[handytradie78]

GDay every one,

Well im laying here in a Hospital bed with a Stuffed back, thinking HOW THE HELL am i gunna still be able to enjoy my beloved 4x4ing, if this back doesnt sort it self out.
So i was wondering how many other members out there have had back problems, and if anyone has found a good after market seat that is comfy for the Long hauls as well as the rough stuff....

My prob is i have 4 bulged disks, 1 that has recently ruptured and put pressure on my sciatic nerve, and even after the back surgery i am still suffering from a far bit of sciatic nerve pain.

So i would be greatfull for any info from any one else that may have been down this path.

Ideally i would like a seat that can be cleaned easy (as i love the muddy stuff) and i wouldnt have to take a loan out for....... (I know the Bomb-a-door seats go in pretty easy, but not keen on the idea of Material................ or the fact its from a HOLDEN lol )

Well cheers for any help guys


Gordo

Oh by the way, it would be to go into a SWB GQ.

 

[MQ MAD]

Bad backs and 4x4ing dont mix

Get in the ruff stuff youll be straight back where you are

4 buldged discs and 1 just ruptured

And ya wanna go bush bashing

 

[Sméagol]

I have been using an air lumbar support for the past 6 months, to date it has been good for reducing lower back soreness when driving for extended periods. Prior to using the lumbar support I would get out of the car after 2 hours and not be able to stand straight for about 10 minutes. This has now alleviated the problem to a fair extent.

In standard form the patrol seats are not the greatest, many on this forum have gone high end seats ( recaro etc ) and many have swapped to falcon, commodore etc.

I would try the air lumbar ( michells sacs ) first and see how you go. I purchased from arb about 8 months ago, around $100 from memory.

 

[Grahame]

I stuffed my back (two prolapsed disks) 30 years ago when I was in my early twenties. Congratulations, this is a problem you will be managing for the rest of your life. Luckily (?) for me I did it at work and was covered by compo. I managed to wangle a Recaro seat out of them. I had this seat fitted to my G60 Patrol and my HJ47 Landcruiser and now I sit in it everyday as my office chair. Car seats these days have come a long way since the seventies and eighties and I didn't need to fit it to my TI GQ which was my daily drive for over eight years and my off road machine for over 12, nor do I need to fit it to my Jeep.

You will find that the most trouble you will have will be the first couple of years after the incident. So it's important you find a seat that you are happy with pretty quickly. I highly recommend a Recaro if you can afford one. They will go the distance and can be moved from vehicle to vehicle. Like I said, I've been sitting in mine for over 30 years now and it's showing no signs of wear (apart from the upholstery which has been replaced once), all the mechanisms are still as tight as the day the government bought it for me. As a long term investment you can't go past the Recaro. And bear in mind you will have this problem for the rest of your life.

Inflatable lumbar cushions are also good, my Recaro came with one. I also always take a TENS machine with me when I'm off roading. They can give relief when you have a mishap, and you will, when you are in the bush. Although people look at you funny while you're sitting there twitching.

Don't let anyone tell you you can't go off road anymore. With careful management you will be back on the tracks. You just have to learn your limits and stay within them and this becomes second nature after a while.

Good luck and a speedy recovery.

 

[handytradie78]

Cheers Two Up, sounds like a good place to start, and Yeh MQ Mad, i know 4x4ing and bad backs arent a good mix, but me NOT 4x4ing is an even worse mix. I LOVE my 4x4ing and the bush, but the "Bush Bashing" is something of the past.......... More camping/ touring/ fishing /hunting, and exploring the odd new track now days, then going crazy trying to find car killing tracks.......

 

[truckster]

RECARO – Idealseat Company – Orthopaedic Seating Specialists – A new dimension in seating

These ergo seats are supposed to be the ducks guts.. nice at $2800each

 

[handytradie78]

$2800...................... Each.....................

Wow!!!! Ouch!!!!

