How do you deal with your seat?

[maxek]

Hi everybody! (silverp5)
I am a new owner of 5 speed silver protege5 03.5. I have been driving this car for a little while and handling is great. Only one thing bothers me so far which is setting on the drivers seat. No matter how much I try to set my seat, pedals seem to be to close to me. The worst of all after 20 minutes of driving I am getting crumps in my right leg. I keep moving my foot to accommodate different angles it helps but just for a few minutes. Now I am thinking of maybe doing something to the gas pedal or maybe changing driver’s seat.
Is it something wrong with me? I am 5'-10" tall. Do you have the same problem? How do you deal with it?

[SkinnyJoint]

im 61 maybe 62 on a good day lol. and i dont have a problem but i like to sit close and like upright just the way ive always driven or somthing being an aggresive driver in all my other cars. good luck

[NoRotor,NoMotor]

im 6'5" and have no problems you must be HUGE :)

[anarchistchiken]

Yeah man I'm 6'4" and it's never been a problem with me. Do you sit like one of those I'm-trying-to-kill-myself-by-lying-down-in-my-seat ricer guys? Cause that might be your problem. Otherwise, I have no idea man. Maybe you're torso it really small and oyu laegs really long? Can you see out the window? ;)

[SkinnyJoint]

Yeah man I'm 6'4" and it's never been a problem with me. Do you sit like one of those I'm-trying-to-kill-myself-by-lying-down-in-my-seat ricer guys? Cause that might be your problem. Otherwise, I have no idea man. Maybe you're torso it really small and oyu laegs really long? Can you see out the window? ;)

(mswerd)

[Katya4me]

Hmm...I'm 5'6 and my bf is 5'10 and we keep the seat in the same position. We both sit a bit upright though. I tend to slide the seat back a touch more on long trips and then rest my left foot on the dead pedal. But for normal driving without traffic, it's not an issue. Sometimes in traffic, my foot starts to cramp, but that's from keeping the clutch in and if I can, I'll pull the e-brake and flex my foot a bit.

[codz]

The seats suck period, there is no really good seating position in my opnion. I'm big too, and I just can't stand it. There is also no comfort, no side bolsters, i know it's not a sports car, but even the MSP dosen't have nice seats, look at the Civic sir and srt, even the focus svt has better seats. Seats are one of the downfalls of this vehicle for sure.

[NRRfrogmanP5]

yeah im 6'5 seats suck but never a cramping problem

[SkinnyJoint]

i dont really mind the seats.... but i would like to throw some wrx seats in it eventually

[anarchistchiken]

Oh yeah man, the stock seats blow major balls, no doubt. Especially in the twisties. Soon as I find a few hundred bucks around I'm going to find a wreck SRT-4 and gank those seats, cuz dems niiiise.

[NoRotor,NoMotor]

I had a Honda Civic Del Sol a while back and stock seats in those are very nice. I think they were Ricaro seats

I put the seat in my P5 all the way back and tilt the back. I use the wheels on the side for the bottom and raise the front about 3/4 the way up and the back all the way down.

[Natey]

Me wants EVO seats.

[anarchistchiken]

Natey, every time I see your car drive by, I hope a light pole takes off that Coyote things nose.

[Mike R]

The only problem I have with the seats is the lumbar support. Other than that no complaints.

[Pesty]

I'm 5'10 1/2" and the seats don't bother me at all. I wouldn't mind them being a little lower and the pedals being a little farther back as I'm more use to the lower more stretched out position in the Prelude, MR2 and Fiero, but other than that I have no problem. Height is good for visibility and everything feels like it is in a good place as far as controls are concerned.

I do drive with the seat in a near vertical position and my back all the way back in the seat though (almost always have my CG-lock tight). I find it more comfortable that way as I'm a somewhat aggressive driver.

[anarchistchiken]

I cant sit straigh up without the sunroof open. Actually I have to lean towards the center of the car to make that work.

[Poseur]

MAtte rof positiining most likely. Coming from my 91 si the seating position is a fair bit more upright. I do remember having problems getting used to it, but this car wants you to sit more upright than you're likely expecting. I run my cushon down all the way in the back, a tad up in the front, and seatback 2-3 notches from full upright.

