Child Car Seat Installation

Hey there, I just got a new carseat for my daughter it is a graco comfortsport convertible carseat and I don't know if the 1991 Blazer S10 are equiped with the latch system.  Can someone help me out here and let me know what the proper way to install this car seat for my daughter would be.  Should I use the seatbelt or the latch system?
Tiredduck

Your truck will not have the latch system.  I don't think they became mandatory until '01 or '02...  So yeah, you are limited to using the seatbelt.  If you are installing it forward facing and you have a tie down location behind the rear seats, then use that for the top strap on the seat.  This is how I have my son's seat installed in my Bravada.

I'd love to find the parts to install the latch system into my Bravada.  I'd also like to find the latch system for my Bonneville as well.  It would make switching the car seat between the two SO much easier!

Thank you.  That information is very helpful.  

quote:

ORIGINAL: swartlkk

Your truck will not have the latch system.  I don't think they became mandatory until '01 or '02...  So yeah, you are limited to using the seatbelt.  If you are installing it forward facing and you have a tie down location behind the rear seats, then use that for the top strap on the seat.  This is how I have my son's seat installed in my Bravada.

I'd love to find the parts to install the latch system into my Bravada.  I'd also like to find the latch system for my Bonneville as well.  It would make switching the car seat between the two SO much easier!

If you did find a way to install the latch system in your truck, if I were you I wouldn't. I read an article that stated there have been several strangulation fatalities of children who's parents use the latch system to secure their car seats. Why take that risk? I just do it the old fashioned way to make sure my boys are safe.

A properly installed latch system in no way could strangle a child, period.  If a parent somehow managed to strangle their kids with the latch system, they were not fit to be parents.  There is no difference, strength or fit/function wise, between a properly installed latch system and using the seatbelt to hold the car seat in.  One major difference for me is that it would be SO much easier to move the seat from vehicle to vehicle.  3 clips and it's in.  Sinch it down with the belt provided and you're done.  As it is now, I have to move that freakin' seat belt clip from vehicle to vehicle, put everything in only to find that the clip isn't adjusted right and screw around for another 1/2 hour to get it right (1/2 hr because I cannot get my arm through the back of it to thread the seatbelt through).

I have have not found anything that I can simply buy and install so I will be building them myself.

What exactly are all the parts in the latch system?
 
I don't have kids, so... lol

Just the lower anchor points in the case of a Blazer/Jimmy/Bravada.  I use one of the rear cargo tie downs for the top strap on the seat.  The wife's car has 3 anchor points (1 top & 2 bottom) and putting in the car seat is simple and fast.

I can take a peek and see how easy it is to remove them... lol

quote:

ORIGINAL: swartlkk

A properly installed latch system in no way could strangle a child, period.  If a parent somehow managed to strangle their kids with the latch system, they were not fit to be parents.  There is no difference, strength or fit/function wise, between a properly installed latch system and using the seatbelt to hold the car seat in.  One major difference for me is that it would be SO much easier to move the seat from vehicle to vehicle.  3 clips and it's in.  Sinch it down with the belt provided and you're done.  As it is now, I have to move that freakin' seat belt clip from vehicle to vehicle, put everything in only to find that the clip isn't adjusted right and screw around for another 1/2 hour to get it right (1/2 hr because I cannot get my arm through the back of it to thread the seatbelt through).

I have have not found anything that I can simply buy and install so I will be building them myself.

I read it in Parents magazine, I think. Can't find the exact article but found another one you can look at. http://www.babylifestyle.com/article_sacbee_latch.html

Here's another article about the LATCH system that you might find interesting.
http://www.parents.com/parents/story.jhtml?storyid=/templatedata/parents/story/data/6074.jsp.xml

And I understand what you mean about having to move car seats. My husband and I drove different vehicles (both sports cars, what a pain!!) and we were constantly having to move my sons 2 car seats. When I bought the Blazer I decided to buy another set of car seats just to make it that much simpler.

Also, you mentioned your arm is too big to thread the seatbelt thru the back...my husband had this problem. He started having our oldest do it for him...he'd push it thru a little bit and say "Here buddy, reach in and grab the other end."...he was only 3 at the time but it worked, LOL.

1st article has nothing to do with the LATCH system, but more to do with the unused seat belt.  Easily avoidable if the parent actually thinks about it.

2nd article is on specific seats.  Any seat found to be unsafe usually is quickly removed from the market.

And we'd have to have 3 sets of car seats...  While that is an option, it is not one I will entertain.  Reason being is that I also have to routinely remove the car seat (soon to be seats - plural) for work purposes and toss it in the back or in the trunk.

