The bolsters on my driver seat are too close together. I have a problem with long drives and hip pain as my hip rests on the right bolster and the pressure causes my hip to start to ache. The longer the drive the worse it is. In time you can't get away from the pain and I have to get out and walk around. Anyone have experience with reducing the height of the bolsters? If I could just lower the one on the right side without screwing up the appearance of the seat it would clear up the only complaint I have with my xfire roadster ltd....Popeye

 

Try removing your wallet........you will be surprised how much less pain you have. That tip does not only pertain to the XFire. A doctor gave me that bit of advise a long time ago and it does make a difference.

 

Thanks mate, but my wallet stays in my cargo pants pocket down near my knee. I found long ago that a wallet does cause me issues and stopped putting it in my hip pocket. The pain I get is on the side of my hip, where there are no muscles. It would be the same place where the seam in a pair of jeans is. It's not clothing or my wallet, it is the pressure from the bolster
being constant and not letting blood flow I think. I need to gain some air space between that bone and the bolster and I'll be good. I may have to go to an upholster shop that does custom work. It would have to be someone who really knows what they are doing. I've tried a sheepskin and that doesn't help either. I just need to relieve that pressure on about 2 to 3 inches on my hip bone.....thanks again

 

HI Popeye

I bought a convertible Xfire no more than 1 month ago.
I am extremely happy about my purchase because I expected for a long time.
Today unfortunately I have exactly the same problem you have.
My right hip hurt after just 1 hour drive.
I feel that the right bolster push alot on my hip and do not know how to solve the problem.
Have you found a solution meanwhile?
I am very worried because I do not want end my Xfire experience so prematurely.

I sincerely hope that others have already resolved the issue somewhat.
I also do not keep my wallet in my pocket when I drive.

Many thanks to everyone who can help us solve this problem!
Please help.

Regards.

Aldo Visentin

 

Can u add something to raise the middle section? A gel pad maybe...

 

"My driver seat is too narrow for my hips" maybe it should read "My hips are too wide for my driver seat"
They seem to be OK for most people who would slide around if they were farther apart.

 

I often have this problem on long drives. I just shift my body around and it relieves the cramping for a bit. After 200 miles I'm either numb or don't notice it anymore.

 

Hi All

Have you tryed moving the seat lower forward & tipping the back of the seat backwards & trying to get away from seating to upright , you could be pulling your back a little with having the seat set up too close to
90 degrees , this could help with longer drives . It take me a long time to get the seating set up just right with a new car ( love memory seats ) .

hope this helps

Andy

 

The very strange thing is that only the right hip hurts not both sides.
If my hip was too large I would expect to feel the pain on both sides.
However I noticed that this forum there are several posts about the non-comfort of Xfire seats and each one adopts different solutions.
Some people even changed seats with all the complications and costs of the case.
I feel (I'm not sure) that the driver seat of Xfire is not aligned with steering wheel-pedals and this does not help guide especially for people like myself which are relatively high (1.84m -> 6 ft.)
Any other suggestions or experience are more than welcome!

Thanks!
Aldo

 

I have been wanting to find a shorter seat that will give me more head room for autocrossing as my helmet hits top. I have done all manner of things to the helmet to shorten it but feel that the seat is the deal. need to find out if anyone has found a good fit aftermarket seat. Woody

 

GM Aldo,
This has been a problem since I first got it. One of my first trips was to Indianapolis, and about 14 hours of driving. The car is just spectacular to drive, but by the time I got to the Florida line I started to notice an ache in my right hip and upper thigh. So I adjusted the seat backward to it's limit and it helped by letting me push my leg out straighter. Unfortunately that was not enough, and the limits on the seat back and seat position were not enough to let me clear that pressure on my right hip bone. I do find that if I hold my right leg toward the center of the seat, and not relax it so it leans on the seat it helps in the short run. But who can hold their leg to the center forever. In time you just get tire of holding it to the center.
I am concerned about taking the seat out and having someone shave some of the foam out in that part of the seat that is hurting me. I don't like to undo factory installations, but I don't know what else to do. The inside dimensions of the driver seat are for a smaller person tha me, but my affection for the xfire keeps me going. I will take it to the dealer where I bought it and see if they know someone who is good enough to alter the seat in that spot. I don't have much hope as I live in the country and expertice is minimal here. Fortunately I don't drive long distances most of the time so it is not so important. But if I go back to Indiana I will be trying other moves to try and mitigate that pressure....Popeye

 

Hi Popeye,

I like Kszoz's approach. Try different seat pads or have one made to mach the interior. That way you won't have to modify the seat. Gel or high density foam should do the trick.Buy a piece of foam and keep trimming until you like it. Then have it covered. Good luck.

