SRS airbags

So if I am reading this right does this mean the side airbags in the front seat only protect the front occupant? I want to swap out my buckets with side airbags for a bench without but still have my daughter in the back and don’t want to compromise her safety.


Front airbags

Driver airbag/front passenger airbag

Can help protect the head and chest of the driver and right front passenger from impact with interior components.

Side and curtain shield airbags

Side airbags

Can help protect the torso of the front seat occupants.

Curtain shield airbags

Can help protect primarily the head of outside occupan

 

Yes they are meant to protect the front seat occupants only but the Airbag system will set codes and disable itself if those airbags are missing.
If you find a bench seat with side airbags there have been people that have swapped them successfully but there are some wiring modifications required and I would question the safety aspect of it but in theory it can be done.

 

Wish you were near me I could use some new bucket seat frames

 

I’m mostly concerned with my kids safety and she sits in a harness behind me. From what I have read the system turns airbags off or needs to be turned off when using child seats. As long as the system defaults those bags to off when disconnected then I would think it wouldn’t make a difference. If anything I think the airbags are a hazard to the kids seat since the thing is basically a 5 point harness.

 

My personal opinion is if you have occupants, don’t mess with the OEM srs equipment if you can help it.

The benches usually have a different, bladder type, pressure sensor as opposed to buckets, at least for the passenger side. If you swap that out, sure you won’t really affect the rear seat but the front seat passenger is going to be an issue unless you rig it up right. People have removed the front passenger weight sensors and clamped them to always have the passenger dash airbag armed. Not the most ideal solution imo but it ‘works’.

 

Assuming your daughter is in a car seat? The air bags will still deploy with a kid back there. I got in a wreck a few years ago with two kids in car seats in the back, one forwards and one backwards facing and every single airbag in the truck deployed. The curtain shield airbags came into the cabin far enough to tilt both car seats towards the middle. Everyone walked away. The only airbags that could interact with your daughter in the back are the side curtain ones and there is really no way for them to be a hazard. Might save her life though

 

Glad to hear everyone was ok and very reassuring that they all went off. Can I ask what kind of crash it was, front end, side, rear, or roll over? I have an access cab so there is very little room back there but the curtain bags are definitely something I want to function in a collision. She will be too big to sit back there soon so I’ll very likely use the buckets until we get a second vehicle.

 

the issue with swapping to a bench will be the airbag light unless you can trick the computer into thinking it has airbags and the passenger seat weight sensor still installed. without these you will have a airbag light and potentially no airbags in the event of an accident.