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Seat rails/tracks, extending for more legroom

47K views 42 replies 28 participants last post by  Pepper23 
#1 ·
6ft 2 in tall cramped in the driver seat. Is there a way to extend the seat track so that it goes futher back or is there some control that allows the seat to have more flexibility than i have been able to find. Is there an aftermarket product that addresses the need for more driver leg room for tall guys?
 
#2 ·
I am 6'7" and need a bit more legroom (my right knee is always hitting the lower corner of the front console. Anyone know if it is possible to allow the front seat to slide back further than the track allows? Or possibly modify the console. I am looking for any creative ideas. Thanks
 
#4 ·
take the seat with track out to any one who welds in roll cages for race cars and they will fabb up a new seat frame for the bottom of the seat that sandwiches between the factory tack and seat bottom remember safety is a factor here too. do not off set too much 2 inches is fine because weight is also a problem
 
#5 ·
I have a similiar problem with leg room. I borrowed hand controls from a friend of mine and installed them. Now I can drive using my hand for acceleration and braking while my legs can be crossed or in some other position. I really do like the E, but I do wish they would have considered more leg room.
 
#7 ·
the only part that would be effected by the warranty would be the seat. for example, if you cut off the seat stops and the transmission goes out, then the tranny would still be covered under warranty unless the dealership could prove that cutting off the seat stops made the tranny fail. if the seat stops could be removed then this would be the best way to add a few inches. there is always the part where you could the seat rail to a fab shop, but that always brings the chance of the seat rail failing in an accident because of a bad weld or bad engineering. removing the seat stop (if its the same as on a hyundai santa fe) will not hurt the integrity and strength of the seat. :D
 
#10 ·
Its all about proportions, folks. I'm 6' even, and more of my height is torso but, like crj_lll, I could use a smidge more legroom too.

I'd be interested in hearing if anyone has managed to move or modify the seat rails to allow for a bit more legroom. Lord knows we could easily sacrifice a couple of inches of rear legroom without inconviencing anyone! ;)

On longer trips, my legs start cramping up if I can't fully extend them now and again. This hasn't been too much of a problem since we make bathroom (for me) and smoke (for wife) stops along the way.
 
#14 · (Edited)
Re: Leg Room

ELEMENTDUDE said:
One more thing, Rambler, does this thing you call the dead pedal really make a difference?
It does for me. YMMV.

My problem is with my right knee. My knee rubs/leans against the console and starts to grind against my knee cap. Well . . . perhaps grind is a little strong, but anyway it is annoying and does become sore on a long drive.
Try some adhesive foam tape. I have Frost King R516 Rubber Foam Weatherseal Self Stick Tape (1 1/4" x 7/16"), covered with clear packing tape for durability, strategically placed for this purpose:


Adding a low seat cushion gave my shoulders room to flex, solving the problem.
PaulJ is right on, as usual. A cushion will also make up for the seat's decided lack of integral lumbar support. My current fav is a Tempur-Pedic lumbar cushion, modified so as to stay put without interfering with the side air bags:

Pricy but wonderful, though the viscoelastic foam does get stiff in the cold.
 
#15 ·
Re: Leg Room

I'm 6'2" and 170, felt comfortable in my stock Element since the day I test drove it. I guess the dead pedal could help you though. I'm not trying to be a jerk, but I feel that from all the vehicles I considered, this one had by far the most room up front for driver/passenger so I think your comment about space is stretching it a little.
 
#16 · (Edited)
Re: Leg Room

Funktional said:
... from all the vehicles I considered, this one had by far the most room up front for driver/passenger so I think your comment about space is stretching it a little.
This is quantifiable. Below are legroom specs for the Element and six competitors (2004 model year). Members are invited to add to the list.

Sorento: 42.6 inches
Rav4: 42.4
Grand Vitara: 41.4
XL-7: 41.4
Xterra: 41.4
CR-V: 41.3
Element: 41.0
 
#17 ·
Re: Front seat needs to got back just one more inch

Hmmm.. I'm just a tad over 6'4", with a 36" inseam, and I have plenty of legroom up front. I'd also be leary about modifying seat tracks -- in the event of a crash with injuries you might be in some serious legal hot water should you injure yourself or someone else (and need to make a claim).
 
#18 · (Edited)
Re: Front seat needs to got back just one more inch

Geeky, no doubt about increasing liability. Any mod along these lines increases personal (as opposed to Honda's) responsibility. Good that you find the stock leg room adequate; how much bending at the knee one can tolerate is a matter of taste.

W3asel, you said "no welding" in the other thread, but once the tracks are off, it's easy to take them to a professional welder, and it shouldn't cost too much. Consider not divulging the application; I got turned down by the first shop I went to because they were afraid of liability.

Outpost, thanks for the references and links. Quick work there!

As I said in another thread, if I were to do it again, I'd remove the front & rear brackets from the rails, have the rails welded to lengths of steel square channel, and then weld the brackets to that. Would eliminate worries about a possible failure in the butt welds in the future, plus alleviate some of the cutting I had to do on the plastic panels. In that scenario, one concern would be that the maximum seat height would be an inch or so higher than stock, allowing a tall driver to sit too high for the shoulder harness height adjustment to compensate. (Having the shoulder harness too low could cause spinal compression in a crash.)
 
#19 ·
Seat tracks...

I haven't had a chance to look at my Element tracks. However on all of my honda Civics I took the seats out, took the tracks out, and then re-drilled the seat mounting holes all the way to the rear- about 1 1/2- 2" further back. This worked great and cost me NOTHING!! I'll have to check my E and I'll post again.
 
#20 ·
more room

I've test driven the Element. Gone out four times so far, love the car. I'm in the process of refinancing for several reasons. This car purchase will come from that deal. I have decided on the E, especially for the headroom. I'm 6'6", 280 lbs. When I've driven the E my right leg in particular has very little room, my knee rests on the center console. Driving is part of my job, about 40k a year on average. I spend a great deal of time in my car and am just trying to be as comfortable as possible. This seems like a great car. I am going to purchase this car in the next couple of weeks. Thank you for your help.
 
#21 · (Edited)
If you're buying a 2007, note that the parts are different from those on 2003-06 models, so your seat track conversion might vary.



If I were to do it again, I'd try a slightly different method:

1. Remove front and back brackets, track floor cover fastener bracket, and support tube from the factory U-channel (track);

2. Weld those parts, matching their relative positions, to a square steel channel the same size and length as the factory U-channel;
a) drill/file holes for the front cover clips;
b) verify fit with floor mounting and support points and the track floor cover;

3. Weld the square channel to the U-channel track, staggered two to three inches forward.

This should be stronger and more durable than the butt-welded, cantilevered extension I used.

Good luck, and please report back.
 
#24 ·
Elemental_ed, did you figure out a way to redrill the seat mounting holes on the E? That is a mod I could do myself.
 
#25 · (Edited)
There's about a 1 1/2" rise in the floorboard at the front seat mounts that prevents you from simply shifting the tracks back as you would if the floor (and the track brackets) were flat.



A compromise solution would be to remove the front angle bracket and put a new, stout bracket in its place, facing the other way and even extending out a bit. That would gain you another couple of inches, though you'd have to drill new holes in the floorboard for the rear brackets and clear the garnish and floor insulation/liner accordingly.

Note that this applies to 2003-06 seats. The tracks on 2007 seats are slightly different, and I haven't looked at them closely enough to know if the same mod will work.

 
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