Suspension seat base

[Greg]

So apparently these are all the rage in go-fast boats, as impacts at speed can really damage do damage to your spine. One of the better known companies is ShockWave; https://shockwaveseats.com/rec/

Looking at these, I could see how something like this could be very useful in a Jeep/Crawler/Buggy. You could build a pretty simple suspension seat base with steel plate and a mountain bike shock rated for the occupant & seat weight. The design needs to be built where it's already sitting at an angle, so it moves freely with impacts. You'd need a decent amount of room to fit the base, but I'd think you could get it down to 6-8" tall?




I might have to try this in the TJ.

 

[Spork]

Used suspension seats on a tractor, really helps when it gets rough, however they are tall. Like add another foot to your seat height tall. In a tractor with a cab you can stand in the height isn't an issue but with a jeep where you have 4” it might be.

 

[Greg]

Semi's have air seat bases as well, but they're also massive. I'm thinking a compact version that is 6" tall and moves 3-4" would be enough for a crawler.

 

[Unimog]

The mog has a suspension seat on the drivers side. It is a little lower than the typical heavy truck suspension seats.

 

[AaronPaige]

Are we over thinking this? It is a suspension seat right. I never really liked moving away from the controls on a big rig when the seat moves.

 

[Greg]

Are we over thinking this? It is a suspension seat right. I never really liked moving away from the controls on a big rig when the seat moves.

Possibly, it's just something to talk about.

 

[anderson750]

I love the air suspension seats in the motorhome. In a boat you are dealing with more G force than you would need in most automotive applications. I would be more inclined to design it around a downhill mountain bike shock

 

[YROC FAB.]

Seems like a band-aid to poor suspension. If you fool you spine with one good for you but the rest of your rig is probably getting beat. Most of the desert racers ive talk to like the stiff fibreglass composite shell seats vs a traditional suspension seat. I have read a lengthy suspension seat vs the stiff fibreglass composite shell thread on race-desertz and the complaint on the suspension seat was that it let you move at a different rate than the chassis increasing the G out in a sense. Say the seat is still compressing the while chassis has already G'd out and is on its way back up. Those we rock dudes are going back the stiff kirkey seats and have said they work well so long as you are properly fitted to the right size seat and those guys are nutz.

 

[1969honda]

I'm with YROC, I hate moving away from the controls on the air suspension seats in big rigs. I'm only 5'6 with short legs so as the seat rises I tend to come off the throttle unless I'm standing on it and anticipating the seat rise. I see the same problem happening while bouncing down washboard roads or over bumps at speed? I'm also not an engineer so I won't rule out that something could be designed and made to work efficiently. That boat seat would be awesome on the RHIBs that the Army recently purchased and skimped the cost on, Navy boys all got something similar, my spine definitely doesn't prefer cruising at 30-50 knots and going thru the surf and sea swell....

 

[Hickey]

Semi's have air seat bases as well, but they're also massive. I'm thinking a compact version that is 6" tall and moves 3-4" would be enough for a crawler.

I think a semi suspension seat base would fit the easiest. I also don't like moving away from the controls, though.

I spent some seat time in a TJ with struts like yours for the TJ. I think you'll be pleased with the ride.

 

[Pile of parts]

Speaking of air suspension seats... This was on the trail at Fall Crawl in Farmington. The owner of a local fab shop here built it. I don't really know the details but it has all sorts of custom gadgets. I think it was basically an exercise in dreaming and fabbing just to see what would happen.

 

[SnwMnkys]

Used suspension seats on a tractor, really helps when it gets rough, however they are tall. Like add another foot to your seat height tall. In a tractor with a cab you can stand in the height isn't an issue but with a jeep where you have 4” it might be.

Skid steers use shallow suspension seats. You can even buy just bases if you want to add suspension to a standard seat.