Let’s talk ergonomics

[Paul Y]

Morning All,

Actually drove Woody on Sunday for the first time in… probably 9years… after pulling it completely apart, fitting an LS, 6 speed, repairing damage blah blah blah.

Anyway. The driving position sucks.

I have moved the tank to the back of the truck, taken an inch out of the seat runners and my legs still hit the back of the wheel, the pedals are too close to the seat and it is generally just uncomfortable to drive.

Disappointing.

I am not a big guy - 6’1 190lbs - so wanted to ask the question….

What have you done to make your truck comfortable to drive?

My current thinking is to shorten the pedal rods to get the clutch and brake pedal further away from the seat - won’t give much more room - and the Silverado pedal is going to be either sectioned or going to covert it to use the original pedal spoon.

Steering wheel is from a 59 impala which is smaller that the original truck wheel.

The main issue -in the very short drive - is I have to lift my feet off the pedals rather than slide across which then means my legs hit the back of the wheel.

Anyway, would be interested to hear what others have done or is this just something I will have to get used too!

Appreciate your input.

P.

[rbruno68]

Are you using the original bench seat?

[1964FarmFreshC10]

You can adjust the bump stops for the brake & clutch pedal to get them lower. People have replaced the rubber bumpers with bolts to make them adjustable but will have to adjust the rods as well.

You could also install a tilt column to make more room.

[scottofksu]

Looking at your pics in your build thread, it seems like your leg length is the issue to work with... Meaning, I am 6' but only with a 30" inseam and the ergonomics are great for me being mostly torso. I was wondering if you could trim the lip above the gas tank to get your seat a little further back to accommodate your longer legs? Or are you running a seat that wouldn't be able to go back any further?

[gentrysgarage]

There is always a way, just depends on how far you want to go. Easiest route is changing the seat and see if you can chop the seat brackets alittle. I know the rear seats of the 2008 and up duramax are thinner, but I would sit in one to see if it is comfortable or not to you. On my truck I am using the floor of my 2008 extended cab in my 66 c60 crew cab project, cause it is relatively flat. My kid is currently editing a video now that will illustrate it better, i think you can get a glimpse of the floor in one of my other videos to get an idea of its "flatness" here: www.youtube.com/@gentrysgarage . but thats if you want to go to that extreme. Just suggestions

[Paul Y]

Originally Posted by rbruno68

Are you using the original bench seat?

Yup.

[Paul Y]

Originally Posted by scottofksu

Looking at your pics in your build thread, it seems like your leg length is the issue to work with... Meaning, I am 6' but only with a 30" inseam and the ergonomics are great for me being mostly torso. I was wondering if you could trim the lip above the gas tank to get your seat a little further back to accommodate your longer legs? Or are you running a seat that wouldn't be able to go back any further?

I am about 3" longer in the leg than you, the other issue is I have big old feet so that makes the pivot point of foot to pedal angle less favourable.

Gas tank moved to rear of truck and seat back hard up against the cab.

P.

[Paul Y]

Originally Posted by gentrysgarage

There is always a way, just depends on how far you want to go. Easiest route is changing the seat and see if you can chop the seat brackets alittle. I know the rear seats of the 2008 and up duramax are thinner, but I would sit in one to see if it is comfortable or not to you. On my truck I am using the floor of my 2008 extended cab in my 66 c60 crew cab project, cause it is relatively flat. My kid is currently editing a video now that will illustrate it better, i think you can get a glimpse of the floor in one of my other videos to get an idea of its "flatness" here: www.youtube.com/@gentrysgarage . but thats if you want to go to that extreme. Just suggestions

Seat is hard against the back of the cab. I had a look tonight if I could get the backrest more upright so the squab could move an inch or so rearward.

As you said, always a route!

Will check out the video.

P.

[Paul Y]

Originally Posted by 1964FarmFreshC10

You can adjust the bump stops for the brake & clutch pedal to get them lower. People have replaced the rubber bumpers with bolts to make them adjustable but will have to adjust the rods as well.

