ranger

I also have problems with back ache after a long drivel My car is a Toyota Landcruiser, whose seats are more like sitting on a brick wall ...

I bought a thing called "Back Joy" at the chemist shop about a year ago and have found it has significantly reduced my back pain. It forces you to sit correctly. I used to slowly slide down in my seat, then get back up again. Works for me.

Back Joy link.

OBJ

Hi Barry,
Many years ago I had a recaro seat put in a HJ60 Toyota Cruiser, found it hard not much give but reasonably comfortable, I now sit on a soft sponge pillow and sometimes shove it next to my back.
I know your feeling I'm on the Pandol forte 2 in the morning and 2 at night, or another painkiller is Tramadol 100mg not supposed to be addictive.

good luck in your search

I had my seat recovered (LC HZJ105 1999) and the upholsterer put in a pump up lumbar support which has solved the problem for me. It is totally adjustable, and jumping out every hour for a walk around is easy …. it used to take a minute or so to ease the stiffness out of my back.

cheers
Laurie

I am a Recaro fan.
My wife suffered a slipped disc some years ago and found it hard to sit for long distances.
I bought 2 second hand Recaro Experts for less than $1000 13 years ago and fitted them to my Range Rover and she could sit for an 800KM day. Similarly with me.
I then transferred them to my Disco 2, although I recently replaced them with never used but NOS electric backrest models for $ 750 .

You have to be aware of several things with newer cars.

The seat mounts are the most difficult and expensive part of the exercise unless Recaro ( Ideal Seats in Melbourne) already make an approved mount for the Ranger.

If you have seat belt pretensioners , then you will have to somehow retain the mechanism .
If you have side airbags , then you would have to do without them. Dealers in UK sell a resistor that spoofs the ECU.
It is a requirement for legality that you have an engineer's report on the seat bases , unless Recaro produce an approved base.

In my case I did a very difficult adaptation of the standard mounts as the seat in a D2 is integral with the base, so I had to cut the seat off the base above the seat belt mount and pretensioner mount and design and make runners for the Recaros.
Regards Philip A

Not by the Book !

Perhaps look to another vehicle for a seating solution, for instance Volvo XC90 seats fit snugly into the Prados of the last decade or so. The latest model is OK but the earlier ( 90 series,120 & earlier 150 series) had seats more akin to a 20 litre oil drum. My back trouble was quite severe and it got that way that I didn’t care any more about legalities, though I did get my insurance company to note the change. The change for me , and everyone who sat in the car, was dramatic, even the Toyota dealership was impressed with the comfort. One word of warning, speak to someone who knows (Panel Beaters are best) about correct way to deal with air bags…. you don’t want to set them off ! Advice no 2. is when you first turn on the ignition, having fitted new seats…. do it through the window, from the outside, incase the airbags don’t like it. A pair of Volvo seats cost about $600.
I should point out to all those who are hooked up on the legalities & regulations, and inappropriate postings that if you have a chronic back condition… you just don’t care..., It can be that bad...... Relief is everything.
Good luck.

I've persisted for years with a foam lumbar support in various cars, and even at one stage had a pump up variety until the rubber hosing perished. There are various shaped foam (wedge, cylinder & curved) ones and some mesh ones but after trying a mesh one and finding it quite uncomfortable went for a foam style. About to go back to a pump up one behind the seat cover in the PX Ranger as the foam variety can be a nuisance in them. They have a tendency to fall forward after exiting the vehicle and a couple of times now it has happened with a bit of a delay after locking the car and it then sets off the interior movement detector. When this happens at 2am just outside your bedroom window it isn't funny anymore.

We seem to have discovered that the seats in the XTR BT50 are a little nicer than the XT model. I know for a fact that the front passenger seat is shorter on the bottom than the XTR. They are also a bit hard when new but soften up quite a bit after some driving. My XTR driver seat is very comfortable.