How to fold or unfold the rear seats, front seats, how to transform the interior

Each motorist chooses a car based on the requirements for the vehicle. Those who are guided by practical considerations immediately evaluate the characteristics and parameters of the car, finding out whether it is suitable or not for performing certain tasks other than moving from one point to another. For many, the volume of the luggage compartment and the ability to transform the seats play a big role, which allows you to transport large loads or, if necessary, organize a sleeping place. If you have a spacious SUV or minivan available for out-of-town trips, there are no problems with providing overnight accommodation or transporting things. The transformation capabilities and large usable volume of the interiors of such vehicles provide comfortable accommodation for all passengers and luggage.

Methods of how to properly fold and unfold car seats

However, even if you have the most ordinary compact passenger car, using its functionality, in which case you can also have a pretty good place to rest or place a large cargo. As a rule, the rear seats can recline; almost every modern car offers this feature (although there are exceptions). So, by folding the rear row car seats, you can significantly expand the luggage compartment; it is advisable that they be folded at the same level with the trunk floor, then you can get a single space for cargo or a comfortable overnight stay in the car. Many cars require folding the rear seats in a 60/40 or 50/50 ratio, but there are also those in which this process is performed in 40/20/40 ratios. A more practical implementation of transforming the cabin space is the ability to move the seats of the last row forward, thereby increasing the volume of the cargo compartment without the need for folding. On some models, rear car seats

also recline back, forming a kind of bed, although the best option would still be to organize a seating area in the combined space of the spacious luggage compartment and part of the cabin.

Thoughtful design

In a passenger car, the manufacturer assumes in such a situation that the interior will be transformed. To increase trunk loading volume, the rear seats can be folded down. As a rule, they fold out in a 60/40 ratio (in some models the ratio is different, but this is rather an exception) and form a work surface combined with the trunk space.

You can load large cargo into such a space without any problems. Due to the extended loading zone, the car can now fit a refrigerator, a cabinet, and massive boxes. You just need to understand that, although the rear seats are upholstered on the trunk side with a different material that is more resistant to mechanical stress, it is still a material and not a hard surface. Corners and protruding parts of oversized cargo can tear this upholstery, then you will have to re-tighten the seats. Therefore, many drivers protect the upholstery by laying down a blanket or just a large rag.

The technology is simple. There is a lever at the top of the seat. Before unfolding the rear seats, press down on it and fold their lower part towards the back of the driver's seat. It folds back behind a loop sewn closer to the middle of the section at the junction of the upper and lower parts, or on the side of the seat. With it in a vertical position, press the lever and lower the top of the rear seat. Sometimes (in some car models) you also need to pull the seat belt to the side to do this.

The upper and lower parts of the rear seat, when unfolded, should support each other, creating a stiffening rib. This is necessary so that a heavy load, if it falls on the folded back of the seat, does not push it through. Fold out the second part of the seat in the same way. We deliberately do not say “the second half” because the ratio, as mentioned above, is usually not 50/50, but 60/40, that is, one part is larger than the other. Why was this done?

If you want to save part of the rear seat for the passenger, but not the entire width of the cabin is needed for cargo, but only a part, you fold out the corresponding part of the rear seat, leaving the second for normal use.

Headrests

The rear seats are equipped with another element that is responsible for the comfortable position of passengers in the cabin - head restraints . There are two of them in the back seat, and they are installed on the left and right sides, which allows them not to interfere with the driver’s view in the rearview mirror.

To make it easier to unfold or dismantle the chair, you must first remove the headrests, adjusting their position with special pins.

This is what the headrests on a Niva Chevrolet look like.

conclusions

To sum up all of the above, we can confidently say that in order to make more space in the back seat of a Niva Chevrolet, you don’t need much experience, the main thing is to carefully read our article.

I often have to go on business trips for work, but it’s not always possible to rent a room or a hotel room, so I often have to spend the night in the car. But sleeping in a Chevrolet Niva is not very comfortable, because the seats do not fully recline. In the morning my back hurts as if I had been loading cars all night. But to finalize it, we only need five minutes of time, no more. I tried to sleep on the back sofa, but it’s the same story, you have to bend over backwards, so you can’t get enough sleep.

After this, we move the seats as far forward as possible and remove the headrests. After this, we lower the back of the seat along the board, and at the same time raise the chair cushion. What else? And nothing else is needed, the modification of the front seats is completed, you can immediately experience the result for yourself.

