Bumpy ride from headrest

[Kandiru]

I took both front headrests to the basement, wrapped each in cotton undershirts between two large wood panels, tightened these to the corner of a table using a pair of 24" ratcheting clamps. I bent them at the base without deforming the rods by using a 1/2" diameter long metal tube inserted into each prong using a small level to check step by step to avoid overextension and discrepancies.

Headrest removal. When reassembling make sure the two hinges catch at the bottom, while the lower flaps slide inside the seat hinge area.

This was the inspiration. I however did not remove the leather and substituted the wooworking vise for the above method.

 

[Gauss Guzzler]

Yeah, I didn’t remove the vinyl either, but I did use a woodworking vise, sweatshirt, and iron pipe.

It’s probably pretty doable with a strong friend instead of a vise, but the pipe (or equivalent) is critical.

The guy in that video seemed to have bent them way too far. I bent mine about half as much thinking even that would be too much. But after test fitting, I found it wasn’t nearly enough so I pulled them back out and bent them further - almost as far as that video. A year of comfortable driving has passed since I did this but I’m still a little tempted to pull them back out and bend them even further.

 

[Erland Lukanen]

Hi guys,

I’ve had my model 3 for a couple of days now. It was bought used, 2019 standard Range Plus in the UK.

Has anyone else noticed how bouncy the ride is on the headrest, when I go at highway speeds with my head against the headrest it’s constantly bounced and jolted forwards.

I didn’t get this in my old car (Ford fiesta)

Thanks!

I have a similar experience I have a 2023 Model 3 Long Range. On some roads we have experienced a very poor ride that is a strong forward and backward harmonic movement in the 3 to 4 Hertz range that is most objectional at the upper body and head position. This occurs on concrete pavements with 15-foot joints. I have only had the car for a few months and don't know what the ride response will be on those roads in the summer, but I expect the harmonic movement will be gone. I have noticed similar ride response in other cars, but not nearly as objectional. The ride is so objectional that I am inclined to choose less convenient routes. We are in the Twin Cities in Minnesota and unfortunately there are many highways like this in this area. Has anyone else experienced this?

This harmonic response is likely due to curling of the concrete panels due to the temperature and moisture gradient that raise the ends of the panels. In the summer, the curl might be neutral or even reversed and the harmonic forward and backward movement will not be there. Has anyone else experienced this? Some trucks might be also very sensitive to this condition, depending on wheelbase, speed, and load.

 

[XPsionic]

I have a similar experience I have a 2023 Model 3 Long Range. On some roads we have experienced a very poor ride that is a strong forward and backward harmonic movement in the 3 to 4 Hertz range that is most objectional at the upper body and head position. This occurs on concrete pavements with 15-foot joints. I have only had the car for a few months and don't know what the ride response will be on those roads in the summer, but I expect the harmonic movement will be gone. I have noticed similar ride response in other cars, but not nearly as objectional. The ride is so objectional that I am inclined to choose less convenient routes. We are in the Twin Cities in Minnesota and unfortunately there are many highways like this in this area. Has anyone else experienced this?

This harmonic response is likely due to curling of the concrete panels due to the temperature and moisture gradient that raise the ends of the panels. In the summer, the curl might be neutral or even reversed and the harmonic forward and backward movement will not be there. Has anyone else experienced this? Some trucks might be also very sensitive to this condition, depending on wheelbase, speed, and load.

Agree with your experience 100%

As I replied earlier in the thread, by installing a neck pillow that had the foam trimmed to fit me perfectly, my head now rests just a few mm forward of the oem head rests, and I feel way more comfortable on those concrete roads you mentioned.

 

[Rooster123]

I had this same issue with my head bouncing off the headrest uncomfortably in my Model 3. I played around with the seat settings for a couple days and eventually found a position where I felt comfortable sitting with my head not resting up against the headrest. It's a change to how I've sat in cars for at least the last 8 years, but I'm getting used to it.

As I recall, when I got my last Prius in 2015 I found the seat extremely uncomfortable at first. I believe that was also the first time I encountered the newer style headrest that is so far forward. I got used to it and drove it for 8 years without any issues. That said, the seat was leaned back further than I initially wanted, and I didn't experience the bouncing issue.

 

[Rooster123]

To add to my previous post, I did try a neck pillow and couldn't get used to it. Which I understand probably sounds a bit strange considering I put so much effort into finding a different type of seat position that worked for me.

 

[Rooster123]

By the way, I am convinced this wouldn't be an issue if the headrest weren't so concave and firm and springy. From a safety standpoint, how is this beneficial in the case of an accident? You want your head to decelerate gradually when hitting the headrest, not suddenly and then be sprung in the opposite direction.

Also, I wonder if anyone makes aftermarket headrests that are softer, and if safety regulations would even allow that.

 

[PianoAl]

Body shapes vary by a lot.