While my son could help out, he rarely is around when I'm doing the swap between vehicles or just reinstalling it in the vehicle I'm currently driving.  The lower anchors just make it easier.  Being the engineer that I am, I can design a system that, although it may cost me good, will work flawlessly.

quote:

ORIGINAL: swartlkk

While my son could help out, he rarely is around when I'm doing the swap between vehicles or just reinstalling it in the vehicle I'm currently driving.  The lower anchors just make it easier.  Being the engineer that I am, I can design a system that, although it may cost me good, will work flawlessly.

 
 
You think the latch system from my '05 would bolt up to your Bravada? As I said, I've got no kids, and no plans for any for a long time, lol, so it's not something I need... Besides, I drive a 2 door... if I have kids I'm gonna get a 4 door and keep the 2 door for a toy...
 
If it's a direct swap kinda deal, I can see what kinda work it'd be to take mine out...

If you could take some pictures of the mounting.  1st of the location of the anchors with the seat up, then snap some with the seat down showing where they are mounted to the floor.  And maybe a close up of the construction of the anchor point.  That would help me out.

I'll see what I can do... I'll even look in the manual so I know wtf I need to take pictures of, lol.
 
After I sleep, though...

quote:

ORIGINAL: swartlkk

1st article has nothing to do with the LATCH system, but more to do with the unused seat belt.  Easily avoidable if the parent actually thinks about it.

2nd article is on specific seats.  Any seat found to be unsafe usually is quickly removed from the market.

And we'd have to have 3 sets of car seats...  While that is an option, it is not one I will entertain.  Reason being is that I also have to routinely remove the car seat (soon to be seats - plural) for work purposes and toss it in the back or in the trunk.

While my son could help out, he rarely is around when I'm doing the swap between vehicles or just reinstalling it in the vehicle I'm currently driving.  The lower anchors just make it easier.  Being the engineer that I am, I can design a system that, although it may cost me good, will work flawlessly.

 
Okay, okay. Just trying to help out.

Here's the pics... Looks like it's part of my seat, lol, I might be able to take that bar out...
 
The top support/tie down, goes to hooks in the cargo area...
 
 


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Thanks for the pic!  Don't worry about takin' them out.  It doesn't look like it would be all that easy...

I'm assuming your Bravada seats 3 in the back?
 
From the quick peak I had at it, I might be able to take it out... Or at least take the nuts off the end, but I think I might have to split the seat bracket to get the whole bar out, unless the threaded part moves...
 
But at least now, you know how it looks!
 
And from what I can tell, they don't move at all when the seat folds (well, they don't rotate, anyway) so if you've got the  same bar underneath, then you can probably, very easilly install it yourself (they apparently sell add-on latch systems, according to my manual)

from my experoance with my 91 s10 2 door i used the seat belt. my son is 3 months old and has to be facing the rear of the vehicle. the seat belt works the best in my opinoin. my girlfriends old aveo she had has the mounting spot for a child seat. it has small buttons with a childs seat on it. as far as i can tell on newer car seats there are two straps on the bottom of the base that have metal hooks that connect to the mounting points in the vehicle. it woulde defenently be a benefit to have 2 bases for your car seat if you drive 2 vehicles. its a pain in the butt for me to get a car seat thru the drivers side door area and plop it in the base. i personally dont see how any child could be strangled by the mounts??? i can see if you dont have a base and you use just the car seat that the belt may slip off the front and choke the child. on my chld seat which is a graco, it has an area near the front of the seat where the lap belt goes. of course the lap belt is more or less attatched down by my sons feet and not his face or torso area. as long as you feel safe with how you have the seat installed you should be fine. just make sure the handle is in the down position so if you get in an accident and the seat flips towards the back of the seat the handle wont hit it. if in doubt take the vehicle and seat to a car dealership or your local wic office and they will be more than happy to install the seat correctly for you. this is just my experianc with my son....of course the first time i mounted his seat in my blazer i couldnt figure out for the life of me why i couldnt get it to fit right. it then dawned on me after i got it hooked up he was facing me.............then i had to remove it and flip it around and it installed alot faster. stupid me i guess.
 
of course by now you prob. all ready have the seat installed and found out what a pain in the butt those things can be, if you have a 2 door.

What i don't understand is in my 7 passenger Venture, there is only 1 seat with LATCH.  I've got 3 car seats!  Go figure.    

My 92 has child seat cinch's on both sides, I have the same car seats side by side in my 92 2 door