You could also install a tilt column to make more room.

Think this is going to be the best bang for my buck. Will look at making an adjustable stop and the corresponding adjustment on the pedals.

Either that or will be taking a few inches out of my thigh.....

Thanks for all the responses, couldn't get the multi quote to work!

Will report back after the weekend.

P.

[AcampoDave]

I'm a tall thin guy and I've had reasonable comfort with a tilt column and low back bucket seats from a Nissan Hardbody compact pickup. (I had them upholstered to mimic early mustang buckets) My tank is moved, seats are back to the wall but not really set that low. Setting them low brings my knees higher as my butt sits lower and makes the clutch harder to hold. Having a compact seat with more modern foam construction like mine is not as bouncy and comfy for the long haul as the old school sprung one, but the extra room is worth the trade off for me.

[jayoldschool]

I just deal with it. I'm 6'7", 36" inseam. These trucks are made for average height people from the 1950s. About a foot shorter than me. The only mod I have done is to add a throttle knob. I did this to take the pressure off my right leg in a folded position on longer drives. I have to admit, I don't really use it for that, but it sure makes starting a cold engine much easier...

[Paul Y]

Spent an hour sitting in Woody last night thinking about what the actual issue is.

Might have had a beer or two to help the thought process but we can gloss over that...

Basically I need another inch (that's what she said) and the easiest place to get that is in the pedals.

So this weekend I will be making adjustable pedal stops and then thinking of how I am going to get more space....

I dont want to change out my bench seat BUT I could potentially sculpture the seat back foam to give me a little more space... Mmmm... This is going to be a battle of tiny wins but pretty sure I can get it to where I want to be.

Thanks again for the advice.

P.

[Nevada51]

I agree with your beer assisted thought and thing the pedals are your issue; too much travel, too high off the floor and not the ergonomics of your truck that no doubt handles way better than the original.

To my mind, the original pedal set up is like you are pressing on the pedals from a more vertical position than a more modern truck, so moving the pedals further away would result in a more horizontal attack to the pedal which would feel better and hopefully stop your legs hitting the steering wheel. Not sure if the pedal stops will eliminate the issue, but surely that will help. I'll be interested to hear how that goes as it makes the most logical sense. Surely others have addressed this issue.

Anyway, that's just my two cents worth and only based on my observations driving my original truck!

[verdell]

I'm 6'3" about 260 and the best things I've done to improve comfort was switch to an OBS seat (in good condition), tilt column with smaller diameter wheel, and modify gas pedal position. The fuel tank has been relocated but it didn't yield the greatest results IMHO. I've taken this truck on 6 plus hour drives with no complaints. We make 4-5 hour drives at least twice a year, so comfort was high on the priority list.

[Paul Y]

I seem to remember there was a company making ‘custom’ bench seats a while back that didn’t seem that spiteful when it came to pricing.

Can I remember who they were? No.

Anyone want to cast any light on possible candidates?

As I live in the ‘mother country’ there are very few trucks here I can get a seat from so importing is the only option.

This is expensive.

So…. If I am going to do it might as well get the best I can!

P.

[forestb]

You might find something from these guys.

https://www.tmiproducts.com/?gclsrc=...QaAjeNEALw_wcB

[Paul Y]

Thanks Forest,

The chaps I was thinking of was Snowden but their pricing seems to have increased since I last looked at their pages a year or so back.

After consulting YouTube I realised that I could probably modify my existing bench to give me slightly more room. Purchased a roll of spring steel, butterfly clips and splashed out on a 10 pack of disks for my favourite grinder so watch this space....

P.

[raidmagic]

I've had so many different seats in my truck. I started with the bench then moved to Dodge Durango seats. They were comfortable but I didn't like the color. I switched to 2007 Sierra seats they were comfortable but too big and I felt real cramped. I'm now on 2008 VW Beetle seats. They are thinner and give me more room. Coupled with the aftermarket wheel I've finally got room. Next I want to work out my gas pedal. It's way lower than the brake and is kinda annoying.