Hacking the lumbar mechanism
09-20-2009, 09:01 PM
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Hacking the lumbar mechanism
From Search, many people have broken the lumbar adjuster, both manual and power. Question for those of you who have been inside the seat for the repair: Since I keep the seat at max lumbar anyway, instead of repairing the adjuster, is there a practical way to just set the broken manual lumbar mechanism (2006) to maximum and lock it there? And just leave the adjuster broken. That will not only save the expense of parts, but prevent recurrence of the failure which seems to happen a lot.
I'm currently using an exterior cushion for the same effect, but it isn't as comfortable as the original seat at max adjustment.
I'm currently using an exterior cushion for the same effect, but it isn't as comfortable as the original seat at max adjustment.
09-20-2009, 10:02 PM
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Pull the cushion cover off and take a look.You may be creative enough to come up with something that works.It is a very cheap looking way of doing it.It is all plastic
09-21-2009, 11:58 AM
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It would have been helpful to get a step-by-step to get everything apart. Just would have saved time is all. Like this:
1. pull adjustment **** straight off
2. take out two phillips screws and black ring
3. take out two phillips screws and white ring
4. separate "zipper" at bottom of cushion with two small screwdrivers to start and then pry apart with fingers.
5. loosen the "velcro" tabs that tack the front in and pull the cover up far enough to expose the lumbar adjuster on the backside.
The lumbar aduster is a flexible plastic strap that is anchored on the right side and is drawn tight by a screw mechanism on the left side. When the mechanism breaks, the strap goes slack and you have no support. I didn't try to fix the screw adjuster...I don't even know how to get it off the frame. Instead I took a couple feet of nylon parachute cord and looped it around the left end of the strap and passed both cord ends through a strap hole. So now I've grabbed the end of the strap. Passed the cord through a couple holes in the seat bracket and using a trucker's slip knot I drew it very tight and tied it off. Done.
If I decide it's too much I'll back off the cord a little. If I need more, I can't get it much tighter, so I'll pack something like foam or a folded up handtowel between the strap and cushion. And I think just for reliability, I'll back up the strap with some long loops of nylon cord from side to side, just in case the strap breaks where tied on.
And there you have it.
1. pull adjustment **** straight off
2. take out two phillips screws and black ring
3. take out two phillips screws and white ring
4. separate "zipper" at bottom of cushion with two small screwdrivers to start and then pry apart with fingers.
5. loosen the "velcro" tabs that tack the front in and pull the cover up far enough to expose the lumbar adjuster on the backside.
The lumbar aduster is a flexible plastic strap that is anchored on the right side and is drawn tight by a screw mechanism on the left side. When the mechanism breaks, the strap goes slack and you have no support. I didn't try to fix the screw adjuster...I don't even know how to get it off the frame. Instead I took a couple feet of nylon parachute cord and looped it around the left end of the strap and passed both cord ends through a strap hole. So now I've grabbed the end of the strap. Passed the cord through a couple holes in the seat bracket and using a trucker's slip knot I drew it very tight and tied it off. Done.
If I decide it's too much I'll back off the cord a little. If I need more, I can't get it much tighter, so I'll pack something like foam or a folded up handtowel between the strap and cushion. And I think just for reliability, I'll back up the strap with some long loops of nylon cord from side to side, just in case the strap breaks where tied on.
And there you have it.
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