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    Apr 8, 2005 5:03:25 PM

    Hei Poa
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    Hei Poa
    Loc: France
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    Registered on: Apr 1, 2005

    Ideal seat adjustment

    Hello,
    I would be interested to know what would be the ideal seat adjustment in the everyday driving context.
    1. Is it better to be close to the wheel?
    2. Is your seat on the floor or very high up the floor?

    I feel unconfident when I can't see a good part of the front, so I switch my seat to the higher position. This implies that my right knee is very close to the board and touches the wheel lever very often. Is that wrong?
    I've always been said that in a sports car, you should have your seat very low. Is that right? Well, I get confused...what should I do?

    Also what the lumbar button that for. Do we really need that function?

    Apr 8, 2005 5:09:21 PM

    jboyko
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    jboyko
    Loc: NEWARK, NJ
    Posts: 168, Gallery
    Registered on: Dec 5, 2004
    Reply to: Hei Poa

    Re: Ideal seat adjustment

    I just can't believe it. A guy from France should definitely know that the best seat position is the one with the seat reclined way back, your fly open, and a lovely lady by your side.

    jb

    Apr 8, 2005 5:14:51 PM

    MMD
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    MMD
    Loc: usa
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    Reply to: jboyko

    Re: Ideal seat adjustment

    For best control and posture you should be close enough so that your wrists can fold over the top of the steering wheel.

    Apr 8, 2005 5:23:22 PM

    Carlos from SpainM
    Rennteam Moderator
    Carlos from Spain
    Loc: Spain. , Spain
    Posts: 21152, Gallery
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    Reply to: Hei Poa

    Re: Ideal seat adjustment

    Depends, best posture for sport-driving or for your back?

    Apr 8, 2005 5:56:40 PM

    Hei Poa
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    Hei Poa
    Loc: France
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    Reply to: Carlos from SpainM

    Re: Ideal seat adjustment

    I would say for my back Carlos, I don't intend to race the car; not ready for that yet.

    Apr 8, 2005 6:13:43 PM

    Revvv
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    Revvv
    Loc: Ft. Lauderdale, FL , United States
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    Registered on: Sep 25, 2002
    Reply to: Carlos from SpainM

    Re: Ideal seat adjustment

    Remember that the best position, is always the safest position. The safest position is the Sporting Position, because it gives you the most control, when you might need it; an emergency reaction to a dangerous situation, that you could not foresee. Comfort is of course, important, but safety and the correct driving position is paramount !
    Revvv

    Apr 8, 2005 6:19:49 PM

    Hei Poa
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    Hei Poa
    Loc: France
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    Reply to: Revvv

    Re: Ideal seat adjustment

    So what the sporting position should exactly be?

    Apr 8, 2005 6:23:51 PM

    ADias
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    ADias
    Loc: Southwest USA , United States
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    Reply to: Hei Poa

    Re: Ideal seat adjustment

    The recommended seating position is:

    1 - Adjust seat height so that you have a comfortable view - guide yourself aligning your arms w/ the side arm rests. Within those guidelines try to maintain the seat as low as possible.

    2 - Place your left foot on the floor behind/under the clutch. Move the seat bottom to the point where your left leg is slightly flexed (NOT straight) - erring on the safe side it is OK to move the seat forward an inch or so from that point, but not backwards.

    3 - Adjust the steering wheel (push-pull telescope and up and down) holding it in the 9-3 position. Your arms should be comfortably bent in that driving position.

    4 - Next, extend your arms straight to the front above the steering wheel. Adjust the seat back angle so that your wrists are aligned w/ the top of the steering wheel. At this point the seat back is close to vertical (maybe 100 deg from horizontal measured from the front). Go back to step 3 and readjust steering wheel if needed.

    I hope it helps.

    Note 1 - I observe many 911 drivers seating too much backwards and reclined back, but that is not the ideal driving position - they just think it is.

    Note 2 - I think that the CGT's seat adjustment is much more limited and already set from factory fairly close to the guidelines above.

    Apr 8, 2005 6:55:22 PM

    Carlos from SpainM
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    Carlos from Spain
    Loc: Spain. , Spain
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    Reply to: ADias

    Re: Ideal seat adjustment

    I think A.Dias summed the best compromise perfectly.

    The only thing I would add is to put your lumbar support setting to the maximum to maintain the anatomical lumbar lordosis as best as posible. Some people may find this uncorfortable (most of the times only initially unitl the spine gets used to it) for various reasons I will not get into but this will decrease the strain on your back on the long run.