IN reality, though it'll likely just take some getting used to.

[ChopstickHero]

6 foot... i drive with my seat almost vertical... slight recline on longer trips....
no real problems with discomfort. although i would've liked a bit more support on the sides to hold me in on those quick turns.

[Natey]

Natey, every time I see your car drive by, I hope a light pole takes off that Coyote things nose.
:'( Penny's a Queensland Heeler, like Mad Max's dog.

[anarchistchiken]

Beautiful dog man. But it just makes me laugh with it's nose sticking out the back window of your car. And I really want your wheels.

[maxek]

Thanks for the quick response. I think maybe there is something wrong with me. I drive my car to work 1 hour each way and it really caches up with me. Now I feel my right leg all the time. My question is will other car seats fit perfectly in factory openings? Or I will have to do some mods.

[snooky]

:'( Penny's a Queensland Heeler, like Mad Max's dog.

wow ur rimz are really nice!

[loccusst]

I don't like the factory seats myself. I also own a 99 civic and the seats are more comfortable. I would rather the seats had better back and side support. On long trips they suck. I would like to get some racing style seats but not sure what would feel good on a long trip.

[anarchistchiken]

You'll have to get new brackets for new seats. That's the only hard part, but I havn't done it myself, so I dont know how hard it is.

[garretts77]

I do drive with the seat in a near vertical position and my back all the way back in the seat though (almost always have my CG-lock tight). I find it more comfortable that way as I'm a somewhat aggressive driver.
How do you like the CG-lock? I am looking into these things. I think I might get one for my friend for his birthday (and probably one for myself while I'm at it...).

Sorry about the thread jack. When I first got this car, it seemed like the seats were really high. I was used to my lowered integra where your butt practically scrapes the ground. I have gotten used to it now though. When adjusting the seat, I sit up straight, with my butt all the way back in the seat. Then slide the seat forward or back until my left foot sits on the dead pedal comfortably. There should be a slight bend in the knee. Then move the seat tilt until your arms grab the wheel with some bend ( not a lot, but enough to let you steer over the top of the wheel without letting go). Once I get it set like this, I can drive all day without any problem. I have driven from the bay area (san francisco area) to san diego and back in one day before (like 8 hours each way).

[garretts77]

http://www.recaro-nao.com/index_frames.html

under "know-how" --> "ergonomics" --> "car seats" there is a how-to for seating. I am not saying you don't know how to sit, but maybe this will feel better to you...

[BeNegative]

well, my prob is i'm short. the seat is a bit deep so i have 2 put a cushion 2 sit on the seat properly 2 assist in better viewing while driving. the other prob is cuz i'm short, the clutch is humbug 4 me. i gotta reaaaaaaally stretch; other than that, the seat is sufficent. so far, the best clutch i came across was from toyota...worst...honda/acura...(gotta look at it in a short persons perspective)... it looks like no 1 is driving my car at a distance heh.

[Pesty]

Garretts77, CGLock is one of the best automotive products Ive ever bought in a pure performance/price aspect. Now keep in mind, I corner aggressively, and that is where it really helps. You never realize how much your body sways and how much you actually fight centrifical force under hard cornering untill you are locked into the seat. It really does give you more of a "one with the car" feel. Very easy to install/remove and you barely even notice it's there after a few days. One thing I will say is, make sure you use the longer screws that come with it. I used the short ones at first, and they bent and stripped out a few threads. Didn't cause any problems as the long ones thread all the way through the plate, just had to use the screw to re-thread part of it.

Also, the Recaro site aparently doesn't work with Firefox 1.0, does work with IE incase anyone else was having issues with it.

BeNegative, How tall are you?

[BeNegative]

short...under 5'

[Pesty]

Oh... yea.. could see how that could be a problem... My mom is right at 5' and there aren't many standards that she can drive comforably (or than I can get into without hurting myself after she's driven them).