We also don’t leave the rear sofa without attention. We take a 13-size wrench plus a screwdriver with a reversible head, onto which we place the 13-size head. If you don’t want to suffer in the future, then I recommend replacing the regular nuts with wing nuts, so that later you don’t need a wrench, you can unscrew them with your bare hands.

How to fold the rear seats correctly

Regardless of the reason why you needed to expand the space, be it organizing an overnight stay or transporting things that do not fit in the luggage compartment, the principle of action will be the same. Usually, how the rear seats fold and unfold is written in the vehicle manual, since there may be some nuances inherent in this matter that are specific to a particular car. On many models, the algorithm of actions is as follows:

We lower the headrests or remove them and insert them into the storage holes.
Next, find the locking lever, which you press to fold the back of the rear seat, and fold it forward.
Now we pull the belt towards the front of the cabin and fold the seat up into the storage position.
The legs should be folded, after which you need to pull out the belt.
We put a hook on the handle to secure the folded structure.
We adjust the belt to prevent it from sagging.

Unfolding to the original position is performed in the reverse order:

Holding the folded chair, remove the hook from the handle.
Carefully lower the seat and press firmly to secure it.
We make sure that the legs are spread out. If not, we help manually.
Pull the adjustment lever on the side of the car seat and raise the backrest.
We check the quality of seat fastening.

It is not always necessary to recline all car seats; you can often get by with just one, for example, if the cargo is long and can fit in the space provided, at the same time there will be room for the passenger. In the case of a folding system in a 60/40 ratio, which is most often found, you can choose which part is best left for regular use and which part should be removed to free up space for transported luggage.

How to fold out the rear seats on a Duster

The seats can be folded out quite simply and any motorist can cope with this task. Let's see how this is done:

First of all, you need to move the front seats as far forward as possible.
We snap the seat belts into the slots.
Lower the headrests down.
There is a button at the top of the back seat that you press.
Now the backrest can be lowered without difficulty.
We lowered the seat back and stuffed in a lot of “long” cargo

There is nothing complicated in the process itself, and folding the rear seat backs on the Duster is quite simple, even for a woman.

Rear backrest transformation options

Left passenger backrest down

The left passenger backrest is lowered near

Right large passenger backrest lowered

What are folding rear seats for?

There are many reasons why the reclining seats on the Renault Duster are comfortable. Let's consider the main ones:

Transportation of goods. If you unfold the seats on a crossover, the volume of the luggage compartment increases three times. This is very convenient if you need to load bulky items. Also, by folding the rear seats, you can increase the length of the trunk, which will allow you to transport longer loads that do not fit in their usual form.
Oversized cargo in Duster, the seat back is folded halfway, another view
Read also: Replacing steering rods on VAZ 2108, VAZ 2109, VAZ 21099
Oversized cargo in Duster, the seat back is folded halfway
The second positive aspect of folding rear seats is that when traveling on vacation, it becomes possible to relax quietly in the car and not take a tent with you. It is usually calculated that there are two sleeping places for adults plus one child. But, as practice shows, three adults of average build feel great.
Folding seats indispensable for fishing. A completely enclosed car protects against insects, especially mosquitoes, so you can relax without fear of getting bites on your body. If the night is hot and you want to open the window, then there are special mosquito nets with which you can protect yourself.
If you are short, there is enough space in the cabin to sleep; you don’t have to recline the rear seat backs

These are the positive aspects of folding seats, but there is also one negative:

When transporting cargo with the rear seats folded down, the number of seats in the vehicle is reduced . That is, only the front ones remain: the driver and the front passenger.

Folding seats: interior transformation

When you choose a car, the question of utilitarian benefits is usually not so much of a concern. The owner of a passenger car does not often have to transport large cargo, and a large trunk is increasingly perceived not as an urgent necessity, but as simply a pleasant bonus. Shopping bags or vacation suitcases don't take up much space. There are, of course, people for whom this is a critical moment; they either buy non-passenger cars or choose cars only based on this parameter. Such car owners are actually a minority. The rhythm of city life does not require such tasks for the average driver. But what to do if you still need to transport, say, a refrigerator?