    Apr 8, 2005 7:02:10 PM

    Hei Poa
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    Hei Poa
    Loc: France
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    Reply to: Carlos from SpainM

    Re: Ideal seat adjustment

    Well, A.Dias and Carlos, thanks for this so detailed explanation. I'll write them down on a piece of paper and will try to comply to your instructions the best I can tomorrow morning!!!!!
    Thanks a lot.

    Apr 8, 2005 7:04:50 PM

    W8MM
    Rennteam Master
    W8MM
    Loc: Cincinnati, OH , United States
    Posts: 3995, Gallery
    Registered on: Aug 8, 2003
    Reply to: ADias

    Re: Ideal seat adjustment

    Quote:
    ADias said:
    Note 2 - I think that the CGT's seat adjustment is much more limited and already set from factory fairly close to the guidelines above.



    Correct.

    The CGT seats are single-piece, fixed rake, just like GT2/GT3 seats in Europe.

    The factory molded them with the only back rest angle they will ever have

    Apr 8, 2005 7:06:44 PM

    Revvv
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    Revvv
    Loc: Ft. Lauderdale, FL , United States
    Posts: 377, Gallery
    Registered on: Sep 25, 2002
    Reply to: Hei Poa

    Re: Ideal seat adjustment

    ADias, Excellent Job explaining proper seating !!!!
    It is the FIRST step, in driving any car correctly !
    Revvv

    Apr 8, 2005 7:41:47 PM

    ADias
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    ADias
    Loc: Southwest USA , United States
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    Reply to: Revvv

    Recommended seating position - addendum

    I would like to add another adjustment to the seat bottom - Step 1 above.

    As you adjust its height, do also adjust its tilt (if available) so that your thighs seat comfortably - they should not be compressed against the seat, cutting blood circulation. Just adjust it so when you have your feet in a normal driving condition (left foot on rest stop, right foot on throttle) your thighs being to be compressed - stop and ease off a bit tilting the seat bottom slightly forward.

    ----
    P.S. - Seating position is important in any car, but... critical in a sports car like the 911 whose driving position is spot on perfect, when properly adjusted. If not set correctly, the car may be even difficult to drive.

    Apr 8, 2005 7:50:54 PM

    Hei Poa
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    Hei Poa
    Loc: France
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    Reply to: ADias

    Re: Recommended seating position - addendum

    Excellent ADias. Thank you for your expertise.
    When you talk about "having a comfortable view" in 1. does that mean, my view should include the front part of the car. I mean, should I have an eye on the top of the right front wing also (supposing my car is LHD) ?
    Well, this is a stupid question, but I wish to learn from you all.

    Apr 8, 2005 8:47:17 PM

    Dilinger
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    Dilinger
    Loc: Athens,Greece , Greece
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    Reply to: Hei Poa

    Re: Recommended seating position - addendum

    Due to the fact that i lost my post.
    i ll state in a few words

    1-take into consideration your type of seat(adaptive,sport,regular)
    2-your body type length of arms legs,fingers
    3-Variaty of adjustments of the seat
    4-Peculiarity when you move your seat up & down
    (seat going up changes angle-seat going down increases angle and gives the impression that you are stuck in the seat .Good for high speed cornering,bad because it restricts easyness of movements in the car.

    ADias gave the best procedure possible that can be reported.
    You will find some of his words,if not all, inside the owner's manual of the 997.Under article driving position.

    Apr 8, 2005 9:34:53 PM

    beltar
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    beltar
    Loc: belgium , Belgium
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    Reply to: Dilinger

    Re: Recommended seating position - addendum

    Thx dias i'm going to my garage directly...thx

    Apr 8, 2005 9:36:52 PM

    jfraser
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    jfraser
    Loc: LA
    Posts: 267, Gallery
    Registered on: Feb 1, 2005
    Reply to: Dilinger

    Re: Recommended seating position - addendum

    Adias,
    Really first rate advise, thanks....and the info you gave is exactly what my doctor recommended (I have some nasty lower back problems) Your point about the seat tilt was one that the doc stressed to me....It's really common & what at first feels comfortable, to have the front of the seat quite a bit higher than the back of the seat (gives you that old bucket seat feel)....I understand this is really not good for circulation

    Apr 9, 2005 2:13:34 AM

    ADias
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    ADias
    Loc: Southwest USA , United States
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    Reply to: Hei Poa

    Re: Recommended seating position - addendum

    Quote:
    Hei Poa said:
    ... When you talk about "having a comfortable view" in 1. does that mean, my view should include the front part of the car. I mean, should I have an eye on the top of the right front wing also (supposing my car is LHD)...



