soft seat -- re-install issues...

[singingpond]

One of our cars has a very soft (compressible) rear seat, and one thing I've noticed, now that I have three kids back there, is that the seat seems to compress further: A) with time, and B) as I install more seats. To make this clearer with an example, DS#2's AO is installed RF in the center. I really do get the seat tight (take shoes off, get my whole weight into it, and rock to get seatbelt to latch). Then I install DS#1's Wizard outboard, also putting weight into it and getting it good and tight. Recently I took the Wizard out for some reason, and noticed that the AO was not nearly as tight as at initial installation, I think from the additional compression of the seat cushion due to the installation of the seat next to it, and perhaps because the seat cushion just gets more compressed over time.

Are incremental re-installs the only way to deal with this kind of problem? How common is this issue (I don't think I've seen anyone mention it as a typical install problem)?? Also, if I take the kids' seats out for a few days, which happens occasionally when we need the entire back vehicle space for cargo, it seems I have to start the whole cycle over again, as the seat cushion 're-inflates' itself.

Katrin

[singingpond]

Bump... maybe this is an unusual issue, as no one has chimed in with similar experiences? Perhaps I have to recruit a second adult, the larger the better, to squash down the adjacent seating position while I install the first carseat

[CDNTech]

How are you locking the seatbelt? Is it a switchable (the kind that ratchet back in when you pull them all the way out), does it lock at the latchplate (lap belt stays tight, shoulder portion is loose) or are you using a locking clip?

What type of vehicle are the seats going in (make/model/year)?

[singingpond]

Originally Posted by aidensmom02

How are you locking the seatbelt? Is it a switchable (the kind that ratchet back in when you pull them all the way out), does it lock at the latchplate (lap belt stays tight, shoulder portion is loose) or are you using a locking clip?

What type of vehicle are the seats going in (make/model/year)?

Vehicle is 1990 Ford Crown Victoria. Lapbelt only in center (and I'm pretty sure the belt is not loosening at the latchplate; I may even have flipped it over 180 degrees last time I installed, to reduce that risk), which is where the AO is in my example. Wizard is outboard in the lap/shoulder belt position, and I'm using the lockoff on the seat to hold the shoulder belt. No 'ratcheting' (switchable) belts in this vehicle.

[CDNTech]

Originally Posted by singingpond

Vehicle is 1990 Ford Crown Victoria. Lapbelt only in center (and I'm pretty sure the belt is not loosening at the latchplate; I may even have flipped it over 180 degrees last time I installed, to reduce that risk), which is where the AO is in my example. Wizard is outboard in the lap/shoulder belt position, and I'm using the lockoff on the seat to hold the shoulder belt. No 'ratcheting' (switchable) belts in this vehicle.

Those are super squishy seats... you original idea is probably the best and I would just continually check the install for the first week or two to make sure it's tight. Once you have all the squish out of it, you shouldn't have to keep rechecking it. Sorry, not much else I can tell you.

[Dillipop]

I have a buick century with super squishy seats and haven't noticed this happening yet, but that may be because I seem to switch at least one seat out every few weeks for a change (we have a lot of seats and they all want to get used!)

I'll have to be on the lookout for this though if I ever leave both seats in for a long period of time.

[tjham]

We have a Jeep wagon of some kind (not sure what) and the back seat is super squishy! It feels like just foam! I installed a Cargo back there and I felt like I was tipping over just crawling around on the seat . I'm glad we don't have to use it very often!

[all together ooky]

Originally Posted by Dillipop

I have a buick century with super squishy seats and haven't noticed this happening yet, but that may be because I seem to switch at least one seat out every few weeks for a change (we have a lot of seats and they all want to get used!)

I'll have to be on the lookout for this though if I ever leave both seats in for a long period of time.

My MIL has a Century and I was installing the Scenera in there. I felt like I was just going to keep squishing down down down. It was so weird.

[skaterbabscpst]

The seats in my Cherokee are really soft like that. I pull the belt parallel to itself to tighten, using my weight to my advantage (something easier demonstrated than explained, unfortunately.) It may help to have a second person compress the child restraint into the vehicle seat while you tighten the belt.

[An Aurora]

DH's Cherokee is super squishy as well. I haven't had a problem with the seats becoming looser, though (we have 1 Britax that we use the lockoffs with and one Triumph that we use a locking clip with. I'm not a big fan of using the Britax in it, but the Evenflo install is very tight.

[singingpond]

Updating my original post a bit... DH took the Wizard out again a few days ago to install it temporarily in a different vehicle. I rechecked the AO, out of curiosity, and again it was a bit looser than I remembered installing it (still acceptable in terms of 1" travel max., but definitely looser), and I had installed it just about as tightly as I possibly could. Then, after letting two days pass (Wizard still out of the car), the AO feels tighter again, probably as the vehicle seat re-expands a bit.

The other thing I've noticed is that the recline on the AO changes when I install the Wizard next to it. I start out installing the AO (center seat) more upright than 45 degrees -- my son who is riding in it is 2 1/2 y.o. -- and when I'm done putting in the Wizard, the recline increases, because of the deformation of the vehicle seat. So, I really need to re-re-install the AO, with less recline, before putting the Wizard back in

It's just weird, working on such a shifting surface. I wonder what type of vehicle seat facsimile the carseat crash tests are done with -- think I'll post a general question about this back on the main forum.

Katrin