How is the passenger seat supposed to work?

[ez at nova]

When I bought my 87 GN, I noticed the little black tab on the back, right side of the passenger seat was broken off. It looks like a tab you'd press up if you were in the back seat and it would let you out by allowing the seat to flip forward. I never really cared since you can get with mine you cna just push the seat forward without doing anything. But the other day, I noticed when I hit the brakes hard, that the seat went flipping forward, which not only seemed wrong, but dangerous. Am I correct in assuming that the passenger seat is not supposed to freely flip forward without the press of some release switch? I took off that grey plastic cover on the outside of the seat to try to see what was going on in there, but you really can't see much. I see a white piece of plastic that moves around a bit when I finagle the tab that's broken, but nothing I do "locks" the seat in the upright position. If the way mine is acting is faulty, should I look to replace that metal side mechanism piece, or is it fixable? If I should replace it, do the other G-body's have the same passenger seat operation that I could try and snag one off of them?

Thanks,
Jeff

 

[zam70]

This is one of the great mysterys of the late 80s early 90s Gms. No, the seat doesn't lock back...and it never did. I've had a number of GMs and the seat backs ALL freely swung forward. Even took a few seats apart to try to "fix" it and found there was nothing to fix.

Maybe someone else will have some insight but this is what I've concluded over the years.

 

[ez at nova]

Zam,
Thanks for the info... interesting! Then what the heck is that black tab that's broken on the back of my seat used for?

 

[scottyb]

Mystery here, too. My drivers seat would fold forward without lifting the tab, but all the sudden, I now have to lift the tab or the seat won't fold??? What's the deal?
I have seen other GM cars do the same, seat folds w/o pulling on the tab?? Why is it there?

 

[1badTTA]

Hahahaha
this is like searching for the meaning of life, every 80's or 90's GM I have owned has been like that, there is a release lever but it does nothing at all, the seat will fold forward by just pushing. My 89 TTA is the same way also, both seats are like that and it only has 40K miles on it and everything works so it must have been like that from day one.

 

[2QUIK6]

Never noticed on the GN if they lock or not, I've never had a problem with them coming forward when I slam on the brakes.
With the TTA, they don't lock and do come forward everytime I brake very hard.
My, 79 TA, they do lock cause it hacks me off everytime I try to move the seat up with my hands full and it won't move, so I have to set everything down