    This of course, varies w/ each individual driver... In my case, my 11 is LHD, I'm 5'10" and I do not see the right fender. I do see the highest point of the left fender and not much behind it. I have about a palm of space from the top of my head to the headliner (my car has a sunroof).

    Note: If you have short legs, do not raise the seat bottom so much, that to avoid thigh pinching you have to tilt it forward too much.

    Apr 9, 2005 3:07:55 PM

    Hei Poa
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    Hei Poa
    Loc: France
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    Reply to: ADias

    Re: Recommended seating position - addendum

    A. Dias, thank you for your fruitful advices about the subject of finding the proper seat adjustment. I've made it thanks to you. Kudos to Carlos, but there light be a problem for me Carlor with the lumbar adjustment. It's so painful after an hour and a half of street cruising. I deflated every of the supports.

    Apr 9, 2005 3:51:08 PM

    Carlos from SpainM
    Rennteam Moderator
    Carlos from Spain
    Loc: Spain. , Spain
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    Reply to: Hei Poa

    Re: Recommended seating position - addendum

    Quote:
    Hei Poa said:but there light be a problem for me Carlor with the lumbar adjustment. It's so painful after an hour and a half of street cruising. I deflated every of the supports.



    If you have tried different positions (don't know if your lumbar adjust allows for the support to be moved also up and down) and just just can't adapt to it then reduce its setting to the highest setting that you can still tolerate well. Its not the best position for your spine but you have no other choice. Maybe as time goes by you can increase the lumbar support setting gradually as the spine adapts, but don't force yourself to the point of causing disconforts. Its hard to advise you without knowing your particular case and spine though.

    Some people may not tolerate lumbar supports and this is usually due to certain unresolved back lesions, or postural like a hypolordotic lumbar spine for example, or maybe simply the seat does not adjust well to the body type. Some manufacture's seats are horribly designed also when the spine is concerned, but this is not the case with Porsche.

    Apr 9, 2005 4:13:30 PM

    Hei Poa
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    Hei Poa
    Loc: France
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    Reply to: Carlos from SpainM

    Re: Recommended seating position - addendum

    Okay Carlos,
    I'll follow your advice and set it to a less painful position; as the time goes by I suppose I'll be able to set just the way you guided us to do.
    Are you a Doctor of medicine Carlos? I guess you are. Gracias.

    Apr 9, 2005 5:09:10 PM

    Carlos from SpainM
    Rennteam Moderator
    Carlos from Spain
    Loc: Spain. , Spain
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    Reply to: Hei Poa

    Re: Recommended seating position - addendum

    Quote:
    Hei Poa said:
    Okay Carlos,
    I'll follow your advice and set it to a less painful position; as the time goes by I suppose I'll be able to set just the way you guided us to do.
    Are you a Doctor of medicine Carlos? I guess you are. Gracias.



    Close but not the same, I'm a Doctor of Chiropractic. Your very welcome.

    Apr 9, 2005 5:49:47 PM

    Hei Poa
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    Hei Poa
    Loc: France
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    Reply to: Carlos from SpainM

    Re: Recommended seating position - addendum

    This is great Carlos, you're doing good around you and heal the pains of people. God bless you.

    Apr 9, 2005 6:10:44 PM

    nberry Offline
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    nberry
    Loc: La Jolla, USA , United States
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    Reply to: Hei Poa

    Re: Recommended seating position - addendum

    Quote:
    Hei Poa said:
    This is great Carlos, you're doing good around you and heal the pains of people. God bless you.



    Carlos is very good at manipulating everything including facts.

    All the advice in this thread has been good. I would add the following:

    Generally the lower you sit the better. You will be able to better feel the balance of the car. Low enough to just see OVER the steering wheel and not through it.

    If there is a conflict between the seat position for the legs and arms (which because of physical built is often the case) give priority to the arms.

    Apr 9, 2005 6:24:18 PM

    Hei Poa
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    Hei Poa
    Loc: France
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    Reply to: nberry

    Re: Recommended seating position - addendum

    Thanks nberry. What you're saying is so true: I better feel the balance of the car and I seem to interact more with my car, now that the seat is lower. I've also found the right balance between arms and legs position.

    I hope that many other readers will discover their own ideal seating position with the help you, Carlos and A. Dias, among others, have given through this topic!
     
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