How to fold the rear seats correctly

If the functionality of the car interior allows the seats of the last row to fold out so that passengers can sit comfortably to rest, this can be done using the adjustment lever provided by the design. We perform the following actions:

Before reclining the third (if equipped) and rear seat, the front seats should be moved as far forward as possible.
Remove the headrest from the third chair and insert it into the storage holes. Then, when you press the lever, fold the backrest forward.
Pull the lever up and tilt the back of the car seat back.
We remove the headrests from the back seat, also insert them into the corresponding holes in the bottom of the sofa cushion, then lower the side of the backrest, while lifting the locking lever up.
Move the rear seat all the way forward.
Raise the lever and fix the chair.
We pull the lever, reclining the backrest completely and unfolding the rear seat. When doing this, lower the armrests to avoid damaging them. In some cases, it may be necessary to remove the armrests for maximum passenger comfort.

The unfolded chair returns to its previous state in the opposite way using the adjustment lever, after which the head restraints are installed in place.

Folding out the front seats of the Prado

The front seats are adjusted using the following levers:

position control knob - it can be moved forward or backward along the plane;
backrest angle adjustment;
height control (option available only for driver);
lumbar support adjuster (also exclusively for the driver).

To facilitate the process, an electric drive is installed in the cars; unfolding is carried out using switches that set them in motion. Each of them is responsible for the same adjustment as the manual levers.

The front seats fold out like this:

From the folded position (the backrest is horizontal), push the structure back with the control lever until it stops until the driver hears a slight click.
Using the backrest tilt adjustment, recline it to the desired position.

In a three-door model, if the driver needs to seat passengers in the second row, the front seats will need to be folded down.

Fold down the rear sofa

If you have a spacious SUV, minivan or minibus like a Volkswagen Transporter for travel, then consider yourself lucky - the transformation capabilities of their interiors are quite high, and the usable volume is large. True, you can also sit in more compact cars; fortunately, the rear sofa usually folds out, allowing you to organize a sleeping compartment. The main problem is obvious - you are guaranteed to have things that eat up your already small space. You will have to start transferring things to the front seats, which is not very convenient and takes time. For greater comfort, it is recommended to lay out an air mattress (on Aliexpress these cost an average of 6 thousand rubles), and have a sleeping bag or fleece blankets with you.

In summer, for ventilation, you can open the windows slightly, barricading yourself from insects with nets. In the cold season you will have to warm yourself. Here is the advice of one of the Drive2 community members: “My colleague and I, due to the will of our profession, sometimes have to live in a UAZ tablet for several days. So we warm ourselves with a stove with a gas cylinder, opening the window slightly to allow oxygen to enter. Alive! We have been traveling alone for a year now, incl. and in winter!

We do not recommend sleeping with the engine running - carbon monoxide from the exhaust system can enter the cabin through various niches and openings. Poisoning with it usually leads to death, which is not surprising, because the gas acts gradually and a sleeping person is completely defenseless in front of it. However, there are also opposing opinions. Here’s one, from the same Drive2: “I sleep like this regularly. I am not afraid for the following reason. Have you seen Moscow traffic jams? And what about the people who are burned out in them? There are 3 or 4 lanes for several hours. It is logical that the carbon dioxide should accumulate many times more than from one car in the clearing. But people don't die like flies in them. As for the wind, which can blow the exhaust and carbon dioxide into the cabin, then place the car with the exhaust facing the forest, and the face towards the clearing, and there will be no wind towards the cabin. Of course, this statement is not true for faulty cars with a damaged exhaust system and faulty crankcase ventilation.” In general, it's up to you. Before spending the night, do not forget about orientation to the cardinal points - park the car so that the rising sun does not shine in your face. And, of course, lock the doors.

Fold out the front seats

Sometimes it is not possible to arrange a civilized overnight stay - there are too many things or you are simply tired from the road and do not have the strength to rearrange your belongings. The situation is common and not hopeless, because you can sit in the front seats. The front seats do not fold out into a flat surface, but this problem is partly solvable: take the time to place the front of the car on a hill so that your body takes a more or less natural position while resting.

It is very desirable that they are not overly profiled, with pronounced lateral support. If you decide to spend the night in this way, remember that the next morning you may feel somewhat worse than if you had comfortably gone to Morpheus on a flat area with a mattress.

