Iceman808

Hi all

I have read elsewhere that you can get a sore right leg (accelerator pedal) if the cars seat is not correctly setup.

I am getting that sore leg on long drives, it aches heaps after about 30-45 minutes. I have to keep moving the leg to try and avoid the ache.

I have heard height or distance from steering wheel can cause this.

I feel comfortable in the car bar the sore leg, but perhaps there is something else causing this.

Anyone else had a sore accelerator leg when driving the 8?

Just interested

Thanks

RotoryVirgin

If the front of the seat is too much higher than the rear you'll get circulation issues. If you feel like you are pinned to the rear of the seat, the front is probably too high.

ken-x8

Are you sore anywhere else? Having any back problems? Find any other seats uncomfortable after a while?

I'm extrapolating from my own experience with lower back pain and sciatica (pinched back nerve pain shooting down the leg) that was ultimately traced to a lumbar disc that developed a sense of humor. But that gave me some understanding of pressure and pinched nerves.

First, when it happens, besides moving your leg around play with the seat adjustment to see if that gives any relief. If this is caused by pressure somewhere, keeping the seat in the same position means the same pressure when you stop squirming.

Second, try some stretching exercises. Lower back and leg stuff. Not hard to find generic ones by Googling a bit. Some of the stretches they talk about for long airplane rides might be relevant.

Ken

NotAPreppie

Sounds like my sciatica, as well (also a bulging disk). I had to make a lumbar pad out of a towel and some duct tape while I waited for the PT exercises to work its magic.

OP, go visit a doctor to see if they can rule that out as a possibility. If caught early, sciatica can be dealt with using exercises and stretching but if left untreated, may cause more serious issues that require surgery.

ken-x8

I don't think doctors can strictly rule out possibilities - medicine isn't an exact science. But they can make a knowledge-based assessment and set you on an escalating sequence of things to do. Hopefully one of the early items will take care of it.

I ultimately needed disk surgery. During the first year or two I had my 8, before the surgery, I devised some fairly bizarre arrangements of foam in the seat to deal with it.

Not to scare you, but NotAPreppie's right: the longer you endure it the more likely you'll need to eventually do something bigger.

Ken

alnielsen

iTrader: (4)

I was getting pain because of carrying my wallet in my back pocket. I moved it to the front and no more problems.
Also, the back of my seat has broken down some what after 10+ years of use. You could just have a worn out seat.

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

Hi, fwiw, the back thing is a possibility.
I first started having bad back pain on a road trip in my truck.
Shooting pains down my leg (sciatica).
Quack Dr. told me it was sacroiliac from an x-ray.
Ended up being a herniated disk a year later when I went to another Dr. and they did an MRI.
You might have a bulging disk pressing on a nerve when you sit a certain way.

Iceman808

No other car gives me the sore leg only the 8.

I might adjust it and see if it helps

cheers

ken-x8

Yeah...that's how it starts. One particular seat, one kind of activity. Definitely play with the seat adjustment. Also, if you have heated sears, try turning it on. Even though it's summer down there.

And check what's in your pockets. I think what Al reported is more common than any of us realize.

Ken

04Green

iTrader: (1)

put wallet in the console.

tonik

I had a sore leg before due to the clutch pedal that is too deep to press..
there's a DIY here for clutch pedal extension

CRO8TIA

It could be your seating position, the way your leg , hamstring, rests on the seat, cutting off blood supply to the rest of the leg

gwilliams6

I have had two back surgeries over the past 20 years and like a lot of folks here it started with leg pains and found bad discs in the back. I went through pre-surgery and post surgery physical therapy and now am free of pain. I only mention all this because having owned various sports cars over my 62 years, I find the RX8 driver's seat the most comfortable sports car seat I have driven in,once all areas are adjusted properly, including the lumbar. I easily drive 12 hours straight from NJ to SC comfortably. Even though you say only the RX8 seat causes you pain, have a good doctor or physical therapist check you out. They can put you through some test and exercises and see where your problem is. Barring a solution after that, maybe a switch out of your seat to one more suited to your frame is warranted.

BTW what year and model do you drive, there are some slight differences in the adjustability of some early seats vs the latter seats, and of course between the Recaros and the leather seats.

monchie

I'm not short nor tall...just right for this car

Iceman808

I always put my wallet in center console I could not imagine anything more uncomfortable than driving with a wallet in my back pocket.....just sounds painful.

I think it is purely an ergonomics situation. As the 8 sits low to the ground I feel it is just maybe a matter of tweaking the seat height and distance from pedals and tilt to get the best fit.

I do know that on a 2 or more hour drive my accelerator legs aches like a bastard.

I have to pull over and stretch and this is not normal as I don't get this in any other vehicles. I thought it was being caused by the need to prop up the foot on the pedal which in turn causes the muscles to be under strain all the time.

Beefy98

it's not the seat its the blasted gas pedal is too far to the left. Get a stiff piece of memory foam 18" long, 6" wide and 3" thick and put it between your leg and the console...Problem solved. When I bought my car it took all of 6 days before the pain set in. Mine has been in place for 100k and counting..

Look where the gas pedal is on the new M3...these people are going to be in agony! This seems to be a real problem now.

http://www.tflcar.com/wp-content/upl...sedan-dash.jpg

Iceman808

I am hearing ya! I tried adjusting my seat and it made little to no difference unfortunately. Pain sets in after 30+ minutes of driving. I put a cushion between me and the door (I am driving a vehicle with the steering on the right) It made a big difference.

Perhaps Mazda will supply a free cushion for all new 8 owners in future or just move the gas pedal.

I shall duct tape my cushion or foam to the door..............good look hey, but ya got to do what ya got to do to have some comfort! If anyone asks I'll just say its a new performance mod.

gwilliams6

great advice and solution from beefy98. Glad it worked for you iceman808. BTW I am 6ft. 3 in tall and large framed and still find the RX8 driver's seat super comfortable once adjusted properly. What size are you iceman808?

HumSound

I have the same problem too and also when I drive my van and other cars that do have short seats.
Most of the cars have the seat lenght too short, in my opinion.
I notice that BMW and Volkswagen have a seat extension in option on some models that compensate for that as it provides a support right under your knees. This might help a lot, I think. Maybe one day I will customize my seat with an extension made of foam and nice black leather.
Sometime I put my 8 under the cruise control in order to stretch my right leg while driving. The fun of driving an 8 compensate a lot.
Very interesting post by the way as I can notice I am not the only one with that issue. Thanks for sharing this.