Driver’s Seat Comfort

As a side bar: i have had lower back issues for over 20 years i have degenerative disc disease. In all the spine docs ive seen, zero ever suggested seeing a chiro. In fact knowing i need a l5s1 fusion a friend suggested his chiro so i went knowing he could do nothing. He suggested 24 sessions, i thanked him had the fusion and was tip top shape immediately.
Once my next op is done in april and i have recivered i will be back to playing a-b level beer league hockey and practicing three times a week for 1.5 hours. That and downhill bike riding at snowshoe.
Keep your core strong, keep weight down, dont smoke, and tylenol does wonders. GL

 

Ah ok, I guess that is a significant difference between dessicated and herniated...mine is still in place, it's just beat up. I get sciatic pain once in a while if things get inflamed from a minor injury. Doc said injections are the next step, but I'm pushing that off as far as possible. That's great that fusion gave you so much improvement. I hear such mixed things about back surgery in general.

 

They try to avoid operating and suggest PT, injections first . If no relief is felt after these then they consider options.

The Diskectomy isnt bad recover wise compared to the full on fusion.

Either way these procedures have come a long way. Its the patients condition/age/weight that has the different success or failure results.

If you let the sciatica go and you get nerve damage or are over weight, smoker are weak muscle wise, recovery will be tough.

 

chiropractors that specialize in ART are a world of difference.
i did PT once, my back was hurting L5. they had me doing something called 'egg roll". back hurt so bad the next 2 days i had to take vicoden, never went back. just my story.

 

While I appreciate the advice about chiropractors and surgeries and orthopedics and the fact that I could lose 50lbs, I do believe that there is an issue with Tacoma seat comfort itself. I get it, people have pride in their trucks, lots of people will refuse to acknowledge certain shortcomings, or perhaps it “just works for them,” which is all good, more power to you…but if you look objectively at this subject, the Tacoma seats (position, adjustability, bolstering, cushioning, etc.) just plain suck.

Our family car is a ‘22 Subaru Ascent. I’ve driven it down south, I’ve driven it to Maine, 3-4-5+ hour drives, and not once have I ever experienced back pain. My job gives me a Nissan Altima to commute…which can range from 1 hour to 2.5 hours each way, add in some long distance work travel and it’s safe to say I’ve logged A LOT of time behind that wheel, seated in that seat…and I’ve never experienced back pain.

I’ve had a Volvo V90, Jeep Wrangler, VW Touareg, Subaru Outback, I could go on and on. Yes I’m older now. But I’m not some 600lb beast that’s shoe-horning himself into a seat. I have a proportional build, sure I could lose a few like most 40-something men, but a dad-bod or core-strength isn’t the reason I can’t get comfortable in the Tacoma.

So to get back to my original topic, here’s what I’m wondering: does the ergonomics and layout and clearances and headroom/footwell/etc. in the Tacoma prohibit comfort for some people? If you took the most comfortable seat on the market, let’s say out of a luxury car, or a Scheel-Mann, or wherever, and you were to pop that into a Tacoma, could you get comfortable? Or would the high floor and the low roof make that impossible?

I’m not dismissing Yoga or Pilates or diet or a bunch of other things I should do to promote health and flexibility; but I just don’t think that a 15-20 minute ride should make my back hurt when I spend hours in other cars without a shred of discomfort.

 

You pretty much mentioned all possible solutions. Hope ya get it sorted.

 

Fwiw I'm 5'10" 240 and have no issues with the Tacoma seats. Towards the end of a 16 hour drive I was getting uncomfortable but that is the worst I have had, plenty of 40-80 minute drives with no issue.

Seat jackers do a lot less in the newer trucks due to the power seat, they may give a little more range but they were really for the non-power seats of old.

Throwing this out there to try something from left field. Drop your tire pressure into the high 20s.
The OR is a bit jittery and it may be a ride comfort issue aggravating your back and less a seating position issue. Not an ideal tire pressure but it is fine to do for a few weeks and a few hundred miles. If it helps some new shocks could potentially improve the ride for you

I would also recommend trying a seating position that is entirely different. Completely change the pressure points and see how it works. Things like laying the seat back and getting pressure up on the shoulders and a bit off the hips may change the pressure enough to help

 

I did some measuring of my 4Runner and Tacoma yesterday. The 4Runner seat is approximately 2” higher off the floor and the distance from the floor to the ceiling is also 2” higher than the Tacoma.

