2005 Sierra Adding Side Airbags

stevedenali · October 23, 2019

Hi,

Not sure if this is even possible, but I have seen many 2005 and years similar Yukon’s/Tahoe‘a/Yukon XL‘a/Suburbans/Escalades with side air bags in the driver and passenger seats. I’ve never seen a pickup truck with them. I have a 2005 Sierra Denali crew cab and was wondering if I could add them in if I were to pull side airbags out of a junked Yukon or something. I’m assuming the crash sensors are the same across the Sierra and Yukon. Does anyone know if this is even possible, and if so, how do I do it?

Thanks!!!

Denali0606 · October 23, 2019

No

Logan Lanfear · October 23, 2019

30 minutes ago, Denali0606 said:

No

How helpful

But yeah I suppose you could but the size of the project might make it not worth it. Decent bit of wiring. Why do you want them? Just for more safety?

stevedenali · October 23, 2019

14 minutes ago, Logan Lanfear said:

How helpful

But yeah I suppose you could but the size of the project might make it not worth it. Decent bit of wiring. Why do you want them? Just for more safety?

I do yes. I am planning on redoing my driver and passenger seats(new foam and covers etc) and in the how-to video on it, they showed how to cut out for the side air bags. I am not afraid of a project at all. I just am trying to figure out what it is I will have to do. Thanks!

davester · October 23, 2019

How do you plan on getting the SRS system to work? You just put in the bag in the seat, wire it up to bag in the steering wheel and declare it good? The whole system is designed to work together, and fire under very specific circumstances, which likely are different between the steering wheel bag and the side air bag.

If you do follow through on this project:

1) you better be the only person using the vehicle. Anyone else driving and the system goes off, expect to be personally held liable for whatever injuries are incurred, as the insurance company isn't going to cover your personally designed airbag system, even if the accident is 100% the other vehicles fault.

2) don't expect your hospital bills to be covered if you are driving (same reason as above).

stevedenali · October 23, 2019

1 hour ago, davester said:

How do you plan on getting the SRS system to work? You just put in the bag in the seat, wire it up to bag in the steering wheel and declare it good? The whole system is designed to work together, and fire under very specific circumstances, which likely are different between the steering wheel bag and the side air bag.

If you do follow through on this project:

1) you better be the only person using the vehicle. Anyone else driving and the system goes off, expect to be personally held liable for whatever injuries are incurred, as the insurance company isn't going to cover your personally designed airbag system, even if the accident is 100% the other vehicles fault.

2) don't expect your hospital bills to be covered if you are driving (same reason as above).

This is exactly why I am asking on the forums. I understand exactly how an SRS airbag system works. Airbags have to fire at a specific time right down to the millisecond. I get it. Like I said. I am not afraid of a project. For example, if that means buying the correct equipment to program the SRS system correctly, then so be it. Adopting the SRS airbag strategies that the Yukon XL’s may be the solution. Again that’s why I am asking here. I absolutely understand that you cannot just “put in the bag in the seat, wire it up to bag in the steering wheel and declare it good”. I understand these are complex systems. If you’d like to help, I’d appreciate it. Unless a GM engineer can tell me this is unsafe, and/or cannot be done, I’ll be looking for the correct way to do it. Thank you.

newdude · October 23, 2019

The $3000+ spent for parts (airbags, upper seat frames, body harnesses, seat harnesses, SDM, sensors, etc.) that can't be made to work would make a nice down payment on a newer truck with side and curtain airbags.

Edited October 23, 2019 by newdude

davester · October 24, 2019

7 hours ago, stevedenali said:

This is exactly why I am asking on the forums. I understand exactly how an SRS airbag system works. Airbags have to fire at a specific time right down to the millisecond. I get it. Like I said. I am not afraid of a project. For example, if that means buying the correct equipment to program the SRS system correctly, then so be it. Adopting the SRS airbag strategies that the Yukon XL’s may be the solution. Again that’s why I am asking here. I absolutely understand that you cannot just “put in the bag in the seat, wire it up to bag in the steering wheel and declare it good”. I understand these are complex systems. If you’d like to help, I’d appreciate it. Unless a GM engineer can tell me this is unsafe, and/or cannot be done, I’ll be looking for the correct way to do it. Thank you.

It's my understanding that no model truck, with the cab you have, has side airbags, just the Yukon models, which is an entirely different cab, even though visually it's similar to your cab. So, your cab will crush differently than a Yukon cab. For that reason alone, it needs a SRS system designed for that specific cab.

You are mounting a small explosive device next to your head, and hoping you can figure out how to hack a system together that works right, the first time, with no testing. There is no equipment or software you can buy to program the SRS system correctly. You can get part of your truck retrofitting/reprogramming with Yukon parts, but it's not a Yukon.

You will not find a GM SRS engineer that will tell you it's anything but a terrible idea to try to retrofit an airbag system that's not designed for your specific truck, into your truck.

You will not find an insurance company that will tell you it's anything but a terrible idea to try to retrofit an airbag system that's not designed for your specific truck, into your truck. And the insurance company will likely either entirely drop you as a customer, or specifically tell you they won't cover any injuries to the occupants of your vehicle (and this will also apply to the other insurance company if another vehicle is at-fault, they aren't going to payout either).

But I do know, with absolute certainty, you aren't going to talk to either a GM SRS engineer, or your insurance company about this.

If there is/was a model of truck with side airbags, with the same cab as what you have, then with enough time, money and effort, I think you likely could get that system installed into your truck with a good chance of it working properly. But even under this condition, neither the GM SRS engineer nor your insurance company will tell you it's a good idea...

stevedenali · October 24, 2019

Ok understood. First off, I want to thank you for taking the time to write an explain all of that. I figured knowing GM, they would had made the A, B, and C pillars would be same/similar so things would crush the same. But everything you said makes sense. I always wondered if these trucks had a side airbag option and it was just very rare. What you said about how the Yukon crushing differently I can understand though. What you said in The beginning your last paragraph was my hope but clearly that’s not happening. Anyways I get what you’re saying and agree with it. I’ll scratch that mod off the list then. Thanks for your time. I have another post on here about a legitimate ABS issue, maybe you can help with that. You really seem to know what you’re talking about so feel free! Again, thank you.