Power Seat Sucks

[Jmckinley]

I don’t understand why the power seat is designed the way it is. At about 2/3 of the way back, the seat starts to drop. Eventually my eyes are about even with the bottom of the door window. Who designed this mess?
Has anyone modified their seat tracks with spacers or something to correct this nonsense?

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[Jmckinley]

OK, I’ll answer my own question. Tonight I added 3/4” spacers at the rear of the seat rails. Existing bolts were long enough to accommodate the spacers.

This improved the seating position somewhat. Now I can move the seat back enough to get my knees off the dash and still see out the windshield. I’m planning to install thicker spacers to improve it even more.

In the process of this modification, a disturbing discovery. The seat rail bolts are screwed into threaded holes in the sheet metal floor. In the olden days, there were big nuts with washers welded under the floor. This new arrangement seems marginal at best.

 

[jblc]

....
The seat rail bolts are screwed into threaded holes in the sheet metal floor. In the olden days, there were big nuts with washers welded under the floor. This new arrangement seems marginal at best.

Huh. I'm assuming it was designed safely, but does anyone (with the appropriate knowledge) have a comment on this? I'm curious as well.

 

[Markubis]

Need more information.

Screws are threaded into the sheet metal....what does that mean? Are they sheet metal screws holding the rail down or are there threads in the sheet metal( as in a pem nut)?

 

[Racket]

Usually the retention system is for the seat itself. I expect the primary restraint system is the seatbelts.

 

[Clump]

I don’t understand why the power seat is designed the way it is. At about 2/3 of the way back, the seat starts to drop. Eventually my eyes are about even with the bottom of the door window. Who designed this mess?
Has anyone modified their seat tracks with spacers or something to correct this nonsense?

My Lariat seat has quite a range of up and down adjustment. I have not noticed the seat dropping when moving back. I'm 6'3" and keep it all the way back unless I have a passenger behind me. There's a good range of up and down adjustment available with it all the way back.

Is the XLT version different?

 

[geophb]

@Jmckinley
Hate to even say it but.....
You sure you are hittin the button correctly? It slides on flat rails for forward and back, not sure how it goes up and down.

Pushing the switch down feels like it goes down AND back due to the mechanism desgin. Pull whole button back and it will go back without changing angle or level.

 

[wanted33]

@Jmckinley
Hate to even say it but.....
You sure you are hittin the button correctly? It slides on flat rails for forward and back, not sure how it goes up and down.

Pushing the switch down feels like it goes down AND back due to the mechanism desgin. Pull whole button back and it will go back without changing angle or level.

I was thinking the same thing. The power seats in my other vehicles do as the OP explained. However, I can pull up on the back of the switch, and the seat bottom can be leveled out. My Ranger has manual seats so I'm not knowledgeable on how the power ones work in the Ranger.

 

[EJH]

OK, I’ll answer my own question. Tonight I added 3/4” spacers at the rear of the seat rails. Existing bolts were long enough to accommodate the spacers.

Be careful doing this. Folks tried this on Subaru Foresters, for the same complaints as you have. The general consensus was adding the washer spacers might be conprimising the safety of the seat mounts. In other words, YMMV and do at your own risk in event of a crash.

 

[P. A. Schilke]

OK, I’ll answer my own question. Tonight I added 3/4” spacers at the rear of the seat rails. Existing bolts were long enough to accommodate the spacers.

This improved the seating position somewhat. Now I can move the seat back enough to get my knees off the dash and still see out the windshield. I’m planning to install thicker spacers to improve it even more.

In the process of this modification, a disturbing discovery. The seat rail bolts are screwed into threaded holes in the sheet metal floor. In the olden days, there were big nuts with washers welded under the floor. This new arrangement seems marginal at best.

Hi John,

I do not recommend you do this addition of spacers. Not wise to compromise the seat integrity in event of a crash. You "may" risk injury. The seats, Belts and the attachments are tested as a system and when you modify the system you are in uncharted territory. Seat attachment and design are thoroughly analyzed and tested. To modify like you did is unknown. So youse pays your money and youse takes your chances. I do not endorse this and wish other forum members consider the consequences of such a change.

Yep....I am being a downer but have enough experience with safety systems to realize it is risky to change the crash dynamics of the seating system.

Sincerely,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

 

[Jmckinley]

Hi John,

I do not recommend you do this addition of spacers. Not wise to compromise the seat integrity in event of a crash. You "may" risk injury. The seats, Belts and the attachments are tested as a system and when you modify the system you are in uncharted territory. Seat attachment and design are thoroughly analyzed and tested. To modify like you did is unknown. So youse pays your money and youse takes your chances. I do not endorse this and wish other forum members consider the consequences of such a change.

Yep....I am being a downer but have enough experience with safety systems to realize it is risky to change the crash dynamics of the seating system.

Sincerely,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

I’m reasonably sure I can’t do anything as bad as the OE arrangement of bolting the heavy seat and rails and motors to the floor with bolts screwed into holes with threads tapped into 3/16” sheet metal. Maybe three threads engagement at most. It might keep the seat attached in a collision but if your 300# mother-in-law is unbelted in the back seat she’s going to rip the seat out in a collision and the only thing keeping you, your MIL and the seat from going through the windshield is the seatbelt. And your pelvis and chest aren’t going to like that at all.

 

[Tim H.]

Hi John,

I do not recommend you do this addition of spacers. Not wise to compromise the seat integrity in event of a crash. You "may" risk injury. The seats, Belts and the attachments are tested as a system and when you modify the system you are in uncharted territory. Seat attachment and design are thoroughly analyzed and tested. To modify like you did is unknown. So youse pays your money and youse takes your chances. I do not endorse this and wish other forum members consider the consequences of such a change.

Yep....I am being a downer but have enough experience with safety systems to realize it is risky to change the crash dynamics of the seating system.

Sincerely,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

I agree with Phil plus there’s liability issues at hand. A good friend of mine was in a head on collision in a Gen 4 Ranger years ago when his seat belt bolt ripped out of the floor. He sued Ford & won. If you alter your system that liability is on you.

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