 

[buzz]

i tried pillows and supports and the like but for me the most comfortable thing was to constantly move around, shifting body weight from bum cheek to bum cheek, lean forward, lean back etc, bit hard sometimes especially with a manual box. but for me the key was to never stay in one spot for to long. getting in and out is a whole new kettle of fish when you're sore, no easy way, grin and bare it. keep doing your exercises the doc gives you and try to stay flexible, unlike myself, i have the flexibility of a surfboard and my weight, well lets just say it won't be long till they give me my own postcode.


jamie

 

[handytradie78]

thats what i currently have to do Jamie, but there is talk at the moment of fuzzing a disk or two, so flexibility will be come an issue.........

I would LOVE to be able to afford a good Recaro SAAS seat....... but i think that might have to wait for the golden Tax check to kick in, or maybe if im lucky a payout if i go down that road.....

But i have never been one to try and clam for injurys, so looking at what i can do to help my self in the mean time.

 

[Grahame]

$2800...................... Each.....................

Wow!!!! Ouch!!!!

Buy the wrong seat and you won't think that's expensive at all.

Since one of these will last 20 years or more, that's only $190 dollars a year. Short term pain for long term no pain.

 

[handytradie78]

True Grahame,
Just a mater of finding that kinda $$$ to start with, and me being me, i would want two so the Shorty doent look un-even lol
Plus im sure my Girl would appreciate a comfier ride too........
is there any other good brands worth looking at????

 

[truckster]

Buy the wrong seat and you won't think that's expensive at all.

Since one of these will last 20 years or more, that's only $190 dollars a year. Short term pain for long term no pain.

x eleventy. Plus each part is replaceable, unlike factory seats. Its just having the coin to start with I'd love a set




I've broken my back twice, so yea, know how the bad bak gig is.. fawkin herts, and IMWO patrol seats are worse than ****. Grey import wreckers are the go. Go sit in as many as you can, but they will never be 100% the same in your Patrol. Look at Limo's and **** like that, if your going to all the effort, dont just go with stocky taxi seats.. lot of effort to fit them. People will say "BOLT STRAIGHT IN!!!" then they start with 'well I had to make mounts', and drill this, and weld that, and break this, and .....

I've done the claim for injury gig from a hit and run. They sometimes put you thru **** for years for very little return... Sometimes they have people follow you (We had fun with one private dik in Bras and things and Coles, and bras and things, and coles, and up and down a few elevators for 20mins I walked up to him in the end and said we are gettin KFC and going home.. see you there he denied anything and walked off )

There are a few ways you can go with compensation. Go speak with a lawyer. Sometimes it may not be worth it. Remember it will also go against you for life.

Mate went through it last year, fawkt back at work, only got 20k. Now everytime he goes for a job, they ask about compo, he has to tell them. He can sue now for neglience or some ****, but that can take years and they want 15,000 up front in an account (cant think of the name of it) that they can draw from as they need money to do things..

anyway good luck with the seats.

 

[Grahame]

What about trying to get a couple of GU or GQ TI seats? Should bolt straight in. My GQ ones were comfy and the leather goes the distance if you look after it. Add an inflatable lumbar cushion and you're in business. Good starting point till you can save for Recaros (get the girl to buy her own )

 

[geeyoutoo]

What about trying to get a couple of GU or GQ TI seats? Should bolt straight in. My GQ ones were comfy and the leather goes the distance if you look after it. Add an inflatable lumbar cushion and you're in business. Good starting point till you can save for Recaros (get the girl to buy her own )

Good suggestion by Grahame, you can spend a lot of money for nothing, I have a similar problem to you and have for over 30 years, you learn to live with it, sciatica just does not go away for ever, but I refuse to let it dictate my life. I have thought about changing the GU seats but they are not bad, if you look after yourself.

My problem was exacerbated by a sport fishing trip up north 18 months ago, mate it takes a lot of grunt to pull 30Kg Giant Trevally up from 20 to 60 meters down, I came home in excruciating pain. After visiting a good specialist and hearing the options I was really concerned, like you, I did not think I would fish, 4x4 or boat again.

