Prius Driver's Seat Misery

[cycledrum]

Originally Posted by Sherlockian

You hit the nail on the head with this. I'm struggling with the resentment over having to use pillows and contort in an car I just paid $30,000 for. I accept some blame for not properly researching all the complaints beforehand, though. Still, it did feel okay on the test drive.

I'm trying not to kick myself too hard, because like you said with the Volvo the ergonomics/comfort problem can come up with any car. It's a personal fit thing, I suppose.

Some cars are just tall friendly with lots of seat travel while a height adjuster or power seat help fine tune the fit.

[cycledrum]

[quote=seesfar;827174]

Originally Posted by Sherlockian

The problem is this: The lack of thigh support (and maybe lumbar, I can't pinpoint exactly where this is coming from) is putting too much pressure on my lower back.

I had a similar problem with lack of thigh support. I solved this by blocking the front seat mount 1-1/2" higher. You have to buy longer bolts (make sure tensile strenght is same as original) cut a piece of oak dowel rod to 1-1/2" drill clearance hole for bolt and replace with dowel under sear mount. This lifts front under thighs without lifting the rear. It's cheap and may help.

Wonder if anyone has done this in the Prius. Seems it would bend the rail at the back given their mounts, but maybe not.

[cycledrum]

Originally Posted by Frayadjacent

Look around, I'm 6'1" and have similar issues... I've found a couple threads regarding adding the vertical adjustment mechanism from a Corolla driver's seat, and intend to do that mod within the next few months. Right now, the seat is bearable, but it won't be when I make road trips.


Here's one talking about the mod:
http://priuschat.com/forums/prius-ma...ndle-08-a.html

Yeah, jelloslug has it going on. Says it allows seat bottom to tilit back 2 to 3 inches. Nice.

Word is the Europeans got the height adjuster all these years on the Gen2. Seems we got punked in the N. Am. market. Never seen a pic of a European Prius seat though.

[Sherlockian]

Wow, Cycledrum! That's some serious and thoughtful help you've provided. I appreciate the feedback from everybody very much, but you've really gone above and beyond to help a fellow Prius driver with your detailed response.

Many thanks!

[cycledrum]

Originally Posted by Sherlockian

Wow, Cycledrum! That's some serious and thoughtful help you've provided. I appreciate the feedback from everybody very much, but you've really gone above and beyond to help a fellow Prius driver with your detailed response.

Many thanks!

You're welcome. Let us know how things are coming along.

[cycledrum]

On the way home, I drove a couple blocks without my custom seat cushion in place ...

Wow, there is just no thigh support at front part of the seat for me. Tall folks out there, you're not mistaken in observing the above.

Like said before, the custom seat cushion makes the seat bottom a lot better.

[Mike Dimmick]

Originally Posted by cycledrum

Yeah, jelloslug has it going on. Says it allows seat bottom to tilit back 2 to 3 inches. Nice.

Word is the Europeans got the height adjuster all these years on the Gen2. Seems we got punked in the N. Am. market. Never seen a pic of a European Prius seat though.

This do?



(photo from parkers.co.uk)

You guys got the coolant thermos, we got a seat adjuster. Not sure if that's a fair trade! You also got the fuel bladder so we're probably one up overall...

[ILUVULU]

I cured mine by building a set of spacers for the front of the seat. I spaced the front up about 1-1/2". It turned it from a painful drive to a pleasureable one. I built my spacers from 1/4" steel plate bent in a "Z" shape. Use the original bolt to hold the Z bracket to the floor mount and use a new bolt to attach the front seat suppout to the Z bracket. Rotating the seat back provided good thigh support and provides additional distance back for leg extension.

[cycledrum]

Originally Posted by ILUVULU

I cured mine by building a set of spacers for the front of the seat. I spaced the front up about 1-1/2". It turned it from a painful drive to a pleasureable one. I built my spacers from 1/4" steel plate bent in a "Z" shape. Use the original bolt to hold the Z bracket to the floor mount and use a new bolt to attach the front seat suppout to the Z bracket. Rotating the seat back provided good thigh support and provides additional distance back for leg extension.

Thanks Mike D. Just talked to Piercey Toyota parts about 'importing a Euro driver's seat' as mentioned by jelloslug ... parts guy said cannot do that.

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About the front spacers. Sound like a fairly easy solution, but that would not set anyone lower in the car like really tall people need.

[Frayadjacent]

I'm wondering if we could find part numbers for the mechanism and base that it would take to directly bolt on to the US seats.