Is Something Wrong With My Driver's Seat?

[bluesmuso]

My driver's seat has always felt strange ever since I bought the car earlier this year, then a while ago I was sitting in the back seat and noticed that my driver's seat is tilted down on the left and almost touching the centre console, but the passenger seat appears more level, maybe the mounts are bent, I haven't had a chance to look at another XR6 to see if they are all like this, but I don't know why they would be though.

Edited 20/08/09 09:52 AM by bluesmuso

[Daniel]

That is certainly not normal.

Surely you feel it when you are seated in the drivers seat?

[bluesmuso]

Yes I do feel it, even more so now after seeing how crooked it is, I'll have to take the seat out and see what is going on.

[bluesmuso]

I pulled the seat out and found no evidence of bent mounts, each mount (both frame to seat and frame to chassis mounts) appear identical to the passenger seat except for the seat height adjustment components.

I have packed the seat up with a few washers (bearing in mind that the seat is an integral safety item in a crash) on the left side which has improved it somewhat, I only packed it up by about 5mm.

It is a lot more comfortable now and the seat height adjustment moves silently and freely, whereas before it rubbed on the handbrake and centre console.

It has me totally baffled, maybe the seat's internal foam has gone on one side, but that would only be evident when sitting on it, I am assuming that in it's past the car has had it's seat removed and an incorrect part fitted, it actually sits about 20mm lower on the left side, so something is wrong.

Edited 21/08/09 08:05 AM by bluesmuso

[Daniel]

Yes, that's bizarre for sure!

Id try working out what part is not right (foams/frame/rails etc) and get some spares from a wrecker like FTG etc..

Then swap them over and drive in comfort, it'd be very tiring on your body to drive long distance like that I would think.

[Mike XR6T]

get a new seat dude id say the metal in the back of the seat has broken, ive seen it om vn-vp commohores

[bluesmuso]

I got it, pulled the seat out completely and dismantled it, it was a cracked and bent seat base, getting a change over one for $80.00 from my local ford wreckers here in Adelaide, the wreckers weld and reinforce the changeover replacement as well, thanks heaps for your input everyone

[hypnodoc]

Ahhhhh, some more good Ford outsourcing. Everything on these cars is bought to the chaepest price possible and build quality seems irrlevent now. Obviously if the wreckers auotmatically strengthen the bases before they sell them they are flimsy crap from the factory.

[bluesmuso]

It must be a common problem if the wreckers are reinforcing them when welding them up, I was going to have a crack at it myself but it is very hard steel and trying to straighten it in a vice would probably cause metal fatigue and I'm not that flash at welding either and it's only $80, most other wreckers I phoned would only sell me a complete seat for $350.00.

I was thinking of putting the seat cover in the washing machine, it is held on with gutsy velcro and is easy to remove but I think I will just give it a clean with a sponge, I'll give the washing machine a miss.

[bluesmuso]

Here's a couple of photos for anyone else who encounters this problem