle stalk, putting down the FF foot and pulling from the buckle stalk to tighten the seatbelt) and a few more persistent installs I was able to figure it out and now have yet to come across a difficult RN install . . . although I have not tired a suburban yet ;)

[zeo2ski]

I did do all the tricks listed in that post, except I twisted the female end a full 3 X in the third row, 2x was all I could get in the middle row, and I also ended up rotating the male end 180 degrees as well.
In that first picture there, I see the buckle is at the height of the belt path, rather than below. I thought this was what was causing the trouble for me, but maybe not since it didn't cause a problem for that person's install.
I don't have any pics, and the car is not here at the moment. I'm not sure pics would help explain much though, it's exactly like that second utube video.

Climbing in and out would not make it tip, but it would push it side to side and little by little, I imagine it would loosen the way it did in the video clip--even though they're using excessive force to check it, small amounts of force would add up over time, wouldn't they?

On a side note, my truefit came in today and installs fine FFing in the same seat (but I have to go back and try RFing again). But FFing, before using the locking clip, it was doing almost the same thing as the radian. So those locking clips really make a huge difference.

[Jewels]

On a side note, my truefit came in today and installs fine FFing in the same seat (but I have to go back and try RFing again). But FFing, before using the locking clip, it was doing almost the same thing as the radian. So those locking clips really make a huge difference.

Are you talking about a locking clip or the built in lock-offs on the TF?

I don't think that you are allowed to use a locking clip with the TF since you would use the built in lock-offs.

[snowbird25ca]

How hard is it to make the seat slip forward? The normal problem with radian's is that they are rock solid side to side, but slip easily front to back. I find with not fixing that front to back looseness, I can't tighten the harness without the front pulling forward and the install becoming instantly unacceptable.

Tightness should be checked with one hand at the belt path, but it should be checked side to side and front to back. If the seat is easily slipping forward, then it's definitely not acceptable. If you're worried about if you're tugging too hard, you can always put one of your kids in the seat and tighten the harness and see what happens. Then you'll know 100% for sure what would happen with daily use.

I have seen vehicles with seating locations that the radian is 100% incompatible. I actually was in contact with a couple other techs on this board through PM about the same vehicle because they'd had problems with it too, and we brainstormed a few different ideas - but none of them worked. So there are definitely vehicles that the seat is incompatible with - or at least seating locations. The seat installed beautifully with LATCH in the 2nd row, but 3rd row was a no-go.

[zeo2ski]

Sorry, I meant lock offs on the true fit--I just had the image of that style lock off in my head and I guess it made me think of a clip.

So great news--I got it in solid! The trick that made the difference (well, ALL the tips came in handy and I used many of what you all suggested) was kneeling DOWN, not back on it. And it was solid all around--even when I did yank it from the front! I got those great results in the third row outboard drivers side, and third row center seat. Both FFing. Now DH and I are off to try the rest of the seating positions--this is very exciting! Now if only I had time to wait for that XT to come out...

Thank you all so much for all your tips. I ended up doing three full rotations of the female end, pulling it out a little from the bite, using the recline, and kneeling down rather than back/down. Plus of course reaching through the velcro to tighten. I'm very grateful to all of you for taking the time to argue with me!

[Jewels]

Sorry, I meant lock offs on the true fit--I just had the image of that style lock off in my head and I guess it made me think of a clip.
I just wanted to make sure ;)


I'm very grateful to all of you for taking the time to argue with me!
Glad you got it figured out :thumbsup: