In seat Air bags

[JDUpholstery]

Had a job come in and after removing the cover found that this seat has air bags in it, there are no markings on outside showing that it has air bag so caught me completely unawares...anyhow I read on here once that you should use" air bag thread when sewing covers on seats with bags...does anyone know where I can get this thread? none of my suppliers carry it

[Upholstery Clinic]

Most the trimmers I know including myself do not resew seats with airbags due to legal liability.  There has been much discussion at The Hog Ring which is a forum for auto trimmers.  You might want to go there and search air bags.  I know at a point in the past someone who claimed to be in the know about SIAB (side impact airbags) said that you use a T-70 for the top thread and a T-30 thread for the bottom stitch.  In the critical area of deployment you need to use a stitch length off 4 per inch and lower the tension.  I do not know if the person knows what he is taking about, but it is what he said.

Jim

[jojo]

Somebody else at The Hog Ring said he's actually tested 69 thread on the seam and the airbag deployed no problem. I don't know if I'd do it either, for reasons of liability. If someone calls me about a car seat, I do a web search for the available airbag options for that year, and if there's even a possibility of an airbag in the seat I tell them "Sorry".

[Upholstery Clinic]

The way I look at it is, if for whatever reason there is a failure to deploy or a partial deployment of the air bag, even if it is not your fault, you can be sure some attorney is going to have you involved in the lawsuit.  Most jobs on seats with airbags are panel replacements, and to me it is not worth the potential liability for a $225 to $350 job.  The big problem I have seen is body shops, that deal in redoing wrecked cars and reselling them, coming in and wanting the split seam on the seat sewn back up, and claiming they will be putting a new air bag back in the seat.   I would never trust them to do it, and don't want to think of the liability involved if they did not and an accident occurred.

[JDUpholstery]

valid points, I may just have to call customer and let them know that I cant do it....thanks for info and advice

[unclelarr]

I pass on the air bags seats, too.  Its just not worth the liability.  I've never found anybody, even at the dealerships, that really knows all the ins and outs of airbags in the seats.  Kind of a mystery...