 

Tried sheep skin without success. I noticed this morning since I've been talking about it, that just sitting in the seat I feel instant pressure on the right hip but nothing on the left hip. Either I am not symetrical or the seat isn't. I am 6ft 210 but my *** is almost non existant. All that weight is in my belly and thighs. I can still wear 36 jeans. I haven't quite figured out what it is that is really causing this assymetric pressure but will study it. Adding to the seat will not be my next choice, subtracting from it in the area of the pain will probably be the solution. Unless I can see what is causing the assymetry....Thanks mate

 

Have you tried sitting in the passenger seat to see if the issue is due to assymetry of the drivers seat only?

 

It sounds like you may not be supporting your legs, since your 6' tall try moving the seat up some, and then lifting the front of the seat up. This will put the seat at an angle that will support your legs. Personally I'm your same height and a little heavier and I just came from the dragon where I put close to 1500 miles on my car in a 5 day span and I don't have these problems.

 

Thought for a moment the seat was not level. But put a bubble on it and it is if anything just a little bit down on the side that's screwing with me. I do notice that the bolsters are not mirror images of each other. It is hard to visualize as the steering is in the way, but it does look like the left bolster is a little flatter in the area closest to the seam toward the back of the seat. The bolster on the right that is the problem seems a bit more swollen in the area that meets my hip, and seems a bit firmer as well. We are not talking big stuff here, it is very subtle. Need to keep looking for a really skilled auto upholstery guy. Think am getting close, but will it be worth tearing out that seat and opening up the leather to scrape that portion of the bolster....Popeye

 

All,
This may just be normal wear on the seat. I got this car from a Chrysler dealer and it had 10K miles on it. It was a lease, and was in good shape. But the more I think about it the more I am beginning to think that it is the left side of the drivers seat that gets the pressure everytime someone gets in. So it would stand to reason that that side would be pressed down flatter than the other side. Probably the reason the two bolster sides are not mirror images of each other. And if that is the case it moves me close to a solution.

Maybe someone could comment on that. If anyone bought a brand spanking new xfire roadster with brand spanking new bolsters. Don't know how you would remember though. Any way that's another thought in my R & D to see why the bolster on the right side of my driver seat is messing with me.....Popeye

 

I find myself putting a lot of my weight on one of my seat bones (technical term) on long drives. I have found that by pulling my left leg up or cocking my right leg at a different angle while the cruise control is on I can get rid of most of the pressure. I actually wish the seats had a little stronger bolstering - I slide around on the Dragon.

 

Just try a country style seat belt...you know, tie a rope around you and the seat and just cinch it down as tight as you can

 

Hi Popeye!
Again your experience match exactly mine! (which is really surprising me actually!!) .
Even to me happened hold my right leg toward the center but I consider this more an instinctive reaction to pain than a solution.
In my long trips I have experienced all the seat positions (and back) to determine a possible comfortable position.
The only position that hits less is when the seat is completely lowered. It is not effective to set full backward the seat, because the legs stretched out with their weight increases the pressure on the hip. It 's more advisable set the seat at a distance from the steering wheel such the legs are bit bent. Thus reduces the bearing surface and load on the bolster.However, this does not solve the problem.
As you mention there are tree possible reason for this problem:
-My body is not "straight" as should be
-The seat construction is not symmetrical
-The seat is not align with Pedal-Steering Wheel
I'm not convince about different bolsters (as you are); probably reducing the right side means solve the problem which comes from another reason.
My Chrysler dealer is investigating if any other similar cases occur in Europe.
In his road test he found the problem I declare, even if his body is completely different than mine.
The only "good" thing about this story is the fact that i'm not alone . I want solve the problem because i love too much my Xfire.
Keep in touch. Apologize for may bad English.
Thanx. Aldo.