Seats--Gen 3--killing my back--HELP!!!

[georgethedog]

Sorry to say, but if you cant feel well in a Viper seat you must have a real problem with your back!

No, only in the Viper. My wife's van fits me fine and I could drive my Ford 500 to Alaska and back and my back would feel better after the trip. Too many contours in the Viper Gen 3 seat and the top wings (as I call them) are too tight and push my shoulders in. You either have very narrow shoulders or such large shoulders that you ride on top of them.

When a company puts stationary contours into a seat it will not fit the entire population, but only a percentage. No seat is "one size fits all" and from the many PM's I have gotten and from reading some of the other posts, I am not the only that has issues with the Gen 3 seat. So consider yourself lucky.

I know how proud people are that the Viper is RAW, etc., and the Vette has nanny controls, etc., but my former C6 Vette had a very coomfortable and ADJUSTABLE seat. I see nothing wrong with Dodge having a seat that can be adjusted more than seats made in the 50's. Yea, I'm kind of pissed about this...

 

[Brake Dust]

Custom Gen. II Seats in the classifieds .

 

[georgethedog]

Custom Gen. II Seats in the classifieds .

Will Gen 2 seats fit in a Gen 3???

 

[georgethedog]

I just saw the classifieds. They are the wrong color. My Gen 3 is silver. Still wondering if Gen 2 Seats fit in a Gen 3...

 

[Twister]

The srt seats are widely referred to as some of the best seats in the buisness...they actually do a fantastic job of keeping your butt in the seat..corvette seats on the other hand are referred to as quite bad on the race track ...often gettting very low reviews....im sure you could care less about road course seat performance...but remember the viper is a track car first and street car second while the vette is the opposit

 

[Ken Lally]

The seats in my 2003 Viper don't fit my body right and are creating terrible back aches. After driving the car yesterday on and off throughout the day my back (lower and middle) hurt pretty bad. This morning I got up and felt like I had been in a fight.

Has anyone encountered this issue? Does anyone have a solution?

I have the same problems if I spend a lot of time in the car, you dont feel it coming on - it is lack of lumbar support I think. Maybe in the next viper we could get an inflatable bladder of sorts that you can hand pump or something so no weight is added.

 

[Lawrenzo]

I have. I like the Gen II seats a lot better.

I'm with Rev on this one- I hated the Gen3 and 4 seats. I ended up taking my cars into upholstery shops and having the wings bent out so I could fit in better. I'm 6'3 and 215 for the record. So, big guys have issues with the seats as well.

 

[RevHeat]

I'm with Rev on this one- I hated the Gen3 and 4 seats. I ended up taking my cars into upholstery shops and having the wings bent out so I could fit in better. I'm 6'3 and 215 for the record. So, big guys have issues with the seats as well.

Intersting fact is that a women (She also has a PhD) design the interior of the Gen II's. Might be why the Gen II seats fit so good. Women do know
interior design.

 

[georgethedog]

The srt seats are widely referred to as some of the best seats in the buisness...they actually do a fantastic job of keeping your butt in the seat..corvette seats on the other hand are referred to as quite bad on the race track ...often gettting very low reviews....im sure you could care less about road course seat performance...but remember the viper is a track car first and street car second while the vette is the opposit

The Gen 3 looks like a street car to me. Most are driven on the street and they are sold as a street car except the special models. Why else would they have a passenger seat, air conditioning, power windows, power locks, 6 disk changer, convertible top, carpeting, etc.? If I can't get this solved I may have to trade for a Vette. I wish at this point I could return it to Roanoke Motors and get my money back. If I can't drive it, it is not worth having, period.

 

[jackblaha]

OK..same issue here and I am a whopping 5'7", 160 lbs
Took a sweatshirt, similar color to the seats, folded it up and placed in the small of my back. Eliminated the gap you refer to...try before you make any expensive changes...

just my cheap 2 cents

(and yes, I am fully aware this is not an elegant solution, but I it works)

 

[2003 Viper]

I got a set of used Corvette ZO6 seats and put them in my 2003 Viper and I love the way they look in there. Plus the ZO6 emblem on the seats has people do a double take!My friend who loves the Viper seats put them in his Kia Rio and loves them.

 

[ViperGTS]

It's not the car.
It's not the seats.

It's you.

Stop whining.

Go, drive the minivan or buy a vette and be happy again

 

[Cop Magnet]

Gen III seats are WAY better than GenII. The amount of support is vastly different. However, if support is not your issue, then perhaps the seating pad thing is not what you need.

