After Market Seats - how low can u go !

[Pat]

I wonder if anyone has put a Tillet seat in the BRZ yet. Bolting this straight to the floor might help.
Clicky

[frs_caskey]

Originally Posted by Pat

I wonder if anyone has put a Tillet seat in the BRZ yet. Bolting this straight to the floor might help.
Clicky

wow now that is one low profile seat!! however im not really a track guy... atleast not right now, not a track near where i live. so would this seat be comfortable for DD. and even on a rail i feel that would solve my problem.

[mdec]

yeah - this one's a challenge all right. I've looked at many reclinable options for a DD & can't seem to find anything suitable. I keep going back to the idea of custom bolting the stock seat direct to the floor - anyone like to weigh in on the pro's & con's of doing this ?

[Apex-Apex]

Originally Posted by mdec

yeah - this one's a challenge all right. I've looked at many reclinable options for a DD & can't seem to find anything suitable. I keep going back to the idea of custom bolting the stock seat direct to the floor - anyone like to weigh in on the pro's & con's of doing this ?

Pros, super low, less flex and less weight
Cons, might be too low, not adjustable

[mdec]

to low will not be an issue as it doesn't look like you could get more than a 2" drop. fixed position is not an issue as I am the only driver. Mechanical/Safety issue were more my concern ? anyone no anybody who has actually done this ?

[frs_caskey]

Originally Posted by mdec

to low will not be an issue as it doesn't look like you could get more than a 2" drop. fixed position is not an issue as I am the only driver. Mechanical/Safety issue were more my concern ? anyone no anybody who has actually done this ?

I'm in the same boat. At 6'8 the seat could never be too low. My concerns are safety and being able to put it back to stock without ruining integrity of car. Or big hole in the floor board

[churchx]

mdec: Just 2" drop actually might mean a lot, if it means that your head with helmet will hit roof or not.
But then again imho it's worth to go all out with aftermarket seat, or leave stock everything. For example stock seats are also rather heavy, even more so if with heated seats option. Their sidesuport is good for stock seats .. but it's far from ideal for track. So i'd prefer to leave max dailydrivability practicality (easier to get in/out, better visibility to back over shoulder, easier to access rear seats for children passengers or to put there some cargo, adjustment option if you are not only one driving it, one mod less to revert prior selling) OR full on race seat, that has better sidesupports, is lighter a LOT, stronger, better fit for multi-point racing harnesses, instead of exchanging fix of one deficiency of stock seats with adding other (deleting adjustability).
Safety .. imho it's mostly about worse rear visibility from inside racing seats (and maybe interruption in working of some airbags). Otherwise as most modern cars are about building strong shell around passengers, that in case of crash is bent as little as possible, i doubt something safety related may on stock seats being adjustable or not.
Oh, except unadjustable seat position being unsafe for drivers of different sizes, thus seating in worse/less safe pose/distance. But that was noted as non issue due being only driver?

[Apex-Apex]

I'm not sure how low I am but I'm 5'8 and can barely see over the steering wheel. My friend is 6'3 and said the seat is almost too low also.

[churchx]

I'm fine with stock w/o helmet being 6'. Problems start due lowest position being too high if i have to wear helmet aswell . Or i have to move seat more to front/lower seat back too much, resulting in not too comfortable pose. I guess it's not just about overall height, also relative hands & legs length.

[Pat]

Originally Posted by Apex-Apex

I'm not sure how low I am but I'm 5'8 and can barely see over the steering wheel. My friend is 6'3 and said the seat is almost too low also.

Hm. I'm 6'3" and my helmet barely grazes the roof when sitting normally. I think one inch lower would be ideal.

[mdec]

churchx: Don't miss-understand ..2" IS significant. There are many taller guy's out there like me who love the Car but have no plans for tracking, but good luck finding a reclinable after market seat (same size or larger than stock) that will give you anything close to a 2" drop.....doesn't exist as far as I can see. That's why I am looking at a custom bolt on.


APEX-APEX: I'm same height as your 6'3" friend & can't believe he finds the seating boarder line to low...unless he has a VERY short body.


