Driver's Seat Adjustment - For Short People

[airline tech]

All,

This is one of those STUPID questions, (I'm Sorry) but hey I have to ask as for me being on the short side 5.3, I am finding it hard to get that sweet spot in adjusting my driver's seat, I have developed a pinched nerve in my back recently and as my sister pointed out that it started within days of getting the truck. I get it where I think it will work, then next time I get in the seat, I find myself adjusting it again grrr. I have also noted that my foot is almost all the way up to the top of the accelerator pedal and off to the side of it, which means I am rubbing the side of the center console side panel - If I try to move seat back far enough to where I only catch the end of the pedal, I'm too far back due to my short ass legs

So, for the short driver's here - any other ideas, adjustment techniques I'm missing and how long did it take for you to find the SWEET SPOT.

I have read on this forum where another member put a mat/cushion between the seat bottom cover and frame(springs) as they are different between the Driver's and Passenger's seat due to the Occupant Sensor - I may try that if the below option does not work

From the Manual Seat Adjustment thread - Install seat jackers, this will raise the front mounts of the seat and give it better comfort. I just purchased a set to try

I have also seen a link to a video somewhere on here about seat adjustment's but It's not Ranger specific

Almost 30 days of ownership, I love the truck, but this seat is driving me nuts, my last car I drove for 13 years never had a problem, so I have to adjust to it - more specifically my back

Thanks

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[Trigganometry]

Sounds like you have a manual seat. Not all of the adjustments for those are easy to figure out. Lumbar and height are two that took me a while to figure out. It really comes down to the combination of adjustments to find your “sweet spot”

For me it was figuring out the height to slant so I wouldn’t cut circulation off my legs. Now that I found that I use lumbar to the max and very comfortable now

 

[Bob902]

I think the seat jackers helped me some. It took me a while to find the best adjustment for me. I also have the lumbar inflated.

 

[airline tech]

Sounds like you have a manual seat. Not all of the adjustments for those are easy to figure out. Lumbar and height are two that took me a while to figure out. It really comes down to the combination of adjustments to find your “sweet spot”

For me it was figuring out the height to slant so I wouldn’t cut circulation off my legs. Now that I found that I use lumbar to the max and very comfortable now

Sorry - update to post, I have Lariat Power Seats.
Thanks

 

[Jason B]

At 5'4", I had a hard time adjusting, too, especially with the limited manual seats. And these seats are a bit firmer than my F150. It took a few weeks to finally get it as I like, and I'll cut you if you touch my settings!
I can't really give you advice on how to do it, just change one aspect at a time a try it for a day or two before any other changes. Also, if you have one, take your wallet out of your back pocket.

 

[Bob902]

Also, if you have one, take your wallet out of your back pocket.

Sitting on a wallet is terrible for your back. I also find myself using the heated seats more and more. Nice to have a built in heating pad.

 

[Old NaCl]

Also remove wallet, or any other items from back pocket. I'm the other end of the scale T&E over a few days to set it all up. Manual seats.

 

[subquark]

I'm 5'5" and use SeatJackers. They allow for more of a "bucket" seat position and that helps my low degenerated disks. That may not help you.

They let me have more weight on the back of my thighs. BTW, I have manual seats on an XL. Oddly, I adjust my seat so that my arms are pretty straight, as opposed to being close, that helps my back, but I think that's counter to what helps most with bad backs.

I also use Wet Okole seat covers, that doesn't do much by itself (it may grip me better though and hold me in place better) but I do have their "lumbar" support for the passenger seat. It's just an inflatable cushion (using a blood pressure cuff bulb pump). Kate says it does a good job for her and she has a bit of scoliosis and a compressed disk from a horse riding accident 50 years ago!

I've also been thinking of adding a seat cushion (like those "Purple" ones - Kate uses one for kayaking and swears by it).

