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Back Pain Due To Cooper S Seats

23K views 46 replies 33 participants last post by  NigelK 
#1 ·
Hi ,

Im curious to know if anyone else has or is suffering from lower back pain which they think
may be induced by the harsh ride of the cooper s and its sports seats.

i have been suffering from pain in my lower left back since christmas , it seems to be ok for a while when not in the car but as soon as I drive the car immediatly it becomes painful
again especially when getting in or out.

let me know if you have had similar experiences and how you solved it, obviously i just spent 16K and i dont wanna get rid of my car!

cheers

:dark:
 
#4 ·
I find the seats very comfortable, try driving a lotus ;)

I am guessing that you will have adjusted the lumbar support on the seats, mine is permanently on full !

If your back is hurting you then maybe you should goto the doctors, they will be able to suggest stretches and exercises to strengthen the correct muscles. Maybe your posture can be improved, I know mine can ! You may also want to look at those electric stimulator gadgets that may relieve and strengthen the muscles.
 
#6 ·
jon vital said:
The seats are comfy but they are far from good. They have very poor lateral support. Take a bend at speed (which is what the car is all about) and you half fall out of them.
You're quite right, the jcw seats have far better lateral support. I dont mind though, when taking a left hand bend fast, my left elbow anchors me as I put it around the side of the seat ;)
 
#9 ·
You could try getting rid of the runflats and switching to 15" rims with standard tires. That might soften the ride a bit. You might be able to change springs/shocks to the sport suspension instead of the sport suspension plus, but I'm not sure if the different weight of the MCS would be an issue.

Good Luck! I had two herniated discs last year and it took months of physical therapy to recover.
 
#11 ·
Back pain

The mixed reports is down to what you used to have before.
I am an Ex VW fan and have owned loads of Golfs the last being an R32 the thing is VW seem to be able to make excellent seats. So stepping into my Mini I have found them VERY uncomftable and now suffer with lower back pain.
So the probloem.....I want to change them but to what as theWorks seats dont tilt properly and I want to keep my Mini Cinema. Any ideas?

Gadget :blblack:
 
#12 ·
Leigh - when I first got my MCS I had similar problems to you, but my wife (who is a driving instructor so is used to getting people to adjust their seat) got me to alter the seat position and I haven't had any more trouble.

I was sitting a bit too far away from the pedals and the seat height was wrong. I think part of the problem was that the MINI was the first car I had ever driven where I didn't need the seat fully back.

Experiment a bit and I'm sure that you will sort it out. Good luck!
 
#13 ·
must admit i get whopping back ache in most cars after about 1hr - the seats in mcs however i find to be the best yet and have happily been in them for 8hrs without so much as a twinge.

i personally have the lumbar support 'deflated' if thats the word.

do tend to mess around with the seat - height, rake and distance from pedals etc depending on how i'm driving
 
#14 · (Edited)
The MINI seats, or any car seat, will not be the primary source of any spinal column-related pain. If your back hurts from driving, your problem is probably with your back! Sure, sitting in any position for extended periods can and does cause discomfort. But if you're experiencing significant pain, a physician is the best way to cure your pain. It's not the seats.

Your seated position is very important. If you're too far away, or too close to the controls, it produces stress on the spinal column. Good posture relieves such stress. While driving, legs comfortably extended, the clutch leg extended to the point that the knee is slightly bent with clutch to the floor. Lumbar back area comfortably and firmly planted in the seat, and the back straight with shoulder blades comfortably touching the seat. Head upright, not tilted. Don't lean the body into turns/curves, maintain a comfortably upright, balanced driving position. You get the picture.

Sorry about the back pain, it makes everything difficult. Go see a physician, find out if you have an organic problem with your spinal column.

good luck!!!
 
#15 ·
We just took delivery of a Coooper S cabrio & my wife is also is complaining about the Sport seats. She is 5'0" tall and says the lumbar area pushes her forward at a very uncomfortable angle. I looked at it and it does seem to have a very pronounced outward curve. I do not have the lumbar adjustment on my seats. Any suggestions?
 
#16 ·
Yes i find that the lower lumbar area of the seat back seems to protrude greatly hence my concern that the seat has caused my pains, i do not have the lumbar adjust seats tho, didnt spec it.

my doc says my back problem was muscle related, he told me to stop running at nights, and maybee try cycling ,and that the problem would go away in a few months but its still here, although only aggrivated by the car.

i am going back to see him again and possibly to try and get some physio

thanks everybody for your replys i had no idea i would get such a huge response!!

cheers! ,
 
#17 ·
I cant believe people find the cooper s ride harsh.

Try driving a lotus or something. Did you not test drive before you bought it.... I personally think the s has an incredibly smooth ride considering the quality of handling.

Get rid of the runflats -- i have done this and it improves the car no-end. God knows why BMW use them in the first place.



Failing that go and buy a Merc
 
#19 ·
Black&WhiteScooper said:
I cant believe people find the cooper s ride harsh.