Here's my comfortable, patented positioning:

• FSDb on.
• Right foot on floor about 12 inches back from accelerator pedal, leg leaning against center console.
• Right hand lightly holding steering wheel and resting on knee.
• Left elbow on door at base of window.
• Left fist against cheekbone.
• Head resting back against corner of headrest.
• Eyes on road.

 

[Erland Lukanen]

I have a similar experience I have a 2023 Model 3 Long Range. On some roads we have experienced a very poor ride that is a strong forward and backward harmonic movement in the 3 to 4 Hertz range that is most objectional at the upper body and head position. This occurs on concrete pavements with 15-foot joints. I have only had the car for a few months and don't know what the ride response will be on those roads in the summer, but I expect the harmonic movement will be gone. I have noticed similar ride response in other cars, but not nearly as objectional. The ride is so objectional that I am inclined to choose less convenient routes. We are in the Twin Cities in Minnesota and unfortunately there are many highways like this in this area. Has anyone else experienced this?

This harmonic response is likely due to curling of the concrete panels due to the temperature and moisture gradient that raise the ends of the panels. In the summer, the curl might be neutral or even reversed and the harmonic forward and backward movement will not be there. Has anyone else experienced this? Some trucks might be also very sensitive to this condition, depending on wheelbase, speed, and load.

Update. Now after a year driving on the same stretches of concrete pavement, the objectional ride is seasonal. There were no issues from late spring/early summer until now. Even now, with a very warm winter so far, the ride has not gotten objectional on the stretches of concrete pavement that were the most offensive last winter.

 

[TesslaBull]

I've discovered it's not actually the headrest that is bouncy. It's the seatback itself that bounces the torso to and fro...so when the head is against the headrest, the fore and aft bouncing resulting from the seat back itself bounces the head off the headrest. A much softer headrest might cushion/absorb some of the bouncing.

 

[Rooster123]

Update. Now after a year driving on the same stretches of concrete pavement, the objectional ride is seasonal. There were no issues from late spring/early summer until now. Even now, with a very warm winter so far, the ride has not gotten objectional on the stretches of concrete pavement that were the most offensive last winter.

That's interesting. I was wondering why I didn't notice it for the first few weeks I had the car but this could explain that.

 

[Rooster123]

Update: I bought this:

Back Pad Support Cushion for Car

Our square shaped back support cushion for automobile seats relieves back pain and/or neck pain while driving. Place the back pad lower for lumbar support or higher for mid back thoracic support. The back cushion promotes proper posture by creating a more ergonomic automobile seat. Relieves...

www.buildaposture.com

Placed it in the upper portion of the seat to fill in the part that's concave. Surprisingly, even 1.25" is too thick. So, I used scissors to cut away at the foam insert to make it thinner. I also tapered the bottom, basically turning the rectangular cross section into a triangle, so that the bottom blends with the lower portion of the seat.

So far, it's significantly more comfortable than anything else I've tried and keeps my head away from the headrest but it's clear that it's still too thick and needs to be trimmed even more.

I think even just like a 1/2" segment of extra interior foam at the top portion of the seat would make it dramatically more comfortable. But I don't think I want to attempt this.

 

[afadeev]

headrest is really there to keep from snapping your neck in a rear end collision. Not really for riding your head against the entire time your driving.

Technically, so is the seat back.
But I find it more natural to lean on the seat back and the head rest both in my cars on the road, as well as my couch at home.
It's a natural human thing to do - to seek comfort.

Having said that, I just noticed that I drive my Model 3 without resting my head on the head rest itself. The seat position is such that my upper shoulders are the last contact points with the seat back. Whatever that means.
Lack of adjustability in the seat back rest is a functional drawback, but that's not unusual for de-contented low-end cars these days.

Tesla is £20-£25,000 more expensive than any of these cars and yet I cannot rest my head against the headrest. And on this forum people are earnestly trying to argue that headrests aren’t there to rest your head against, and are instead that I am sitting all wrong…

Your observation is valid - there are double-standards applied by some Tesla aficionados in excusing lack of creature comforts and basic ergonomic elements in Tesla vehicles.
The fact that the cars are priced at a premium to comparable ICE models can be misleading. Teslas are more expensive, but also significantly de-contented compared to similarly priced "regular" cars and trucks (cheap plastic surfaces, PUV seat material, sub-par suspension, no instrument cluster, etc, etc).

It's a trade-off one accepts when owning a Tesla.

 

[Rooster123]

Another update, I finally have a solution that works pretty well. I took a 12x12 inch piece of 1/2 inch thick memory foam and added it inside the seat. Picture is below.

This does two things, it makes the upper back portion of the seat slightly less concave, and it pushes your upper back slightly forward away from the headrest.

I'm still not crazy about the comfort of the seat, but it's comfortable enough. This is the only solution I've found that allows me to drive without thinking about seat comfort.