Anyone running a Graco seat in a Comanche with a bench seat?

[Sarah Walker]

I have an '89 Comanche with the factory bench and no headrests, and I'm trying to figure out a car seat situation for my granddaughter before she visits next month. The seat is going in the middle, and I'm second-guessing the install because of how flat and slick that vinyl bench is. Rear-facing seems to make everything trickier, and I can't tell whether a base would sit stable enough or just slide around on the vinyl. I've seen some infant seat options listed online but nothing specific to our trucks, so I don't want to assume one will fit the way I hope. The lap belt is the old style with no locking retractor, so I know I need a locking clip, and I'm not confident I'd get that right on the first try. If you've dealt with a car seat in a Comanche, did you use the center or an outboard position, and what actually worked to keep it from shifting?

[JZLAJeep]

I've put booster seats in the Comanche before, not a car seat, but with six kids spread over 19 years we know a little about car seats... Does your Comanche have a manual transmission? If so, shifting with a rear-facing seat will be difficult to say the least. You'll also want to ensure that the car seat is narrow, otherwise the car seat will significantly intrude into the driver and passenger space. I wouldn't be concerned at all about the base sliding on the vinyl if the seat belt is tightened properly (so that the base doesn't wiggle). You shouldn't need a locking clip on the center seat belt lap and I'd skip it. You'd need the locking clip if installing the car seat on the passenger side where there's the shoulder strap, but no the center lap belt. Good luck!

[DesertRat1991]

Here is the relevant guidance from the 1991 Operator Manual.  Please note that it explicitly warns against center installation of a child seat.

 

That said, I waited until the kids were sturdy enough for a forward facing booster before letting them ride in the MJ.  Per the manual, there is a threaded hole in the floor behind the passenger seat to install a tether anchor. You can find locking clips for the lap belt and top tether anchors on Amazon.

 

 

 

[fiatslug87]

@Sarah Walker welcome to CC, please post your truck’s VIN with some pictures in the registry. Thanks

[Smokeyyank]

I don't have a bench but I have done boosters and then the car seat once. No base, was too bulky. I just used the seat belt, then pushed on the car seat into the seat to get slack out of the belt and yanked on the belt to get it to lock. One thing is since the bench is just one position if you are doing rear facing it may hit the dash if you got to scoot up. I couldn't get rear facing to work, but with no airbag wasn't a issue. Could also check at your local PD of fire station to ask. Sometimes they are happy to help. 

[Nathan Davis]

The point about rear-facing hitting the dash on a single-position bench is worth emphasizing, since it can push the front passenger or driver forward more than expected. Have you measured where the seat's back edge lands once the belt is locked? On tethers, the manual's threaded hole behind the passenger seat is useful, but check that the anchor hardware matches the thread pitch before ordering. Also, a fire station check is a good idea, though not every crew has a current CPST on shift, so call ahead if you can.

[Nathan Davis]

The rear-facing clearance point is the one I'd check first on a single-position bench. Even without measuring, sitting in the driver's seat with the seat installed tells you a lot about how far forward you'll end up. On the threaded anchor behind the passenger seat, pulling one of the bolts and matching it at a hardware store before ordering is probably safer than trusting the manual's spec alone. Calling ahead about a CPST on shift makes sense too, since schedules vary by station.