Front Seat-back Angle

[RAC68]

Hi All,

I appreciate that this topic has come up before but I don't seem to be able to find the posts.

At this point I am interested in increasing the seat back angle to improve driving comfort. I remember seeing a number of approaches to slightly improve the back angle by increasing the side pivot points 1" higher then the original location. Although this seems a relatively simple modification, I would like to open the discussion to more implementation detail and/or alternate approaches. Although I do love the look of the seats and upholstery, as I get older distance, driving comfort has become even more important to me. I understand the seat will have to move forward to allow any additional backward angle but I see this loss in leg room as a minimal trade-off.

Thanks,
Ray(64BJ8P1)

 

[Factoryman2000]

Ray, Although I have no useful information, it is among my own top priorities on my BN7. As I am short legged and tall upper bodied, my head already protrudes above the windshield( causing loss of many a ball cap). Should you develop a solution to the seat back issue please post pictures as well as steps taken. I have contemplated doing this many times but then I consider that once apart It will take forever to get road going again. Tony

 

[HealeyRick]

Hi All,

I appreciate that this topic has come up before but I don't seem to be able to find the posts.

https://www.britishcarforum.com/bcf/showthread.php?119408-Healey-seat-recline

 

[John Turney]

I put some washers under the seat base front studs, and half as many under the middle ones.

 

[red57]

I did what John did only to a much greater degree. I cut wooden wedges and removed the sliders so the seat is bolted directly to the floor.

Mine is a roadster, the convertibles might be more restrictive as far as clearance for leaning the seat back.

I don't need adjustability since no one but me drives it and removing the sliders keeps the seat as low as possible.

I tried the raised seat pivot point years ago but IMO, raising the front of the seat cushion makes it more like reclining in an easy chair and vastly improves the comfort because my thighs carry some of the load.


Dave

 

[Keoke]

Ray :
I would guess the simplest method would be to cut tapered wooden supports to replace the existing flat ones between seat bottom and the floor ???

 

[Chet Zerlin]

Ray,
I had the kit installed that raised the side pivot points as you mentioned. Very satisfied with it and really unnoticable since the change is so minimal that the seats look the same as before. But comfort (at least for my 'ole back) is much improved.
Chet

 

[tahoe healey]

You need to be careful not to tilt it too far back or you will be up against the shelf behind the seat back. My BJ8 had a second set of holes lower than the factory ones in the "wing" portion of the seat back. Because the seat back hit the shelf I restored to the original holes. I use a cheap, removable mesh computer back-support and it works well plus it has the advantage of air flow on my back.

 

[RAC68]

Hi All,

Thanks for the direction and suggestions. As I see it, Hendrix has a nicely simplistic approach and creating a wedge design for the support of the rails (whether washer or wood) is also reasonably easy to try. However, where Hendrix improves the angle of the back to the seat, rail wedges maintain the original back angle to the seat. Of the two, I previously focused upon the back angle to the seat as in the Hendrix approach but, since both seemed reasonably east to test once removing the mufflers, both are potential.

I have reconciled having to move the seat forward to accommodate the additional seat back angle displacement.

Thanks again to all,
Ray(64BJ8P1)

 

[Deleted member 21878]

Ray
if leg room is not an issue, i bought lumbar seat back supports off of Amazon for like 10 bucks. the mesh type. it changes the angle of the seating position. and i believe it is cooler in hot weather.

 

[Coastalman]

I installed the Hendrix solution on my BJ8 and it made a good world of difference. I highly recommend it. I liked it so much I did the same installation on my Sprite MKI Bug Eye.

 

[HealeyRick]

Discussions like this always make me want to go back and ask the designers, "What were you thinking?" Designers use average height models to determine driving positions and I wonder which ones they used for the Healey? I'd suggest they asked Donald to sit in it and see how he liked it, rather than setting it up for American drivers that would be the bulk of the sales. I've owned a few Fiats, and their driving positions were said to be designed for the average Italian with short legs and long arms so that one would lay back to drive and "shuffle steer" by holding the wheel at the bottom and passing the wheel between one's hands, rather than the crossed hands position from driving at 10 and 2.

My BJ7 seatback seems too upright for my comfort, with the wheel too close and lacking lumbar support (I'm 6') I might give the washers under the front of the seat a shot. Wonder why whey put the wooden spacers under the seat, was it to boost up the height for shorter drivers to see over the bonnet? Big Healeys have wooden spacers on both seats where both seats are adjustable. Bugeyes, OTOH, only have a spacer on the driver's side as the passenger seat is not adjustable and is bolted down via metal brackets.

 

[John Turney]

I thought the wooden spacers were to clear the carpet.

 

[HealeyRick]

I thought the wooden spacers were to clear the carpet.

Makes sense, John.

 

[Keoke]

Yes the wooden spacers are to clear the carpet U can include their thickness in the tapered spacer or put the spacer of less height on top OK



Plus:

In my case i do not like the soft wood the original spacers were made out of , so even if I duplicate them I use OAK which when added a coat of varnish look origanlish.

 

[petnatcar]

Hi All,

I appreciate that this topic has come up before but I don't seem to be able to find the posts.

At this point I am interested in increasing the seat back angle to improve driving comfort. I remember seeing a number of approaches to slightly improve the back angle by increasing the side pivot points 1" higher then the original location. Although this seems a relatively simple modification, I would like to open the discussion to more implementation detail and/or alternate approaches. Although I do love the look of the seats and upholstery, as I get older distance, driving comfort has become even more important to me. I understand the seat will have to move forward to allow any additional backward angle but I see this loss in leg room as a minimal trade-off.

Thanks,
Ray(64BJ8P1)

Hi All,

I appreciate that this topic has come up before but I don't seem to be able to find the posts.

At this point I am interested in increasing the seat back angle to improve driving comfort. I remember seeing a number of approaches to slightly improve the back angle by increasing the side pivot points 1" higher then the original location. Although this seems a relatively simple modification, I would like to open the discussion to more implementation detail and/or alternate approaches. Although I do love the look of the seats and upholstery, as I get older distance, driving comfort has become even more important to me. I understand the seat will have to move forward to allow any additional backward angle but I see this loss in leg room as a minimal trade-off.

Thanks,
Ray(64BJ8P1)

Hi Guys,
I realize this post is very old and unfortunately Ray has passed away but I wanted to show everyone the solution I came up with regarding the Seat Back Angle issue.
This is not a modification for the weak of heart but the benefits are well worth the toil.
The change in seat back angle is about 15° but is adjustable and I've never been happier or more comfortable in my life since doing this.
I would start with buying some used seat frame bottoms so you can experiment on them.
I also reinforced the pivot points as shown in the photos and dressed them up with some Chrome Fender Washers, Dome Head Bolts and
Bullet Style Acorn Nuts.
Regards,
Peter Carbone
"I don't race my car but I drive it like a race car"