Bronco seats uncomfortable?

[67BroncoG1]

You are not alone in your dislike of the seats. I want to install aftermarket seats but haven't found a way to disable the airbag sensor in the seat bottom. That or move the sensor to a new seat.

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[DUSTYcazOREGON]

Ha....must have liked what I said!

 

[Moto26]

Add them -- I did in my Flex If the Bronco were mine, I'd have done the retrofit already.

Sometimes it would help if people posted their height/build when discussing seat comfort. I'm 5 10, average build, and the Bronco feels fine to me. Better than my 22 Silverado, little worse than my 16 Flex.

What’s average?

I’m 6’ 220 lbs. 32” inseam, 61 years old, and in pretty decent shape from riding MTB’s. I’ve had intermittent back pain for 40 years, ever since a crash when I was racing motorcycles. I’ve been to chiropractors, and it’s never done anything for me but lighten my wallet.

The seats in my F150 XL STX are just fine. I make a 13 hour trip (each way) about once a year in it, and it’s never been a problem. Almost every vehicle I’ve owned had seats that didn’t bother me, except for a 2008 Scion xB, and that was a $16,000 econobox. Then the Bronco came along. I can’t sit in the passenger seat for 20 minutes without squirming. The driver’s seat isn’t quite as bad because it has a lumbar adjuster, but I still find myself constantly adjusting things. No matter what the position, I can’t get comfortable for any reasonable amount of time.

If this was my primary vehicle, I would definitely be looking into aftermarket seats or seat covers. I’m glad that some (most?) Bronco owners find the seats to be very comfortable, but for a fairly notable number of us, they just aren’t.

[BTW, I did Off Roadeo last year in a OBX with leather seats, and driving it all day wasn’t terrible. Granted, you’re moving around quite a bit compared to cruising on the interstate, so that could have made a difference, but I did notice right off the bat that those seats felt like they were shaped differently than my MGV seats. So that might be something…]

 

[MagicBuss]

When i got my Bronco it has manual seats. i added aftermarket leather and its still really uncomfortable.

 

[Brian_B]

I want to install aftermarket seats but haven't found a way to disable the airbag sensor in the seat bottom.

Mustangs and other cars do this all the time with a seat occupancy bypass plug - it does mean the seat always thinks someone is in it so the airbag would always fire off, and it may complain about the seat belt unless you buckle that or stick an extension in there.

 

[Brian_B]

I installed some washers yesterday - tipped the front end up about 1/2" or so. Will see how it does. Just sitting in it for a minute to make sure I had everything tight felt ok, but then again, the seat at stock level felt ok too. I'll have to put some hours in the seat.

Have to say, the change is subtle, but much improved on hour+ road trips.

 

[Lucas]

Have to say, the change is subtle, but much improved on hour+ road trips.

Thanks for following up! I think I’ll give it a try, too. Do you happen to recall what size washers you got?

 

[Brian_B]

Thanks for following up! I think I’ll give it a try, too. Do you happen to recall what size washers you got?

I had some just laying about the shop. I guess they were 1/2” and were a bit oversized but worked ok. Overall added about 1/2” of height after stacking a few. The bolt is plenty long enough. It’s probably an m8 bolt just eyeballing it so I have no doubt 3/8” that other folks have used would work - I just didn’t have any handy. I had some 1/4” and they were too small.

 

[tock13]

I am 6'4" 230# with long torso 33" inseam. The bottom cushion is too short, the back is shaped weird and I end up leaning forward some where just the lower 1/2 of my back is against the seat. The manual tilt is exactly like every other manual tilt seat I have ever been in except one, the position I need it to be in always in between the seats built in positions.

I have to be either tilted back too far or forward too far. There isn't a happy medium in manual seats like this. There is absolutely no reason they couldn't have put electric seats in all trim levels like most every other maker out there. There are a ton of electronic switches, dials, buttons and wires in the cockpit of the Bronco so I don't buy the "oh it will get wet" bull$hit. Ford did what they do best and went cheap.

It isn't so horrible I can't drive it, I just end up going between 2 recline positions on long drives. Only way out of it is if it's possible to snag a pair of power seats from a donor Bronco down the road....but I am sure that swap would be a PITA and not an easy swap.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

I generally love them. But there's something odd about the right side bolster that's under your accelerator thigh that causes pain in 20-30 min...on the road no biggie, cruise is on. But around town, it's bad. NO idea what do. Have tried shifting positions, etc...to no avail.

My pain comes from my right thigh or sciatic nerve area. I've never had an issue with it before now, but after a few hours in the Bronco .... if I can't use the cruise control, it gets pretty rough. With the cruise on, I can pull my foot up to the base of the seat, like you're sitting in a chair, and I'm fine for a very long time. But if there is a lot of traffic and I have to shut the cruise off .... uggh.
I may try the washer/seat jacker trick, see if it helps.

Taking my wallet out helps, but it still shows up.

 

[Headsong]

My pain comes from my right thigh or sciatic nerve area. I've never had an issue with it before now, but after a few hours in the Bronco .... if I can't use the cruise control, it gets pretty rough. With the cruise on, I can pull my foot up to the base of the seat, like you're sitting in a chair, and I'm fine for a very long time. But if there is a lot of traffic and I have to shut the cruise off .... uggh.
I may try the washer/seat jacker trick, see if it helps.

Taking my wallet out helps, but it still shows up.

Yeah, I don't carry a wallet, trying all sorts of towels, padding, nothing matters. Is it seat angle? My left doesn't hurt....

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