I find two main issues with the seats as they are. One, the front of the seat is too low. This requires you to support your upper legs with your lower legs rather than let them rest on the seat pad, especially if you are taller. Angling the seat front up is a longterm plan, but I haven't fabbed up anything yet. Second, the very lower seat back curves in (concave) rather than curving out (convex) and doesn't give you good lumbar support as a result. I used a Recaro lumbar pad once and it helped. I plan on buying the seat back cushion pictured here:
The LumbarCushion by Tempur-Pedic™ - Back Cushions - Back Supports

Good luck.

 

[georgethedog]

It's not the car.
It's not the seats.

It's you.

Stop whining.

Go, drive the minivan or buy a vette and be happy again

Apparently you cannot read. There are many people on this thread who have expressed the same problem--not just me. WOW, what great insight you provided to this discussion. I am waiting with breathless anticipation for you to utter your next syllable.

 

[georgethedog]

Gen III seats are WAY better than GenII. The amount of support is vastly different. However, if support is not your issue, then perhaps the seating pad thing is not what you need.

I find two main issues with the seats as they are. One, the front of the seat is too low. This requires you to support your upper legs with your lower legs rather than let them rest on the seat pad, especially if you are taller. Angling the seat front up is a longterm plan, but I haven't fabbed up anything yet. Second, the very lower seat back curves in (concave) rather than curving out (convex) and doesn't give you good lumbar support as a result. I used a Recaro lumbar pad once and it helped. I plan on buying the seat back cushion pictured here:
The LumbarCushion by Tempur-Pedic™ - Back Cushions - Back Supports

Good luck.

Let me know if you figure out anything to angle the front seat up. I think that would change the body position enough to better line the spine with the seat contours. It has in other vehicles that have those adjustments as power adjustments. Thanks.

 

[Cop Magnet]

Let me know if you figure out anything to angle the front seat up. I think that would change the body position enough to better line the spine with the seat contours. It has in other vehicles that have those adjustments as power adjustments. Thanks.

I thought from your other post on this, that you thought the front was too high? So I assumed we have different problems. I'm 6'2" and keep the pedals as far away as possible.

 

[georgethedog]

I thought from your other post on this, that you thought the front was too high? So I assumed we have different problems. I'm 6'2" and keep the pedals as far away as possible.

To be clear I will restate, where my butt goes is too low (like in a hole) and where my knees are is too high. I am trying to come up with a way to raise the butt part of the seat or lower the part of the seat nearest to the dash. Make sense?

 

[Alabaster Mamba]

Talk about feeling the total opposite. Even the damn mag rags say how bad the seats are in the Vette. I hate the seats in my Vettes. As others have stated, maybe you should think about going back to the Vette. I have taken 1000 mile round trips in the Viper and not once did I have anything negative to say about the seats. In fact, my wife said they were comfortable as well. But if she had said something bad about the seats, she would be more than welcome to ride in her own car from then on.

Maybe some of these people complaining should have gotten a bottle of Midol with their car as well. Some people would cry if they found a bag of money and say the denominations were wrong.

 

[georgethedog]

Talk about feeling the total opposite. Even the damn mag rags say how bad the seats are in the Vette. I hate the seats in my Vettes. As others have stated, maybe you should think about going back to the Vette. I have taken 1000 mile round trips in the Viper and not once did I have anything negative to say about the seats. In fact, my wife said they were comfortable as well. But if she had said something bad about the seats, she would be more than welcome to ride in her own car from then on.

Maybe some of these people complaining should have gotten a bottle of Midol with their car as well. Some people would cry if they found a bag of money and say the denominations were wrong.

Maybe you should quit crying about your seats in your Vette or take some Midol yourself. Not all seats fit everyone the same--doesn't mean anybody is crying; it just means they don't fit us and we are being proactive to find a solution. That's what this board is all about. By the way, go ahead and mail me a bag of money in the denomination of your choice...

 

[plumcrazy]

i know iv read guys installing gen3 seats into gen2 cars. i cant remember if there is much to the swap but i dont think so. id call jonB and see what he says about. he probably has a set too.

or swap a gen2 guy. if i wasnt so fat, id do the swap.

 

[plumcrazy]

found this.
http://forums.viperclub.org/rt-10-gts-discussions/606477-gen-iii-seat-gen-1-a.html
http://forums.viperclub.org/rt-10-gts-discussions/585472-gen-ii-gen-iii-seat-interchangeble.html

 

[BigBadViper]

It is funny how anytime someone says something negative about these cars, everyone jumps down their ass. Yes the interiors do **** on these things. Yes the seats do **** on these things. This guy is looking for a way to fix the car he loves, not change cars, get off his ass. He started the thread saying he was looking for some aftermarket seats because he is uncomfortable, then you guys accuse him of not knowing how to use a seat. ***. Other people have talked about how they had to buy backrest things, and another one put in Z06 seats, why, cause he thought it would look cool in a Viper, no because they were more comfortable.

