My aching back.....please advise

[dbaines]

I've got an '04 Tacoma double cab (SR5, TRD, 4x4). I absolutely love this truck, and I've owned several toyotas prior to this. However....
The factory seats in this Taco were amazingly uncomfortable- I thought all the reviews I read that cited seat discomfort was just a bunch of whining until I found out for myself!
Anyway, I have since bought and put in some leather power seats from a 2000 volvo S40 (I got the idea from the person at the TTORA website that did the same thing). It helped, but I still find myself squirming around and getting a lower back ache.
If it's comfortable to reach the steering wheel, then my legs feel cramped up. If my legs feel comfortable reaching the pedals, then it feels like the steering wheel is 5 feet away. I'm of average height and weight (6' tall). There's apparently no middle ground here.

Has anyone out there had this problem and fixed it with success???

Thanks for any advice.
DB

[Flash75]

DB, I don't have an answer for your problem but I'm almost 6' tall and have the same steering wheel problem, (the steering wheel position reminds me of some Italian cars I've owned) when I move the seat back for comfortable leg positions. I haven't had the back problem with the seats, I just feel like I'm handing the steering wheel to someone in front of me. With the airbag in the steering wheel using a dished steering wheel isn't a practical consideration. My truck is a 2005 Xtracab SR5.

Clifton

[Flash75]

Sorry, I have a 2004, not a 2005.
Clifton

[Shredhead]

Ever notice how uncomfortable coach seating is on air plane's and how it just doesn't quite fit You, well that's because the industry used to design airline seats for the average sized man well that left out most of us because were either taller or shorter than the average person, time to re-invent the wheel now industry looks at between the upper 95% of people and lower 5% those that are above or bellow those percentages are pretty much screwed however, they do make cars with tellescoping wheels to help bring in the 4% and 96% areas, in a nut shell you probably either have longer or shorter than average limbs maybe if you look around you might find someone on the net with an extension fix for your steering wheel but if You can't here's something to look at.
Oh what I just talked about is ergonomics instead of fitting the man to the machine fit the machine to the man or woman.

Originally Posted by Shredhead

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...spagename=WDVW

[whiskers]

do any of you have a tilt steering wheel? i have a 2004 limited double cab taco. it came with a tilt steering wheel i am 6'1" and have no trouble with the wheel.

[Shredhead]

If you have sr5 You have tilt wheel and I was commenting on the length of his limbs not his height ie longer or shorter than normal arms or legs.

[dbaines]

Yeah, I've got the tilt part dialed in.

Your Limited has a power lumbar adjustment on the seat, which my SR5 doesn't have. whether or not the seats are shaped differently I can't say, but I'd be interested in finding out.
I know that my factory seats had too flat of a seat cushion and I had to keep my knee from flopping over into the 4WD shifter, and since it didn't have a lumbar adjustment, they just went way overboard on the lumbar part of the seat, in essence it felt like I was being pushed out of the seat by my lower back.

I had an '89 4Runner and those seats had all kinds of adjustments.

Thanks for the responses. I'll keep checking around.
Dan

[tacoma man.]

i have the same problems in my lower back, i own a 99 4x4 extended cab. i have the split 60/40 front bench seat and its not comfy. i plan on maybe getting 2 bucket seats and console put in.

[TacomaPilot]

Perhaps you should check out a chiropractic office or ebay where they sell contoured back pillows. They aren't too thick, and it sure makes long trips in uncomfortable seats far better. I was given one for Christmas that I use in the Learjet I fly (seating area and legroom not really any different from the Tacoma). It has really helped, especially on the long 2-3+ hour trips. However, the padded portion of the seatback in the jet is removable so it is more of a replacement and actually provides more legroom, I haven't tried it in the Tacoma. A search on ebay under "back pillow" will yield several for under $30.

[dbaines]

I believe I fixed the problem. I drove the truck a lot this past weekend and didn't get a sore back or squirm around much.
In a nutshell, these Volvo seats are reasonably easy to take apart and put back together. I got into and re-contoured the foam of the lumbar/back area of my seat and basically made that area flatter across. It tended to have a dish shape even across the middle. I used the seats in my wife's car as a model (she has a Volvo with a more comfortable version of the same seats).
Anyway, It's made a huge difference, and it's something I should've done months ago. I still may tweak a little here and there, but the Taco's basically go to go!

Thanks for all the feedback.
Dan