I hope you get it dialed in soon. =)

 

[Dereku]

All,

This is one of those STUPID questions, (I'm Sorry) but hey I have to ask as for me being on the short side 5.3, I am finding it hard to get that sweet spot in adjusting my driver's seat, I have developed a pinched nerve in my back recently and as my sister pointed out that it started within days of getting the truck. I get it where I think it will work, then next time I get in the seat, I find myself adjusting it again grrr. I have also noted that my foot is almost all the way up to the top of the accelerator pedal and off to the side of it, which means I am rubbing the side of the center console side panel - If I try to move seat back far enough to where I only catch the end of the pedal, I'm too far back due to my short ass legs

So, for the short driver's here - any other ideas, adjustment techniques I'm missing and how long did it take for you to find the SWEET SPOT.

I have read on this forum where another member put a mat/cushion between the seat bottom cover and frame(springs) as they are different between the Driver's and Passenger's seat due to the Occupant Sensor - I may try that if the below option does not work

From the Manual Seat Adjustment thread - Install seat jackers, this will raise the front mounts of the seat and give it better comfort. I just purchased a set to try

I have also seen a link to a video somewhere on here about seat adjustment's but It's not Ranger specific

Almost 30 days of ownership, I love the truck, but this seat is driving me nuts, my last car I drove for 13 years never had a problem, so I have to adjust to it - more specifically my back

Thanks

I cut up 2 square of moving blanket, the crappy felt ones and put a double layer over the springs. Much less sag now.

 

[khyros]

I'm not short, so my answers may not help, but I did have a heck of a time getting comfortable in the Ranger. To the point where I was on the verge of crying because I thought I made a very expensive mistake in buying it. While I won't say that it's a super comfortable vehicle now, I will say that I no longer am in pain driving it for >1hr.

Two big changes I made that I haven't had to do on other vehicles... first, I had to get the lumbar almost all of the way inflated. I normally have that really soft, but what I found was that the seat back was pushing my shoulders and upper back in a non-natural way. By adding the lumber, it straightened out the back a bit, so it no longer was as misaligned. The second thing was pushing the steering wheel column back quite a bit. This made me reach forward a bit, which then helped with the back curvature.

It sounds like your issue is more lower body related, but seeing as they are both closely tied together, I figured I'd share my upper body changes that worked for me. As a side note, I do have the butt a lot higher than the front of the thighs, which I did to get my lower body comfortable.

 

[RedDakooter05]

The seats in this truck are the worst, I have to be honest. Most are fine with em here, but after the various types of trucks/suvs I've driven, the rangers are the worst for me. Never had such back issues til now.


Anyway, for me being 5'10, took me a while to get a decent setting. Lots of up/down and reclining positions til you get something tolerable. Adjusting the position of the steering wheel will go a long way in adjustments.

 

[Highlander]

5' 10", and I love the Ranger seats. I too have back issues, L5, S1, and SI joint issues. I had no issues in my old Mazda B-3000 reg cab, which I drove for 12 years, but the 10 years in my Toyota Tacoma... that took a long time to get "the right spot" in. With the new Ranger, I'm driving a truck again; sitting in a chair, rather than on the floor like in the Tacoma. With the Lariat electric seats, it took a minute to find a good spot, but did find it.

Frank

 

[Dogdays]

At 5'4", I had a hard time adjusting, too, especially with the limited manual seats. And these seats are a bit firmer than my F150. It took a few weeks to finally get it as I like, and I'll cut you if you touch my settings!
I can't really give you advice on how to do it, just change one aspect at a time a try it for a day or two before any other changes. Also, if you have one, take your wallet out of your back pocket.

Yeah, a lot of guys have big problems with the chunky wallet causing back and butt issues. This can definitely be a lumbar problem irritation.

 

[airline tech]

I think I have it almost dialed in - I found that with Power Seats, not sure on manual seats, That if you raise seat all the way up, you can tilt the seat (bottom) fwd and back - not much movement though before it will kick in and begin lowering the seat - I also noted that raising and lowering seat does so (at an angle) sort of like this anyways (/) (\). I think if it was just straight up and down it would be much easier to get that sweet spot. I plan on trying the seat jackers when they arrive, that wat I can adjust the tilt in any seat height position. (Although fixed and not adjustable - by controls) once installed - instead of only full up

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