[garretts77]

Garretts77, CGLock is one of the best automotive products Ive ever bought in a pure performance/price aspect. Now keep in mind, I corner aggressively, and that is where it really helps. You never realize how much your body sways and how much you actually fight centrifical force under hard cornering untill you are locked into the seat.
I am a pretty aggressive driver as well. Not all of the time, but probably at least once a week we take our cars out on the twisties and "play" a little. While I am bringing myself to buy a CGlock, I found a cheap way to get in the seat a little better. first I recline the seat a little, like a few inches or so, then yank on the seat belt until it locks, and then raise my seat back up until I am where I want to be while holding the belt tight. If done properly, you can squeeze yourself up to the belt and it will kind of act like a harness. It holds both the lap and the upper body tight. I am sure that the lock is much better, but I am a little broke for now...

[BeNegative]

haa haa...that's y no 1 drives my car unless needed...otherwise, i borrow, i try 2 return the seat 2 the orig. position it was in...my worry is the air bags. it'll kill me or w/o it i'll die slamming into the steering wheel but oh well, they don't think of short people when building these cars. it's made on an ave. height/size, i would think.

[L8R]

racing seats ;) naw im only 5'4, i dont have problems hehe

[anarchistchiken]

Damn short ass Hawaiins ;);)

What exactly is CG lock?

[anarchistchiken]

(wink)

[rjmhotrod]

Hi everybody! (silverp5)
I am a new owner of 5 speed silver protege5 03.5. I have been driving this car for a little while and handling is great. Only one thing bothers me so far which is setting on the drivers seat. No matter how much I try to set my seat, pedals seem to be to close to me. The worst of all after 20 minutes of driving I am getting crumps in my right leg. I keep moving my foot to accommodate different angles it helps but just for a few minutes. Now I am thinking of maybe doing something to the gas pedal or maybe changing driver’s seat.
Is it something wrong with me? I am 5'-10" tall. Do you have the same problem? How do you deal with it?

Congrats on your excellent purchase and welcome to the forum. I am also 5'10" but have no real issues with the seats (except after my wife drives the car and I bang my knees on the steering column getting in). I sit just slightly reclining, front up, back down, and far enough back from the pedals so that when I depress the clutch all the way to the floor my left leg is fully extended. Of course when I shift I don't push the clutch all the way to the floor, but it gives my normal shift extention a natural feel to it. Sometimes if I am sitting on my wallet (right rear pocket) my right leg starts hurting all the way down to just past my knee. If you do drive while sitting on your wallet, try taking it out to see if it alleviates any of the probs with your leg. Hope you can get comfortable.

[garretts77]

Damn short ass Hawaiins ;);)

What exactly is CG lock?
Sorry for the threadjack...

http://www.cg-lock.com/

Kind of turns your factory seat belt into a harness by locking the lap portion of the belt. It keeps your hips in the seat tight and allows you to lighten your grip on the wheel while aggressively turning, rather than hanging on for dear life.

[LarryS]

I am 6'1" and I think my P5's seating position fits me better than any of the previous 8 vehicles I've owned. I raise the front of the seat fully and completely lower the back of the seat bottom, and tilt the back of the seat rearwards several inches. I also lower the steering wheel nearly all the way down. I love the seats in my P5 even after being in them for 26 hours straight(I took the car to Spokane WA twice this past March) I felt great, and that included taking a 4 hour nap in the drivers seat as well. By far the best seats I have sat in in my opinion. While my knees are fairly close the the dash I am used to this because I had a 96 Accord EXL for nearly 6 years and the seating position was virtually the same as my P5. However my bf who is 6'5" claims he can't comfortably drive my car due to the seating position, but his legs are like 4 inches longer than mine(he wears a 34 inseam pant to my 30). I will admit I don't care for the headrest of my P5's front seats though, I personally find it in the way when I look over my shoulder when it is at the correct height so I adjust it a little lower than I would prefer. otherwise I think the P5 is the perfect car for myself.

Could your seat be broken? I am asking because when I first bought my P5 I thought the seat should have been able to back farther than it was, and it turned out my adjusting bracket on the seat frame was broken and was replaced under warranty. Maybe try several different positions to see if it helps, raising the front of the lower cushion while lowering the rear to me seems to add a little to the overall leg room though it could just be my imagination.

