MY front seats different

[DrivingDelta]

Any idea why the front seats are different? Model Y.

My driver seat sinks in too much causing discomfort. Passenger seat is better. If you look under the front of your seats, are the two seats are different.
Underside of the driver and passenger seats is not the same. See photos, driver underside (just unsupported grey material). Passenger underside (white with black spots foam material, and plastic piece for more support)

 

[DrivingDelta]

Any idea why the front seats are different? Model Y.

My driver seat sinks in too much causing discomfort. Passenger seat is better. If you look under the front of your seats, are the two seats are different.
Underside of the driver and passenger seats is not the same. See photos, driver underside (just unsupported grey material). Passenger underside (white with black spots foam material, and plastic piece for more support)

this is under driver seat. grey material no plastic support

 

[DrivingDelta]

this is under driver seat. grey material no plastic support

Passenger seat. White material and the black plastic piece for support.

 

[Level 1]

The driver and passenger seat bottoms have to be different to accommodate the different ejection mechanisms.
For the passenger, it's simple - blow the roof and eject straight up and out.
But for the driver, the steering wheel is in the way - so the obstruction geometries dictate a more rearward ejection angle to avoid the legs getting caught on your way out.

 

[Georgesb2]

I've taken both seats apart and extensively modified them.

The passenger seat has a sophisticated sensor system. The primary sensor is a rather large, maybe 10" x 12" gray plastic. It is located over the springs, and underneath the seat bottom foam, in the seat base. Although the plastic sensor isn't all that thick, perhaps less than 1/4", it has the effect of raising the bottom of the seat foam of the seat bottom. Both sides have identical foam. The faux leather covers at essentially the same however the passenger side has two extra connectors to cover both the seat heater and a loop of wire related to the sensor system. On the driver's side there's a thin film sensor glued to the top of the foam. This has no effect upon foam height on the driver's side. The driver's side has only one connector from the seat faux leather for the seat heater.

The problem is two fold on the driver's side.

1) The seat foam is too low into the metal frame/ pan bottom. That has the effect of raising the metal surround relative to the seat cushion and relative to your body set inside the metal base. This then allows the metal to be more of an issue within the bolsters / wings.

2) On both sides the seat foam in the seat cushion bottom is make of too soft a density foam. For most of us, but especially anyone much over 125 lbs, and having a slightly wider hip bone set, it will totally flatten the foam and you end up lower and sitting on the metal springs and inside the metal frame. On the driver's side there is nothing to protect your hind end from the unforgiving metal springs and little to protect your hips and thighs from the metal base surrounding the foam base of the seat. On the passenger side the gray sensor plastic will give a little insulation from the metal springs, although that is an accidental consequence and not intentional design, and slightly raises the base of your seat bones/ hips/ thighs.

Solutions:
This can be on a continuum based upon needs. We are all unique.

After many seat modifications and testing:

I totally replaced the driver's side with a foam that is more dense.
I then removed the sensor from the stock foam driver's side and glued it into position.
I sewed in the faux leather cover into my replacement foam.
I put a dense foam block below the foam cushion to add more suspension and raise the bottom of the set a bit further.

On the passenger side I didn't have to move the sensor as it's fixed underneath the seat foam. And I used a much thinner spacing foam underneath the foam seat base.

The total effect and feel is that of a luxury car.

Sincerely,
George Borrelli

 

[DrivingDelta]

I've taken both seats apart and extensively modified them.

The passenger seat has a sophisticated sensor system. The primary sensor is a rather large, maybe 10" x 12" gray plastic. It is located over the springs, and underneath the seat bottom foam, in the seat base. Although the plastic sensor isn't all that thick, perhaps less than 1/4", it has the effect of raising the bottom of the seat foam of the seat bottom. Both sides have identical foam. The faux leather covers at essentially the same however the passenger side has two extra connectors to cover both the seat heater and a loop of wire related to the sensor system. On the driver's side there's a thin film sensor glued to the top of the foam. This has no effect upon foam height on the driver's side. The driver's side has only one connector from the seat faux leather for the seat heater.

The problem is two fold on the driver's side.

1) The seat foam is too low into the metal frame/ pan bottom. That has the effect of raising the metal surround relative to the seat cushion and relative to your body set inside the metal base. This then allows the metal to be more of an issue within the bolsters / wings.

2) On both sides the seat foam in the seat cushion bottom is make of too soft a density foam. For most of us, but especially anyone much over 125 lbs, and having a slightly wider hip bone set, it will totally flatten the foam and you end up lower and sitting on the metal springs and inside the metal frame. On the driver's side there is nothing to protect your hind end from the unforgiving metal springs and little to protect your hips and thighs from the metal base surrounding the foam base of the seat. On the passenger side the gray sensor plastic will give a little insulation from the metal springs, although that is an accidental consequence and not intentional design, and slightly raises the base of your seat bones/ hips/ thighs.

Solutions:
This can be on a continuum based upon needs. We are all unique.

After many seat modifications and testing:

I totally replaced the driver's side with a foam that is more dense.
I then removed the sensor from the stock foam driver's side and glued it into position.
I sewed in the faux leather cover into my replacement foam.
I put a dense foam block below the foam cushion to add more suspension and raise the bottom of the set a bit further.

On the passenger side I didn't have to move the sensor as it's fixed underneath the seat foam. And I used a much thinner spacing foam underneath the foam seat base.

The total effect and feel is that of a luxury car.

Sincerely,
George Borrelli

Thx for the suggestions! How do you explain the differences in the photos I attached though?

 

[Georgesb2]

Thx for the suggestions! How do you explain the differences in the photos I attached though?

I really struggle to see what it is being depicted in the two photos. They are too close up for me to get my bearings.

This is what I know about the front seat bottoms.

From the top down (not looking from the bottom up):
The driver's side doesn't have a rather large black flat plastic part between the seat cushion and the metal springs, beneath the foam which is beneath the faux leather.
The passenger side does have a rather large black flat plastic part between the seat cushion and the metal springs, beneath the foam which is beneath the faux leather and above the springs.

The rather large black plastic part I'm speaking of is pictured in my hand in the attached two photo(s). Once again, that plastic part is not on the driver's side at all. The foam sits directly upon the metal springs but only on the driver's side.

On the Passenger side, that rather large black plastic part is designed to be a sensor, but has an unintended affect of stiffening the springs and raising the foam of the cushion up slightly. A person sensitive to this seat design will feel the difference affected by that black plastic part pictured in my hand, which only on the passenger side.

Please also note:
There are additional plastic pieces underneath the springs on both sides, I think most if not all of them are white. Their attachment plastic "pegs" could be black, I'd have to look. They are there only to support various electrical connectors underneath the seat and serve no purpose regarding seat support and will not be felt sitting in either seat.

The foam of the seat are different ONLY in one single way. But they must be marked as being different. The foam is the same.
The driver's side has an extremely thin and rather small inconsequential film sensor that cannot be felt and doesn't raise the driver's position whatsoever. It is glued to the top of the foam, under the faux leather topper. The faux leather are also different but have no affect upon rider feel. There is an additional very thin wire in parallel with the heater wire, both are sewn into the faux leather topper, on the passenger side only.

I hope this is helpful information.

Sincerely,
George Borrelli