Flexsteel seat customization

Bikeboy57 · 05-31-2007, 08:28 AM

This little project was the result of a long drive, too much coffee, and too much rain to be outside.

I have never been completely comfortable in my drivers seat. The lumbar support hit way too high for my anatomy, and the seat was too flat for my liking. I like the bolstered feel of a true bucket seat.

I looked carefully at the seat construction and figured out that the cover can be dislodged with minimal tools and trouble. The seat back cover has zippers on each side that extend to the arm rests, and in the space between the seat back and the seat bottom is a clever little plastic closure that can be undone without tools. Once I gained access, the zippers opened enough so that I could see the air bladder for the lumber support. Moving it was as simple as snipping a few zip ties and moving it to where I wanted it. More zip ties fixed it at the new location. I also cut some additional seat foam the length of the seatback and about three inches wide. I was able to insert that under the cover on each side to form a bolster on the right and left side. Rezip the zippers, and close the plastic closure and the back was finished.

I had to work a little harder on the bottom. There are plastic grippers that slide onto metal ledges on the seat underside. It is fairly easy to undo them by hand. But I had to unscrew the power switches and the lumbar support switch. The power switches can be disconnected, but the lumbar switch was just easier to slide back through the hole. I now had access the foam underneath the seat top. It got an extra layer of upholstery foam for the entire bottom, plus additional foam at the sides to form bolsters. I pulled the cover back down, reinstalled the switches, and reengaged the fasteners underneath.

Total time, including figuring out how to disassemble the seat, was about 1.5 hours. I am happy to say that my back and my butt are now much happier.

If you decide to do this, make sure you have plenty of foam in about a 1/2 to 3/4 thickness to start. Also the foam needs to be rather firm. The pillow type foam from Wally world isn't going to help. Go to an auto upholstery shop and get the foam . I cheated and used an old backpacking sleeping pad. Hey, you work with what you have when the rain keeps you in the coach.

Lovely bride sat in it, and asked "When do you do mine?"

**"007"** · 05-31-2007, 11:10 AM

Dick I added your tips and mods to the Quick Tips & Easy Mods post so it will be easy to find for future reference, it hasn't been added to, 4 pgs back, in some time, will leave your posts also.
Thanks for the tips.