Hope it helps
LarryS

[Katya4me]

Sorry for the threadjack...

http://www.cg-lock.com/

Kind of turns your factory seat belt into a harness by locking the lap portion of the belt. It keeps your hips in the seat tight and allows you to lighten your grip on the wheel while aggressively turning, rather than hanging on for dear life.
I love mine, it's great for autox or if you have leather seats.

[Mazda P5 driver]

The seats suck period, there is no really good seating position in my opnion. I'm big too, and I just can't stand it. There is also no comfort, no side bolsters, i know it's not a sports car, but even the MSP dosen't have nice seats, look at the Civic sir and srt, even the focus svt has better seats. Seats are one of the downfalls of this vehicle for sure.
WHAT??!!!! seats suck?? I don't do long trips but can sit in THE SAME exact position for an hour and a half straight without adjusting one bit. No sitting fatigue..nothing.

Side bolsters are for those skinny dudes. I haven't found one yet that doesn't jab my upper ribs and I can't just "squeeze" into it. pretty damn uncomfortable. I don't think our cars pull enough g's to even need side bolsters anyways.

Sell the car and buy a damn seat and put it into a Hyundai.

[snooky]

man i love these seats espeacially the matireal, it feels like sued, its comfy!!!!!!!!!

[Pesty]

Side bolsters are for those skinny dudes. I haven't found one yet that doesn't jab my upper ribs and I can't just "squeeze" into it. pretty damn uncomfortable. I don't think our cars pull enough g's to even need side bolsters anyways.


Don't pull enough G's? Laterally? Are you insane?
We have one of the best cornering car's Ive ever driven. I actually wish we had more lateral support in our seats at times. Even with the CG-Lock I find I'd like just a little more upper torso support.

Oh, and Garretts, I have done that before also, back when I had my Fiero, and the one thing I like about the CG is that it keeps you locked down at the hips/lower back, but you can still move your upper body freely (reach radio/ac controlls, grab stuff from glove box/pocket etc). Also, If I remember correctly, I found a reseller who was selling them for like $29.99 with free shipping. so you may be able to find a little better deal that direct from CG-Lock.

[protege02]

im always changing my sitting position because lately my dad has been driving my car and he is 5'11 and im 5'7 and its been killing me because im trying to get a perfect position. i sit straight up all the time because if i dont i slide alot because i rarely use my brakes and when i do im fairly hard on them. also, i love taking turns and i have gotten really addicted to turns ever since i installed struts, springs, and sway bars on my car.

[Mazda P5 driver]

Don't pull enough G's? Laterally? Are you insane?
We have one of the best cornering car's Ive ever driven. I actually wish we had more lateral support in our seats at times. Even with the CG-Lock I find I'd like just a little more upper torso support.
No, not at all. I have had the back end kick out for a sec on an on ramp. Was hitting close to 50 or so. Anyone else leaving Bothell WA to go north 405 will know what I am talking about. It's on the Bothell-Everett hway right after the overpass heading towards the Fred Meyers away from QFC.

Anyways, The cornering for the P5 is pretty good, but for long sweepers, my old Contour can take it. On tight turns the P5 beats it though. I did a 90mph corner once where my fastest in the P5 is 80-85. Roll is more pronounced in this car too. The P5 is ok, not the best, but ok.

[Pesty]

No, not at all. I have had the back end kick out for a sec on an on ramp. Was hitting close to 50 or so. Anyone else leaving Bothell WA to go north 405 will know what I am talking about. It's on the Bothell-Everett hway right after the overpass heading towards the Fred Meyers away from QFC.

Anyways, The cornering for the P5 is pretty good, but for long sweepers, my old Contour can take it. On tight turns the P5 beats it though. I did a 90mph corner once where my fastest in the P5 is 80-85. Roll is more pronounced in this car too. The P5 is ok, not the best, but ok.

