Lower Back Pain from Lumbar Mechanism

Hey guys!
I just bought a 2015 TRD Sport. It's the truck I've wanted for so long to own, but I am having a major issue with back pain only after about 2 1/2 weeks of driving it. For me, it feels like I can feel the metal bar from the lumbar mechanism...like the padding down there is thin in that area. It was a certified auto so I took it back into the Toyo dealership and had 2 guys look at it. They basically said there was nothing they could do about it. The one guy just turned the lumbar support on full. It felt ok at first, but by the time I got home, my back was hurting again. I just don't like the feel of the lumbar on and prefer it off. And yes, I have tried it in the middle and with different seat angles. I find myself trying to enjoy my new truck, but each and every time I drive it, I am constantly trying to adjust the lumbar support or seating positions to find a comfortable position. This is a major setback for me as I love my new truck, but can't believe the discomfort I am feeling.
Just tonight, I ordered 2 types of cushions on Amazon (but that makes me feel ridiculous that I would have to put cushions in my new truck just to get comfortable not to mention how it would look.
I am wondering if others have had the same issue with the lumbar support hurting their back (on and off)? Also, could raising the front up help to eliminate this issue. I am very concerned, but it sounds like those who have raised the front or back of the seats got some relief. (I am leaning on trying to raise the front).
I drove a '92 Toyo 4x4 for years with no issues until it blew a head gasket and since then, I have been driving an '02 4 Runner. No problems ever. Now the money I spent on this beautiful 2015 Taco, is weighing heavy on me as this ridiculous seat issue keeps causing me to question my purchase. Please help or give advice if you can. This is my first post. Sorry, it is a bit of a negative one. Need to get this issue fixed ASAP!! Also very curious if anyone else has had a similar issue with their lumbar support mechanism, as I haven't really found anything specific like that on this site.

 

On my 09 lumbar is cranked off and the seatback slightly angled back. If my wife drives she tilts it more straight up and that hurts my back.
If it really bothers you still go to an auto upholstery shop and have them add some padding back there.

 

Not sure how old you are but I’m mid fifties and have the same issue but higher up. I have the same truck.

About all you can do is bulk it up some with a towel or cushion like you’ve ordered. I have noticed that the lumbar mechanism loosens over a day or so and I have to crank it full again. Wonder if a guy could get underneath the upholstery and bolster it a bit?

 

So from some who has chronic back issue and has a 2015 Tacoma. I found that if I have the seat in a more upright position the wife makes fun of me cause it is so upright I find i really don’t need the lumbar support. Find an upright position that feels really good with the lumbar support completely cranked off(May feel funny at first) then turn the lumbar support just to the point where you start to feel it no pressure at all. It works great for me. Good luck.

 

You may want to look into doing something like this. I did this mod a year or so ago and have made several long distance trips from TX to AZ and back with very little back fatigue.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/fs-aluminum-seat-spacers-for-seat-mod.563843/

I didn't use what this guy is selling. I had some spacers in my junk drawer that I was able to use.

 

It's not that bad of a job. I pulled my seats out to put heat in them. And if all you're doing is the back, it looks more intimating than it actually is.
The only odd tool you need is hog ring pliers. I say odd because I had no need for one before I did this job. Actually for putting heat in my girlfriend's car seats. She was my guinea pig before I did my truck.

 

Thinking about doing this soon

 

There is a metal pressure plate located in the lower part of the back of the seat that pulls the headrest forward in the case of a rear end accident. It is located right about Belt level when your are seated. It barely has any padding over it and can hurt your back on longer drives. There is a thread here somewhere about removing it. I removed mine and it made a world of difference in the lower back comfort. You can reach up inside the back of the seat cover and remove it with a 10mm ratchet. The trick is getting the wire that goes up to the headrest unhooked. I recommend you look into this if you're having issues with your lower back.

 

I’m curious what wire to the headrest your talking about since the head rest is removable and when you take it there is no wire attached to it that makes it adjust. What seats do you have?

 

Maybe specific to sport seat?