Try driving a lotus or something. Did you not test drive before you bought it.... I personally think the s has an incredibly smooth ride considering the quality of handling.

Failing that go and buy a Merc
If I lived in a big city with perfect pavement or in a state with mellow weather where the roads didn't take such a beating every winter I probably would have gone for the S. But in our real world conditions here in Vermont, where even those who drive Mercs complain this time of year, yes, the MCS was unforgivably harsh.

So I went with a regular MC. pb
 
#20 ·
Leigh - Just wanted to comment on this thread as I have had some experiences with back pain from running and find the seats a little uncomfortable in my S.

I didnt bother with my GP but went to see a physiotherapist experienced in dealing with running injuries. It's amazing what they can tell from just looking at the way you stand. Because I have an office job where I sit at a desk a lot I have to be careful with my seating position to maintain the natural curvature in the spine. Sitting with your bum too far forward and slouching with your shoulders forward forces your lower back to curve outwards.

My problem was after running about 8 miles I would get agonising knee pain which was brought on by my back and general posture. The physio gave me some stretches and exercises to do and the problem hasnt come back. To me it seems easy for a GP to suggest not running, kind of curing the symptom and not the problem, it's not a long term solution if you enjoy running...

I also adjusted my seat at work and in the car. I still feel the seats in my car are not very supportive and still get stiffness in my lower back after 2 hours in the car. The lumbar support is fully out. In my previous car (an old but perfect 1986 Porsche 944 Turbo - loved that car!) which had factory sport seats made by Recaro I didnt get nearly as much stiffness. I also drive my Dads 993 type 911 Turbo quite a lot and even driving all the way from Le Mans in France to London in one hit I dont feel as much pain in my back as when driving for two hours in the Mini.

Obviously I must stress that this is just my own personal experience and people should take advice on their own particular circumstances! But I hope it helps. For the sake of £50 Leigh I would go and see a good physiotherapist.
 
#21 ·
I have fitted Cobra kevlar Evolution seats in our Cooper S .I think these are the most comfortable seats we've ever used. I have also put them in our TT and will fit to our next car ,they are just so good in every way! Everything else to me just feels like a park bench.
Regards Roland Gt Tuning :)
 
#22 ·
RedMini said:
Leigh - when I first got my MCS I had similar problems to you, but my wife (who is a driving instructor so is used to getting people to adjust their seat) got me to alter the seat position and I haven't had any more trouble.

I was sitting a bit too far away from the pedals and the seat height was wrong. I think part of the problem was that the MINI was the first car I had ever driven where I didn't need the seat fully back.

Experiment a bit and I'm sure that you will sort it out. Good luck!
This is very true! I was going to suggest that your problem is actually due to having your seat too far back and having to reach too far to get to the pedals, which is exactly what my back problem was attributed to (I came from a cushy automatic transmission to the Mini). You may feel a little silly sitting so close to the steering wheel, but it's made all the difference for me.

Since you have an S I'm assuming you've got a manual 6 speed transmission, so RedMini is probably right on regarding the seat placement. Maybe it's your sciatic nerve, which can cause excruciating pain in the lower back as well as the butt and legs. Anyway, you should see a chiropractor, or whatever you call them in the UK. A good adjustment of the spine as well as your seat may be just what you need.
 
#23 ·
Suggestion

I had an Integra with racing suspension and it didnt hurt my back like my MCS does, after about an hour and a half I could hardly stand up!
I raised the seat to its highest position (Without bumping my head on the roof) and now I no longer have the problem.
 
#24 ·
About the previous comment re Lotus Elise seats. Holy Cr*p! I've test driven one for a weekend and it was the most uncomfortable car I've ever been in. Shame, I could never own one now, and it was going to be the 'next step'.

The following is excellent advice.

vagt6 said:
The MINI seats, or any car seat, will not be the primary source of any spinal column-related pain. If your back hurts from driving, your problem is probably with your back! Sure, sitting in any position for extended periods can and does cause discomfort. But if you're experiencing significant pain, a physician is the best way to cure your pain. It's not the seats.

Your seated position is very important. If you're too far away, or too close to the controls, it produces stress on the spinal column. Good posture relieves such stress. While driving, legs comfortably extended, the clutch leg extended to the point that the knee is slightly bent with clutch to the floor. Lumbar back area comfortably and firmly planted in the seat, and the back straight with shoulder blades comfortably touching the seat. Head upright, not tilted. Don't lean the body into turns/curves, maintain a comfortably upright, balanced driving position. You get the picture.

Sorry about the back pain, it makes everything difficult. Go see a physician, find out if you have an organic problem with your spinal column.

good luck!!!
 
#25 ·
Me and my partner has a some back pain when using our car, we have tried all the instruction on how to position yourself when you drive but still get a bad back after more than 2 hours drive. We have fully adjustable seats but can't get it to work for our backs.Then my friend suggested to visit Las Vagus Back Doctor and we visited him for about 4 months and now w e are fully comfortable while driving.
 
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