Seats......Numb from the Waist Down

[WM-300]

I have a 03 with the Laramie Package and the Leather seats. I use my truck for some long distance hauling of my Power Wagons. I have over 10,000 miles towing and the seats are terrible. My back is still killing me after a 3 day 2800 mile run. That thing the Germans call a center seat is useless. Not safe to put a child up front, where is a adult going to put there legs with the 6 speed shifter and floor console ???? I would expect for the cost of the premium leather seats that I would get a comfortable bucket seat.



My friend has a new Ford F-250 with real bucket seats, its really comfortable.



I am hoping that the Germans start to realize they need to supply good seats in the Rams, seats that can carry your butt for many many comfortable miles.



If these seats did not suck, they would fall out of the truck. They are not much better than a picnic bench. Other than the seats, I love my Ram/CTD, its a great hauler.



WM-300

 

[John - K5AWO]

I know exactly what you mean. My 98. 5 has the worst "bucket" seat I have ever tried to sit on. It feels like my tail bone is sitting directly on top of the frame. I have to roll up a towell just to get some padding where it belongs.



One of these days I will either install a "real" seat, or have a local upholstery shop fabricate something that works. I have the electric motorized seat with "lumbar" control. It continuously moves up/down on the butt and in/out on the lumbar regions. Good idea, but worthless because all it does is to push that damn frame into my tailbone.

 

[WM-300]

More money for good seats is not even an issue. We, the buyers are not even given the chance to upgrade to premium buckets. You would think DC or D (Just leave Chrysler out its a token word) would want to make more money selling better seats. Other companies learned that a long time ago.



WM-300

 

[sbrennan007]

I was giving thought to the SRT-10 seats as replacements. It would be nice if these were an option!

 

[KCJackson]

would definitely be worth the effort

 

[PatrickCampbell]

my girlfriend makes fun of me but i bought a car seat back lumbar cushion and have over 93K miles on my 03 Truck in 10 months. Yes avg of 9. 3 thousand miles per month



There's a song that goes "when you're only 23 it's not attractive to complain about your sore back"... that is me, but less so with the lumbar. NOTE ST seats have no power lumbar like premium seats, but I believe my medical supply lumbar is a little better than the premium seat lumbar...



WM, the girl is supposed to go in the middle... with 1 leg on either side of the trans hump..... somehow I feel like I'm going to get in trouble for saying this... ... ...

 

[JWChessell]

Fellows, I'm not a doctor, not a professional driver, and can only speak from personal experience -- about 970,000 miles over my driving lifetime. I'm 5'7" and spent long days in a VW Bug going back and forth to college; no problems. I spent long days in a '58 International 4X4 going on long trips to no. California in the 60s and 70s; no problem. Long days in a Pinto station wagon going here and there -- I fab'd and installed a 39-gallon gas tank -- could go 800 miles without stopping if I didn't have to pee; no problem. Long days in Mexico in an '81 Chev 1-ton crew-cab DRW -- sprung so hard the rear end would jump into the air if you ran over a pebble; no problem. In January '04 I drove my 2003 3500 HD QC LWB DRW 968 miles in 14 hours; no problem -- in July '04 I drove it 982 miles in 16 hours; no problem. But in 1972 I owned a 1972 American Rambler Ambassador -- the kind where the seats would fold completely down and make into a bed. I could not drive it longer than 2 hours at a time without ending up in agony! My lower back and thighs and calves ached so badly that I'd have to stop every two hours and walk around for about 15 to 20 minutes so the pain would go away and I could drive again. I put 25,000 miles on it and finally gave up. I sold it and haven't had the problem since, and I've owned 7 different vehicles since then. My conclusion? Some people and some vehicle seats are incompatible, and it's hard to know which is which in advance.

 

[Butch Brandt]

I agree that the seats should be, and could be, a lot better. But, they're not and won't be once you've bought the truck.



I took the air rides out of my '96 after nearly a quarter million miles and put them in my '03. No more problems. Drive all day and get out and walk upright.



Some problems you just gotta take care of yourself, I guess.

 

[CClements]

I'm off for a long day in the truck and I'm dreading it. My ass is still sore from friday. I've got an appointment with the upholstry shop tomorrow but that doesn't do me any good for today :{

 

[BRuppel]

i will have some pics of my leather install later this week when i complete it. still need to do the drivers seat, one headrest in the back and the center console.

 

[Doubleclutch]

Speaking of Air Ride Seats, there was a thread on this subject 6 mo. ago by Yogibear. One thing to think about on the SRT-10 seats, just like "not everyone has the same size bucket", those wing-thingies that hold you in when pulling "Gs", require some maneuvering every time you get in/out.

Greg

 

[WM-300]

And the SRT-10 seats are still the basic same design of what is killing our backs now. They just added some wrap around wings. Still has that stupid unusable center thing they call a seat. I still wonder who they figure can ride in that center seat with a manual transmission shifter, cup holder and cubby. Ha! you better have short legs. DOdge has simply missed the boat on seats, and refuses to even provide good buckets or captian Seats at an additional cost.



WM-300

 

[CClements]

I had my seat done today and I can't believe the inprovement. If anyone in Northern Michigan wants to see the improvement for themselves just drop me a line.

 

[WM-300]

CClements;

I am in New York. What did you do to make the seat better. Did you do it just for the driver or both sides ? Cost ?



ThankYou

WM-300

 

[BStoecker]

Please post what they did to solve this. My back is killing me from this stock seat. I'm about to pull the seat out of my '96 Grand Cherokee to put in there...

 

[Yo Hoot]

You can minimize leg numbing by lowering the front and raising the back some. Less chance of cutting circulation

 

[CClements]

I did a combination of the fixes I've read here and in the magazine. I found a local upohlstry guy who could feel my pain. he added an inch of foam to the underside then put something between the springs and foam to minimize the spring cutting foam problem. He also added an inch of foam to the top of the seat. If I were doing it again I would only add a 1/2" to the bottom. The seat looks like it's on steriods but it sure feels better. I paid 60 bucks cash with no receipt. Took less than an hour



Find a decent uhpolstry guy and tell him the problems you are having and show him where the bars hit you and let him have at it. .

 

[HWigand]

I have to disagree. After moving out of my Mustang my 04. 5 CTD SLT w/ premium cloth is actually quite comfortable. My back surgery was only 2 years ago and I truely know back pain. I don't have any numbness in my legs, well not more than normal.

 

[Firemedic 76]

After having a 95,01& 01 there is no change. I expected a little more being a Larime. Guess one cant everything. Looks like a 1/2-1' of foam will make a big difference. Being 6'3" i still hit my head on the "A" collum in the lowest seat position while exiting or are in a "health food " drive thru trying to pay for that midnight double burger. Ive owned many offroad prerunners with racing seats including a mustang with the lateral supports. Not the most comfortable ride unless you are 150 lbs.

 

[dan_gilson]

There was an article printed previously printed in one of the TDR mags that gave a really set of instruction on how to place a 2" think piece of foam on the bottom seat pad. I did this to mine and it made a world of difference. It takes ~1 hour and cost ~$10. One of the best fixes/mods that I ever did.



I having someone help you setup the seat correctly also helps.



Once upon a time I had a race instructor explain to me how to get all the seat, steering, and pedal correct. It makes a world of difference.