Looking at my '03 Suburban..

[cmattson]

Would it be possible to keep the solid rear axle and have fold-flat 3rd row seats?

Envision a cargo/storage well AFTER the solid rear axle (in between the axle assembly and the rear bumper. Pretty much where the gas tank/spare wheel sits. You'd need to move the gas tanks forward (between the frame rails, towards the middle of the vehicle). This is doable. You'd need a longer filler tube, but wtf. A side benefit would be that the weight of the gasoline would be centrally located in the vehicle; helping stability (which shouldn't be a concern on a vehicle weighing 5500lbs to start with, but again, wtf). The exhaust pipe would also need special routing (off to the side, hug the frame rail for instance). Now picture a rail & hinge assembly. Rather and just folding flat, the seat would need to travel backwards, along the rail - far enough to move it past the rear axle - and then it would fold flat into the cargo well. It would be tight, but why wouldn't it be doable? It would cost GM some engineering dollars, but it would then have the best of both worlds: the solid rear axle for towing and the instant-storage of spare seats for cargo. I'm not sure the Tahoe would have enough length to make this doable -- the I think the Suburban would; which would be okay in my book. It would give something additional for the Suburban to differenciate itself with the Tahoe. Thoughts?

[pow]

Sounds a lot like the third-rows of many minivans:

They all fold into a cargo well. Or how about this?

[Newbiewar]

Would it be possible to keep the solid rear axle and have fold-flat 3rd row seats?

Envision a cargo/storage well AFTER the solid rear axle (in between the axle assembly and the rear bumper.  Pretty much where the gas tank/spare wheel sits.  You'd need to move the gas tanks forward (between the frame rails, towards the middle of the vehicle).  This is doable.  You'd need a longer filler tube, but wtf.  A side benefit would be that the weight of the gasoline would be centrally located in the vehicle; helping stability (which shouldn't be a concern on a vehicle weighing 5500lbs to start with, but again, wtf).  The exhaust pipe would also need special routing (off to the side, hug the frame rail for instance).  Now picture a rail & hinge assembly.  Rather and just folding flat, the seat would need to travel backwards, along the rail - far enough to move it past the rear axle - and then it would fold flat into the cargo well.  It would be tight, but why wouldn't it be doable?  It would cost GM some engineering dollars, but it would then have the best of both worlds: the solid rear axle for towing and the instant-storage of spare seats for cargo. I'm not sure the Tahoe would have enough length to make this doable -- the I think the Suburban would; which would be okay in my book.  It would give something additional for the Suburban to differenciate itself with the Tahoe.  Thoughts?

that was the plan... but because they rushed it into production, they saved that design for a few more years

originally it was supposed to have a new style of suspension in which they could deepen the beds while keeping the hieght of the truck the same, in addition they would do the same with the SUV's allowing them to have the fold flat seats...

[caddycruiser]

that was the plan... but because they rushed it into production, they saved that design for a few more years

originally it was supposed to have a new style of suspension in which they could deepen the beds while keeping the hieght of the truck the same, in addition they would do the same with the SUV's allowing them to have the fold flat seats...

Really?! Wow, that's interesting...just thinking in engineering terms alone, a difference in design THAT significant is usually planned and incorporated from day one...and doesn't get tossed out later in terms of time.

Hmm...I'd like to research this one, especially since GM will continue to take quite a bit of flack for not doing a whole lot to upgrade the interior flexibility in these things, just like DCX did with the '01-04 minivans. And we now how that one turned out...can you say "Stow N' Go"