 

The headrest is removable. The wire attaches to base that the hearest posts slide into. If you get rear ended, the seat pushes against your back and compresses a device the pulls the wire and causes the headrest to tip about an inch forward.

Sit in the seat and reduce the lumbar support to zero. Feel the back of the seat right about where the belt loop is on the back of your pants. If you press into the pad with your fingers, you should feel a flat metal plate about 4" wide and 3" tall.

If you access the seat from the rear you can disconnect a flat plastic piece and reach up under the seat back fabric. Not too far up you should feel/see it.

 

This is what you're looking for. It is not electronic. It is a rat trap looking device with a steel cable attached to it. Not an electric wire.

 

Don't hesitate to do a little comfort modification to your seat, just because the truck is new to you. When I bought my 2014 TRD OR, I was in love. Then after driving it a while, I was amazed at how hard the seat bottom was. I too went back to the dealer and sat in some different Tacomas. None were as hard as mine but they were all SR5 versions. Don't get me wrong, my truck was EXACTLY the configuration I wanted, even down to the color. I went to the service department and looked up the seat foam, yes, two different part numbers for the OR and the SR5. The replacement foam was $169.
Long story shortened, I removed my seat, removed the bottom cover and started cutting, replaced the middle foam with something softer, shaped with a flap wheel on a grinder, etc......

No, you shouldn't have to, but IF you have to, don't be afraid to make some modifications.

Just remember to unhook your battery before you start messing with that seat, I think they have airbags in them.

 

^^^ Yep Removed it in my seat a couple of yrs
ago. Big difference.

 

First off, thank you for everyone who has responded. Secondly, the piece that
Notoneiota and Southgaboy have taken out what appears to be the exact part I am feeling in my lower back. It is exactly where my belt line is and depending upon the type of belt (thickness) the pain appears to be heightened. Also, exactly as Notoneiota mentions, I can feel it with my hands when I press down. You guys give me hope I can address this issue. I am also strongly considering raising the front of the seat as my back pain may also be attributed to how low the seat is which doesn't allow proper leg support. A question for both of you who have removed that part from your seat is I am wondering how the lumbar support works with that piece out. Not that it matters much, but just curious. Once again, thank you all!

 

It isn't attached to the lumbar support. Removing the pressure plate does not affect it at all.

I also put 3/4" spacers under the rear of the seat to level it out a little.

Like I said, if you push the seat forward and look under the back, there is a hard plastic flap the can be unhooked and you can reach up under the fabric. There are 2 short bolts facing backwards that you can put a small 10mm ratchet on and remove the plate. The tricky part is the wire cable. I cut it and left the cable there. The pressure plate got tossed in the trash. 100% better after that. All that device does is mechanically pulls the headrest forward an inch in a rear-end accident. I'll take my chances that that lack of 1" doesn't hurt me.

 

lol...agreed. I will be making that exact mod and may have a few questions for you when I actually attempt it. Thank you so much for pointing that out. Couldn't find anyone anywhere on this site that had referenced that. It wasn't the lumbar support after all. One more question. I have read so much about raising the back with spacers and another thread about raising the front with custom lifts. To me raising back seems like it would tilt me forward and cause me to slide off. Raising the front seems to have helped so many, but then again...so many have raised the back. Any more thoughts regarding which is better?

 

I'm 6'1" and have long legs (34" inseam). I felt like I was sitting in a hole and my knees were up too high. I wanted to sit more upright like in a chair (or a bigger truck). Raising the rear levels the seat out a little better. Then you just tip the back part back a notch or two and you're back where you were with a more level seat. Raising the front puts you more in a hole.

Also, I tried a full inch in the back and my head was too close to the roof and I couldn't see out the front windshield as well. 3/4" seemed a good compromise.

 

I added the spacers on the back mounts only. At 64 years old this mod has helped with my long drives.

As stated above, the rear spacers will level the seat a little bit.

 

Just did the removal of the metal torture device, will see if there is any improvement over the next little while. Thanks for posting this!