How to remove the back seat

Sometimes it is also necessary to remove the seat from the car. The rear seat is removed for various reasons, for example, to accommodate non-standard cargo or for the purpose of replacement, etc. To carry out the procedure, it is not necessary to resort to the help of specialists; the motorist can handle this on his own, armed with a wrench and a screwdriver. Removing the rear seat is carried out as follows:

First, you should remove the rubberized plugs from the seat cushion mounting posts that cover the fastening nuts. By unscrewing them, we fold them so that they do not get lost during the dismantling process and do not get tangled with other elements.
Removing the pillow should be done very carefully. We lift its upper edge and, moving the chair forward a little, remove the pillow, disconnecting it from the fixing elements that hold the back part.
We remove the spare tire bracket (in the luggage compartment), bend it and pull out the fastening plates connecting the floor to the trunk mat. To get to the seat backrests, you will need to remove the front cargo compartment trim.
In the trunk we find two nuts that secure the right and left parts of the backrests, unscrew them and set them aside so as not to lose them.
We tilt the back of the rear seat so that the fastening bolts come out of their holes, then remove the back of the seat, freeing the brackets from the brackets. We take the back out of the car.
Rotate the armrests 45°, unscrew the fastening bolts and carefully remove the armrests.
Now, getting rid of the fixing elements, we dismantle the head restraints.

Step-by-step removal procedure

Open the trunk door and remove the rubber mat.
Trunk mat and trunk itself on Niva Chevrolet.
We unscrew the six nuts that secure the backrest.
After this, you can take it out and start unscrewing the pillow nuts.
In order to dismantle it, you need to lift the pillow up and unscrew the bolts that hold it to the floor.
Installation should be done in reverse order.

Rear seat removal process

It may be necessary to dismantle the rear seats for several reasons, such as the need to replace some parts, modernize them, install covers, or reupholster the seats in general.

Step-by-step removal procedure

Open the trunk door and remove the rubber mat.

Trunk mat and trunk itself on Niva Chevrolet.

Folding seats: interior transformation

note

There are a few simple recommendations when transporting large cargo on the folded rear seat. Most of them are dictated by ordinary common sense. For example, if the cargo you are transporting is unevenly heavy, then try to place the heaviest part of it in the trunk. The improvised stiffener, which we wrote about above, certainly helps, but it does not guarantee 100% safety of the seats. If the load is heavy at any point, try to position it so that the load falls more on the surface of the trunk floor. If possible, the load should be secured. For this you can use, for example, belts or blankets. Well, or support it with another, smaller load.

Manufacturers often promise a “flat floor” when the seats are folded down. Some, of course, keep their promise. But for many, the floor will not be completely level. Therefore, again, if possible, place unstable cargo (buckets with liquid, boxes with bulk mixtures, etc.) so that it does not have room to move. In general, as we said, these rules are determined only by common sense and are intuitively understandable.

Increased trunk space

One of the distinguishing features of the popular Renault Duster crossover is its spacious trunk. If you fold down the rear seats, the space triples. Not only can it be used for transporting goods, but it is also an excellent double bed for two people, and if with a child, then for three. You can easily go on a trip without a tent.

The new Renault Duster, which goes on sale in 2022, will have an even larger trunk and an optional third row of seats.

To increase Renault trunk space:

This is the standard position of the Renault Duster backrests, which is unlikely to suit you, because the backrests do not fold out flush with the bottom of the trunk.

In order to form a single plane, the procedure should be complicated:

There is one caveat. Look under the folded backrest of the Renault Duster seat from the side of the door. The back hangs in the air. It is advisable to cut out stands for it from foam, which you can take with you and use if necessary.

Three ways to spend the night on a budget in a Renault Duster

If there is a Duster, hotels and tents are cancelled. Photo: Renault Duster, source 5Koleso.ru

Owners of Renault Duster before a long trip do not need to plan a route taking into account hotels for an overnight stay and strictly follow the traffic schedule. You can comfortably spend the night right in your car, saving on a hotel and even buying a tent, the Duster drivers are sure, who have three ways to spend the night on a budget.

You can spend the night in a Duster by folding down the rear sofa and placing an air mattress one meter wide inside the car.

The only budget option that does not require any modifications. The most affordable and allows you to do without a tent.

It’s quite comfortable for two tall people to sit and sleep in the Duster, with the seats completely reclined, another “Duster driver” on the Drive2 portal is sure. The driver suggests tilting the backs of the front seats back to an angle of 180 degrees, and then folding the rear seats. The armrest is raised and the free space between the front seats is filled with headrests.

You won’t get a flat surface, but by placing your legs on the front seats and your body and head in the luggage compartment, you’ll be able to sleep “without curling up.” The raised floor cover, upholstered in carpet, will add more comfort.

