1997 Chevy Tahoe Auto Interior Restoration - Time-Worn Fabric

Removal
1.Unplug the electrical connectors, before you try to remove the front seats. This will ensure you don't spend any money or time replacing plastic connectors or rewiring the seat.

2. We pulled the seats out to take a look at how the stock equipment was constructed and to compare them to the new seat covers.

3. Our project was equipped with armrests, and removing them was done by pulling the retaining clip off of the armrest post. You can get to this by unfastening the plastic J hook located on the bottom of the backrest and then reaching up inside.

4. The rear headrests come off by pushing on the release tabs at the headrest mounts. The front has the same type of release, but there are no tabs on the mounts to release the headrest. The headrest mounts have small holes that require a pick to release them.

5. Removing the track assembly and hinge brackets allowed us to get to the cushion (section of the seat you sit on), where the stock seat material was anchored.

6. After the track assemblies and hinge brackets were removed, we cleaned seat bases for the new coat of black paint to match the new carpet and seat color.

7. We pulled the seat cover over the cushion, only to find that fitting these covers was going to require some sewing. Because the back seat folds down to provide the Tahoe with storage room, the backrests and cushions are covered with utility carpet. This carpet is attached to the seat cover material on one side and is fixed to the seat frame by way of a long plastic fastener. Without an industrial-strength sewing machine and other upholstery tools, we weren't going to be able to finish the job.

1. We called the pros at Stitchcraft Custom Interiors in Huntington Beach, California, to show us how it was done. We took our freshly removed seats and door panels to their shop, and they started where we left off. The seatback carpet was measured and marked for fitment.

2. A razor made quick work of the stitching that held the stock plastic fastener to the carpet.

3. The carpet back was folded on the marked line, and the stock plastic fastener was sewn to the new upholstery.

4. Stock seats have a molded-tight look. This is because the material is glued to the cushion. In order to get the new seat cover to form to the molded foam, the stock seam was cut out to enhance the foam's shape and to make room for the stitched seam or seam allowance of the new seat cover.

5. After the cut seams were removed, along with about half an inch of foam, the freshly carved gutters and seat cover seams were sprayed with glue.

6. The seat cover was pulled over the foam and pushed down to stick the glue. This pulls the cover down into the gutter to create a tight, clean look.

7. The upper portion of the rear seat has a fold-out cupholder and armrest, making the fitment a bit harder to manipulate.

8. After the material was pulled over the foam, the upholstery was fitted by a slapping motion that slightly moves the skin over the foam surface. This slapping action was done to every panel till all the wrinkles were out and the technician was happy with the fit.

9. One of the tools of the trade is a pair of special pliers named Hog Ring pliers. We assume they are called this because they create a small ring, much like the ring in a hog's nose.

10. The material was held in place by plastic fasteners and Hog Rings, the metal clips manipulated by the Hog Ring pliers.

11. The carpet and fabric are held together by a hook-and-loop system. Another one of the carpet's jobs is to hold the seat cover in position on the foam. This helps keep the edges of the interior smooth.

12. Getting the edges right is as simple as making sure the seam allowance is lying to one side of the corner. This job took some time, as you can see the Stitchcraft tech used a large-blade flat-head screwdriver to squeeze into the tight area of the armrest to adjust the seam.

13. With the seams straight, slots were cut into the upper fabric of the rear armrest to hold the tightly pulled material down on top. Then, the lower portion was pulled tight and stapled in place, after which the plastic cupholder/armrest was reassembled.

14. Holes were then cut into the rear armrest, where it was fastened to the fold-out bracket.