Also the problem I have ran into is that you can't simply order a seat, fit it to your Car then return it if it doesn't work. Most seat Manufacture/Suppliers return policy will not allow that. So thats a $1000+ leap of faith right there.


Again - would love to hear from anyone who does have experience bolting the stock seats to the floor..

[Vracer111]

The problem with stock seats is the ergonomics...have yet to have a Japanese vehicle (and Japanese is all I buy) that had proper seats for a 6'2" person, most notably the seat bottoms really are a literal pain in the butt. FR-S stock seat was the one thing I really couldn't stand about the stock FR-S...but seats can be changed. I've learned over the years that if you want a comfortable daily driver seat, you go RECARO. Well worth spending the money to get a seat that is sized properly for a full size American adult and priority given to ergonomics and safety.

Unfortunately, there is not much you can do to lower the seating position and keep the sliding mechanism - I've made custom brackets for Recaro low profile sliders and with the Recaro Sportster CS seat I've only managed less than a 1/2" drop over stock. Was going to hardmount with a proper rake angle of seat bottom (absolutely critical for a proper fit for hand and leg reach), but bottom mount seat and floorboard bolt pattern proved to have inteference issue in designing a bracket...

The problem with mounting flat to the floor is mostly rake angle...seats need WAY more rake angle than they come from the factory. Rake angle is what can get you near optimal position for hands to steering wheel and feet to the pedals. It also is what provides headroom for taller drivers.

I am going to revise/modify the Recaro slider to allow for more rake angle and a better drop, hopefully can get almost 1" more drop if everything is done right, which may be enough for helmet clearance...but probably not. Will probably end up having to switch to a side mount racing seat that is solid mounted in order to get a proper driving position and helmet clearance, which also means at least a 4-point rollbar installation as well...

[wparsons]

Originally Posted by 8R6

aftermarket seats will only be lower than the stock seats (at lowest setting), if you get a fixed back bucket seat (recaro spg, buddy clup p1, bride zeta 3, etc.) with side mounts. this allows you to mount the seat from the sides letting the bottom/under part of the seat sit in between the side mounts and basically almost, if not already, touching the floor.

stock seats are already low as the rails it mounts to directly are pretty flat, but the only way to go lower than the rails is to have the seat sit between the rails and not above it.

The stock driver's seat sits higher than the passenger seat, the height adjustment mechanism takes up some space and raises the seat a bit. I'd bet it's about 2" without measuring.

If you could find a RHD market passenger seat you could have a stock seat that sits lower on all factory hardware.

[Apex-Apex]

Originally Posted by Vracer111

The problem with stock seats is the ergonomics...have yet to have a Japanese vehicle (and Japanese is all I buy) that had proper seats for a 6'2" person, most notably the seat bottoms really are a literal pain in the butt. FR-S stock seat was the one thing I really couldn't stand about the stock FR-S...but seats can be changed. I've learned over the years that if you want a comfortable daily driver seat, you go RECARO. Well worth spending the money to get a seat that is sized properly for a full size American adult and priority given to ergonomics and safety.

Unfortunately, there is not much you can do to lower the seating position and keep the sliding mechanism - I've made custom brackets for Recaro low profile sliders and with the Recaro Sportster CS seat I've only managed less than a 1/2" drop over stock. Was going to hardmount with a proper rake angle of seat bottom (absolutely critical for a proper fit for hand and leg reach), but bottom mount seat and floorboard bolt pattern proved to have inteference issue in designing a bracket...

The problem with mounting flat to the floor is mostly rake angle...seats need WAY more rake angle than they come from the factory. Rake angle is what can get you near optimal position for hands to steering wheel and feet to the pedals. It also is what provides headroom for taller drivers.

I am going to revise/modify the Recaro slider to allow for more rake angle and a better drop, hopefully can get almost 1" more drop if everything is done right, which may be enough for helmet clearance...but probably not. Will probably end up having to switch to a side mount racing seat that is solid mounted in order to get a proper driving position and helmet clearance, which also means at least a 4-point rollbar installation as well...

It really depends on the type of seat you use and how you mount it. I have Bride FG seat rail/mount and Recaro RS-G. Your ass is pretty much on the floor. Best way to see how that feels is take out your seat and sit on the floor.