Using a removable structure made from a sheet of plywood for 250 rubles, you can achieve a flat floor in a Renault Duster after folding the rear sofa, the owner of a French crossover on Drive2 shares her experience.

You need a sheet of plywood, the dimensions of which correspond to the size of the “floor” in the trunk, but the shape of the sheet is adjusted to the features of the Duster’s interior (the recess for the armrest). Felt is nailed along the edge of the plywood to prevent scratching the plastic. The plywood is hung by two edges to the pins of the front seat headrests, and the height difference between the plywood and the trunk floor is leveled, for example, with the handle of a shovel.

The bed unfolds in minutes, notes the owner of a Renault Duster. When folded, the plywood does not take up space in the trunk.

As you can see, it’s not for nothing that Renault Duster is loved for its spaciousness and versatility, although the trunk volume of the front- and all-wheel drive versions is 475 and 406 liters, respectively, and with the rear sofa folded down - 1600 liters.

Description

This page is intended to dispel the prevailing misconception that some Astra-h trim levels have a non-removable rear seat cushion, which makes it difficult to get a flat floor when folding the rear seat. The following is a description of this rather inconvenient process, which suggests that it is not designed for frequent repetition. Although it’s not clear how to bring a heavy refrigerator to the dacha or spend the night in a car without this...

But these problems are inherent only in a hatchback; in a sedan, the process of folding the rear seat is much simpler

Adjusting the driver's seat: 7 steps to success

Everyone loves comfort. Apparently, this is why many motorists prefer to stretch out freely in the driver’s seat, as if on a sofa in front of the TV. But what is happening behind the windshield is not a feature film, and such a vacation can lead to very sad consequences. We will help you adjust the seat so that you are comfortable and the car is comfortable to drive.

How to fold out the rear seats on a Chevrolet Niva

If from all of the above it became clear to you that the entire seat can be easily removed from the interior, it can also be simply unfolded.

In order to do this, you need to find a special lock that holds it in a locking position, pull the loop and release the lock. However, before this, make sure that there is free space under the backrest; to do this, we slightly raise the backrest and move it straight to the front seat, and the backrest simply reclines, thereby providing free space for transporting all kinds of cargo.

To disassemble them, you need to pull the latches.

After you have laid out the entire structure, make sure that all locks are securely fastened.

This is what a folded sofa looks like.

Chevrolet Niva | Reclining seats | Chevrolet Niva

Niva Chevy. The lock of the rear seat back is jammed. Disassembly

In order to do this, you need to find a special lock that holds it in a locking position, pull the loop and release the lock.

On a Chevrolet Niva, the rear seat is a removable structure consisting of a backrest and Important!…

To disassemble them, you need to pull the latches. This circumstance allows you to freely use the work, while respecting personal non-property rights - the right of authorship, the right to a name, the right to protection from any distortion and the right to protect the author's reputation - since these rights are protected indefinitely.

As a rule, they have an L-shape, which allows you to select the optimal height position and, when recessed, are almost completely hidden without obstructing the driver’s view.

Video instructions: how to fold out the rear seat of a Chevrolet Niva

Owners of Niva Chevrolet from time to time complain about such an unpleasant situation as the failure of the backrest lock. Despite the fact that the price barely exceeds rubles, a breakdown at the most inopportune moment will leave the most unpleasant sensations. Therefore, it is sometimes worth paying increased attention to this part, and at the slightest sign, replace it, and this is done as follows: The old lock must be dismantled, having first unscrewed two bolts from its body.

Next, loosen its clamps and remove it from its seat. We insert the new part in the same order as removal. Conclusions Summarizing all of the above, we can say with confidence that in order to make more space in the back seat of a Chevrolet Niva, you don’t need much experience, the main thing is to carefully read our article.

After this, using a 8 key, unscrew the rear seat fastenings.

Shniva. How to organize a sleeping place in a Chevrolet Niva. Chevrolet Niva.

Then the bolts of the slide located in the middle part are unscrewed. A spring washer will be located under it. After this, you can remove the seat from the passenger compartment and, if necessary, dismantle or repair the front slide of the Chevrolet Niva. In order to remove the slide, you need to unscrew the bolt that secures it to the seat. Now you can unscrew the rear bolt securing it to the seat. If necessary, the slides can be lubricated or replaced with new ones.