How to lower my driver seat?

[bher]

I need some help to solve this BIG problem.

FACT : I am too big to keep the roof on with my helmet.
So as usually yesterday while it was only 0°c on the track in francorchamps, I was driving without roof (nothing exceptionnal)...

CONSEQUENCE : The problem is that at 110-115 mph (just at 8000 in 4th) the car do not want to accelerate anymore..
As I already manage to do easily more on a slighlty raising (normally without speed trap) straight (130-135 mph) ( with roof and without helmet, officer!) I do believe it as to do with the aerodynamic

OPTIONS : I ask this if anyone knows a special (race or not) seat deeper-lower than the normal one? if the fixed roof is higher inside than the soft top?

I am highly motivated to improve my track time and I see this as a real upgrade because I still have 300-400 m of staight free for acceleration at Spa It would be the first seat which improve your track time other than by a better feeling of the car...

WHAT I CAN NOT DO : Hold my breathing to compress my chest for the + 3 min of the lap, push the soft top higher with my helmet, change my toy for a cayman

WHAT I DO NOT WANT TO DO ANYMORE : Drive with my head bended at 45° because it is really raining....

Thanks

Ben

[steff]

You cant lower the seat as it virtually touches the floor at the moment.

You could try a carbon fibre seat as they have no padding on them, so they would sit you lower than the standard seat.

Or slightly cheaper option would be to remove all the padding off your seat and get the base retrimed.

[shangani]

Ben - there are motorsport seats that bolt directly onto the floor, without the adjustment rail. Trouble is that you cannot then slide the seat forwards and backwards. This will give you 2 cm or so. The carbon seats etc are an option, but ulimately it is the rail that adds extra height. An easier solution:

Have you checked your helmet - I have 2 helmets - one sits so high I cannot wear it with the roof on, the other is fine. Measure your height with the helet off and then on and check the difference. Try other helmets - this is what worked for me. (1.5 cm difference!) Remember that different size helmets usually use the same size outer shell, but with thicker liners in the smaller sizes. There are helmets that have different size outer shell as well.

BTW the hard top does not give more head room.

[Sam_68]

steff said:

Or slightly cheaper option would be to remove all the padding off your seat and get the base retrimed.

Or - and this might sound odd, but it'd be a cheaper option - swop your seats with some out of an S1. The 'standard' (ie. not 111S or special edition) S1's have negligible padding on the seat base. Don't know by how much, but it must be significant as when you step from an S1 straight into an S2, it feels very much as though you are sitting 'on' the car, rather than 'in' it.

There are plenty of S1 owners who suffer from numb-bum, so a no-cost swap (or money your way) should be easy enough to arrange.

[bher]

Thanks for the suggestion
I will contact the dealer.

which brand of helmet do you use? Is it a special one for car?

Ben

[pennpromo]

On my Exige S2 I took out the front seat mounting bolts and lifted the front of the seat up by about 20mm with a pair of home made spacers, I then put in longer bolts. This means that the seat then leans further back and is lower at the back. If you are tall it also gives you a little more support under your legs as the front comes up. Works for me- may be worth a try.

[alan.bennett]

If you do ditch the seat runners, can i buy them off you, I'm wanting to put adjusters on my passenger seat (for various reasons), so I'm looking for a pair soon!



I also have "jacked" up the front of my seats with wee home made aluminium spacers, don't think it makes you sit lower, but it's definately more comfy!

my recomendation would be rigging up a carbon fibre seat (have you looked at the caterham ones?? - demon tweaks sell them) bolting it straight to the floor. - might do the trick!

A.

[shangani]

bher said:

Thanks for the suggestion I will contact the dealer. which brand of helmet do you use? Is it a special one for car? Ben

I now have a few.

1) Sparco open face - I forget the type. Too high to fit. FIA approved.

2) Nolan Motorbike helmet - really compact and approved.

3) OMP integrale plus - cheap, fits well and fits in the car. The one I use. sits 2 cm lower than the sparco!

4) KIWI bike helmet - old and has been crashed on. Lives in the garage for sentimental reasons.

The Simpsons fit snugly, but the visibilty is not great.