I am in a similar position right now. I am not in pain driving the Viper, but I either need to get my seats recovered or get some new ones because they look like ****.

 

[Darbgnik]

To be clear I will restate, where my butt goes is too low (like in a hole) and where my knees are is too high. I am trying to come up with a way to raise the butt part of the seat or lower the part of the seat nearest to the dash. Make sense?

I haven't looked at my seats, since lowering them, but I wonder could you just stack some washers under the rear mount of the seat to raise only the back. This would effectively lower the front in relation to the rear.

Seems to me it would be a cheap experiment, even if it doesn't work.

 

[georgethedog]

Thanks BIGBADVIPER! Also, I think I may try the washer trick, Darbgnit, and I will read the threads you posted PLUMCRAZY--thanks. You just never know. I drove it today and tilted the back slightly and it seemed to help a little (actually does not make sense). IMO, I just think there will be some adjustment(s) can be made and they will be fine. One adjustment I am going to make is have the sides bent out for more room. I'll keep working at it and listening to people who are trying to help fellow Viper guys. If you go back, one of CopMagnet's posts it hit the problem exactly. The contours in the seat back hit me just opposite of the way they should. Maybe I am built strangly (I'll send the bill to my parents)? Somehow, I have to change the position of my back (moving it up) to hit the contours properly. It may be as simple as some type of seat wedge to flatten out the bottom and raise me up in the back. I had one in a 1988 Mazda MX6 for a similar reason years ago and it worked--just so long ago I just remembered now. We will see... Thanks guys.

 

[Lawrenzo]

Thanks BIGBADVIPER! Also, I think I may try the washer trick,

Don't use washers. When I did the seat drop kit on my 2002 the shop used a rather thick pipe cut to size for the front posts on my seat. It was much stronger than the washer route.

 

[10 BANGER]

I'm 5'10" , 215 lbs. and the seats fit me like a glove.
I like pulling it forward to recline a bit and relax on long trips. If I could only find a comfortable spot to rest my left arm while driving that would be perfect.

 

[ViperGTS]

The OP has a problem sitting.

The cheapest and best (bet) would be - you do some exercises every day to strengthen the muscles in your back. And you may avoid the chiropractor also or get a corset

The seats are more than OK (for the average Joe)

 

[georgethedog]

The OP has a problem sitting.

The cheapest and best (bet) would be - you do some exercises every day to strengthen the muscles in your back. And you may avoid the chiropractor also or get a corset

The seats are more than OK (for the average Joe)

Never considered myself the average Joe--that's the problem. I work out 5 times a week, sometimes 6. I work out every part of my body; legs, core, upper rough and fast at least 60 minutes a day (strength and aerobic training at the same time). I am probably less than 10% body fat. I am a former professinal athlete and I had no back injuries during my playing days. Maybe that's it, muscles are too toned and tight and there's not enough fat to take up all the extra spaces in the contours. I guess I need to get fat and lumpy to make these fit. Thanks for leading me to the answer...

Anyway, I have a lunbar support coming and I am going to lift the back part up a bit. If that does not work, I am going to take the seats to an uphostery shop as soon as the weather turns crappy and give them a shot. If nothing else they will be able to bend the sides out and give my wide shoulders some room. We'll see. I will post progress for those having the same problems. I will be the Guinea Pig for some experimenting over the winter. I think it is worth it with all the others that posted similar problems and all the PM's I am getting that are unseen on this thread.

 

[georgethedog]

By the way, not a real successful professional athlete... that's why my wife and I still have to work.

 

[slysnake]

It is funny how anytime someone says something negative about these cars, everyone jumps down their ass. ....... This guy is looking for a way to fix the car he loves, not change cars, get off his ass. He started the thread saying he was looking for some aftermarket seats because he is uncomfortable, then you guys accuse him of not knowing how to use a seat. ***

. MOST of the comments he got have been good. There have only been a couple of **** comments. So overall this guy has gotten a good response. Unfortunately, there seems to always be an **** or two that wants to say something rude. It's not an uncommon complaint about the board, I'm sorry to say. But the positive responses generally out weight the a-holes by a lot. As can be seen in this thread.