I don't get much body roll with my stock suspension. As for sweepers and clover leafs, I can almost keep up with my friends SRT-4 through them, which has better suspension and wider tires (not to mention the extra 120HP at the wheels). For those in Dallas, 90-110 up the Tollway from 635 to Frankford and 80+ on the exit from the tollway to 35 heading south with room to spare (just too afraid of those damn walls and the DART Police station at the end of the ramp). Most cloverleafs, 50 no problem.

You know, I think I just figured out why I'm wearing out my tires so fast. Hmmm...

[garretts77]

Put sways and spings on it... it corners pretty damn good... My shocks are almost toast and I can still double the reccomended turn speed on most turns, and then some...

[Blacky_03]

I'm 5' 10" and love the seats. By far the most comfortable seats I have ever had. I take long road trips and never get cramps/aches.

Do wish they had a little bit more lumbar though.

[Noxide]

hmmm...i ususally dont have a problem with the seats...its a great fit for me.

welcome to the forum!

[Mike R]

http://www.recaro-nao.com/index_frames.html

under "know-how" --> "ergonomics" --> "car seats" there is a how-to for seating. I am not saying you don't know how to sit, but maybe this will feel better to you...

Thanks for the link! It made quite a difference, but the lumbar is just not enough on these seats. Before anyone rips on me for saying that, my car has 60K on it and I spend a minumum of 3 hours a day driving. The seats are getting worn out.

[maxek]

Thanks everybody. :) After trying everything I have read here about seats it feels much better now.

Right now I just finished hooking up my stereo. It sounds awesome. Here what I got: (first)
(cool) Stuck radio
(cool) Image Dynamics Chameleon CXS62 component speakers at 2Ohm
(cool) USAcoustics USB2100 amp
(cool) JL 10W2D2 at 2Ohm
(cool) USAcoustics USB600D amp

[NJP5Guy]

No, not at all. I have had the back end kick out for a sec on an on ramp. Was hitting close to 50 or so. Anyone else leaving Bothell WA to go north 405 will know what I am talking about. It's on the Bothell-Everett hway right after the overpass heading towards the Fred Meyers away from QFC.

Anyways, The cornering for the P5 is pretty good, but for long sweepers, my old Contour can take it. On tight turns the P5 beats it though. I did a 90mph corner once where my fastest in the P5 is 80-85. Roll is more pronounced in this car too. The P5 is ok, not the best, but ok.

how can you compare a contour to a p5. no offense but the contour is a POS. a dead pig could handle better than a contour. no way it'd even come close to a p5. what other car might you be comparing the p5 to? there arent many cars with equal tires that could compete with the p5 stock for stock.

[anarchistchiken]

how can you compare a contour to a p5. no offense but the contour is a POS. a dead pig could handle better than a contour. no way it'd even come close to a p5. what other car might you be comparing the p5 to? there arent many cars with equal tires that could compete with the p5 stock for stock.

I'm gonna have to disagree with ou on that one. My friend used to have a 99 contour sport, and they do handle. The SVT's do even better. They're no MSP, and not even at p5 level in real twisties, but on long corners on freeways and such they feel very solid.

And by the way, the phrase "no offense, but the contour is a POS" doesn't even make sense. You're insulting the car, so of course it's gonna be offensive.

[NJP5Guy]

it does make sense. i'm not insulting him.....i'm insulting the car. the no offense is directed towards him personally. my roomate had a contour and that thing rattled like mad. youd get to highway speed and the sounds and vibrations that came from the engine and steering shook everything(encountered this w/ other fords too). and as for long sweepers.....who couldnt take a long sweeper......the crap as ranger i've driven at work could take long sweepers as long as its driven right and those are more of a POS than a contour. as for the svt.......as i said before about being stock for stock. sure you can tune the suspension of almost any car to handle well.....sports car revolution modded out a kia station wagon and that thing is farthest from a track machine off the shelf.

[NJP5Guy]

(jacked)

and now back to our regularly scheduled programming.

Our seats aren't bad, I've had worse, but i can't wait to buy a racing seat.

[Pesty]

I'm actually starting to wish the side bolsters on the legs and back were bigger. The way Ive been driving lately, I need more latteral support, especially in the torso, that our seats just don't give.