The best advice I can give is when driving long distances take regular breaks and walk around, keep high in your seat, it's very easy to slouch without noticing it until the pain notifies you (had this happen on a trip to Airlie several years ago, fell out of the car and layed on the ground for an hour crying with pain), then it can be too late for immediate relief. It does help to shift your weight in the seat occasionally particularly moving your legs. Do everything slow, deliberately and smoothly, a back brace does help but get a good one, mine is about 250mm wide on the back section with easily adjustable wrap around stretch bands held by velcro. sometimes a little uncomfortable but better than the sciatic pain.

I will be back up amongst those GT's next year but with a back brace and a better rod bucket.

 

[craggitt]

I find the ST-L seats good for my back. I use to only drive a couple of hours and my back would be a wreck, still the case in our Mazda 6. In the patrol i have no problem pumping out an 8 hour day in those seats!!

 

[MikeH]

I have scoliosis and sciatica. and whats the other thing where the arch in your back is too big?
not as bad as your back, but I used to have a seat out of a honda (some three letter name, NSX?) in my old car, the bum was a bit narrow but the support was good, it forced me to sit straight.

I have a Stratus in my LWB Maverick, cost about $1000. Comfortable enough for me to do more than 12 hours in it with rest breaks. If you're tall they are a bit too high though, but the height might make the steering more comfortable for you.

I would make sure you upgrade your clutch to power assisted if it isnt already, and if you see a decent brake and clutch mob they can fiddle things to reduce the pedal effort.

Unfortunately you'll only ever know once you've sat in the thing for a couple of hours and driven.
If you're in Perth you can try mine out for a couple of hours. I'll save all of my running about for one day then you can drive. Won't cost me anything I wasn't spending already and you get to realistically test a seat.

You need to consider how much it's going to hurt you to DIY a seat mount. Lugging a seat in and out multiple times will probably put you back in hospital.

Suspension plays a big factor too. light duty coils and high quality shocks makes for a really smooth ride. and I'm talking high quality, correctly valved shocks not heavy duty strong like iron bar shocks. My comp car is really smooth to ride in. the seat cushion is a piece of underlay felt with vinyl over it over a hard plastic seat. But it's thje right shape for me. (no, you cant drive that one)

 

[80lsy gq]

i havew the same problem mate..bulging discs crushing my sciatic nerve...very very painful stuff..if going on long drives i wear my back brace, standing up and walking around gives me no relief from it...if it gets bad enough i take my pillow(one of those memory foams ones, they are excellent) and lie on a flat carpeted floor on my back and do the leg exercises..i do this every night anyway and have found it to help..also get yourself a good bed when you are out of hospital..purchase from somewhere like Sleepys etc as they will give you the right advice and they also have an exchange policy where if the bed doesnt work for you they will come and swap it with another to get it right

i have put some VY Commodore seats with the lumbar support in my GQ and have found if i adjust that it makes it better..also try putting the seat all the way forward as it seems to relieve the stress of pushing on the pedals..my Rodeo ute is not the most comforatable and i find if driving that for longer periods i develop pain...most agonising pain for me is actually experienced in my toes..also as Mike said i put vacuum assisted clutch booster on my GQ and it made a world of difference especially with the heavy duty safari clutch in there

there really is no cure from it...i think you just have to bear it and if you feel it hurting then stop what you are doing..i havent let it disrupt my normal life..i still go wheeling, fishing etc as well as working and running my business..i just learned where the barriers are and dont push it

good luck with it

dave

 

[80lsy gq]

one other thing..if they give you anti inflammatory drugs, which i am sure they will, the less you can use them the better...Diclofenac has some very bad side effects with prolonged use..internal bleeding, urinating blood etc etc...very bad for you..

 

[Grahame]

one other thing..if they give you anti inflammatory drugs, which i am sure they will, the less you can use them the better...Diclofenac has some very bad side effects with prolonged use..internal bleeding, urinating blood etc etc...very bad for you..

and they don't work. Well, didn't work for me.

 

[Bidgee Man]

Hi,

Look at a good suspension seat. As mentioned seats are transferable, so you buy once. Race seats are also good, as they give support so you don't move around. The sides hold you so less pressure on your back. If you get a good seat, after a while whatever the price you will think it a bargain !

Regards B M