2021 Tacoma with sunroof vs 2022 4Runner with sunroof.

At 6-00 I can’t raise the base of my Tacoma seat anymore without my head hitting the roof, so I don’t think seat jackets would be of any value with my power seat.

 

Just a couple comments in defense of chiropractic, being a DC for 25 years, now 5 years retired. Back issues are a bitch. Each injury, though similar to someone else's, is its own unique animal. I worked hand in hand with Ortho's, Neuro's, PT's and Massage Therapists. I received many referrals from them. Any good DC would want to develop those relationships. Most my patients never wanted surgery, because they knew, once you're cut, you can never be uncut, and often, one surgery leads to another regardless of surgical technique. Sometimes surgery is the best option.

Chiros are a great option for back problems, but not the end-all for them. Sounds like OP has tried a lot of things. For the guys out there. I seriously suggest stretching your hamstrings, hip flexors and gastrocs on a regular basis, it helps a ton to prevent and/or relieve many back issues, costs nothing.

 

You should look into nerve ablation. Less intrusive than fusing or injections.

 

Thank you for posting this. This is exactly what I’ve been thinking, just haven’t gotten out the tape measure to confirm my suspicions. I also think the seat cushion “depth” (from where your tailbone would rest to the edge of the cushion right behind your knees) is also much shorter in the Tacoma than other vehicles. I believe that to be problematic for me as well.

Again, I know there are folks here that get super defensive with respect to Tacoma shortcomings, and we all make compromises when getting one. I heard rumblings of this issue, but bulletproof reliability, 4WD capability, good looks and utility, sick resale value, and the fact that this might be the last “real” truck made by Toyota with a solid rear axle and a non-aspirated V6, in the (likely?) final generation/year of production, all of those reasons made my decision for me. A few short test drives when you’re overwhelmed with TRD DCLB newness wasn’t enough to convince me that the comfort would be an issue.

If you look at it objectively, the fact that people (I know I’m not alone) have to do all these gymnastics (seat jackers and lumbar cushions and man-spreading and seat-swapping and some have even suggested surgery for Christ’s sake!) to obtain a comfortable driving position in a new Toyota Tacoma, just sucks.

I think I’ll probably go the custom upholstery route…as it really cannot get any worse, and at least I’ll maintain my side airbags, my heated seats/OEM controls, and OEM look.

Thanks to everyone who chimed-in, all of your comments were appreciated.

 

This guy installed Scheel-Mann. I'm sure it was spendy as hell.

Driving a Tacoma around the world



Seats aren't perfect. I also put strategic foam under my clazzios, which makes them tolerable. I tried the jackers for a week and despised them. It took a lot of trial and error for me to get mine a little better, since I take my truck on two cross-country road trips a year. I like being comfy. If you run the original seats, its a game of constant fiddling until you find what works.

 

I have a 2004 Tacoma which I rarely drove because the seats were too soft making long-distance driving quite uncomfortable (I averaged around 50K miles a year; put over 500K on my 2001 Subaru Forester with no issues). I eventually replaced the factory seats with Recaros which are much firmer and I've no problems at all and it's now my daily driver. My 2020 Tacoma with its adjustable driver's seat is also very comfortable and I've yet to have any issues with it.

 

No seat is perfect for everyone. Not even a seat that is perfect today for you is perfect tomorrow. Ask me how I know that after a strenuous 10 mile heike over hills with 2000 ft elevation rise.

Find pads that work after long walks or 8 hour drives or other varying circumstances. Last year I had a bad bout with lower back pain and muscles that was helped with a wrap-around stretchy back support. Now it sits unused, but it was critical to home and vehicle for a few weeks.

 

I don't find it comfortable either. I'm 5' 8" 145# and fit but have L3/L4 issues.

I came from a '11 Nissan Titan and have taken many multiple hour trips in it and found it extremely comfortable. The Tacoma not so much for anything longer than an hour or so.

 

@Rock Lobster you still satisfied with your mod?

 

Yes sir, I'm pretty happy with how mine turned out.

 

I'm glad it worked out for you. I bit the bullet and purchased a powered seat from a junkyard.

 

I might have to follow that one. Do you have it installed yet?

 

I plan on it tomorrow. I'll keep you posted.