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MG TD TF 1500 - Seat position, pedal extensions and bad backs?

Further to the earlier posting about the "uncomfotable driving postion" someone experienced. As a 6'3" driver, i posted an idea about buiding a second seat back.... Here is an update.
Have noticed since last Wednesday (the big day) that my back has gotten worse and worse (have a bit of a history of lower back pain)... Since i started driving the TD, i have put the seat bottom as far back as i can...and the seat back reclined to its max. This gets me away from the steering wheel (what i have always thought of as why the seat goes fore and aft).
Noticed yesterday that pushing the clutch the full distance (required for the condition of my synchos) i would get a sharp jolt in lower back each time i shifted or stopped.
Last night on the way back to the barn i pushed the seat bottom up about 4 inches or so and noticed that it was much easier to shift (as in not as much pain)...
I think i will rethink the seating position thing and try it a bit further forward.
Pedal extensions have been mentioned a couple of times... what are they, what do they look like and were they an aftermarket thing, or something i could build?
(Always thought of them for short people, but maybe they are the answer).
As i am now on meds for the pain, i would like to think that it isn't the car doing it... did do a lot of bending over the wide front fenders to get at various engine parts... not sure which is the cause
g.b.lawson '53TD

Extenders are the factory pieces about 1-1/2" long, one end bolts to the pedal shafts, and the other the pedal pad. They are notched at 90 degrees so they can't slip. They can be turned over/end-end in various combinations to vary pedal spacing, etc. A metal fab shop could make something like that 2-3" long or so I think.
George Butz

Gordon - A couple of thoughts. First, as George says, the extensions are factory pieces and could very well be on your pedals but can't be seen unless you crawl into the pedal space to look. If your back is anything like mine, the bending over the fenders to get at engine parts is probably a contributor, if not the cause of the additional back pain. I used to get down on my knees to work on the engine to relieve the stress on my lower back. The other thing to consider is some tapered shims under the seat rails to raise the front of the seat up about 1 - 1 1/2 inches to provide more support under your thighs. Finally, see if you can find a way to draw your left knee up to plant your left foot flat on the floor when you are not using it to work the clutch (don't do this in heavy traffic situations). I find that once I learned how to do this, it also greatly relieved the stress on my lower back. Good luck - Dave
David DuBois

Thought at first it was the leaning over the fenders, however, when i took it back last night (along the Niagara River Parkway with the windshield folded down) i noticed that everytime i shifted i could feel the pain from extending my leg, in my lower back. Think i would like to try the extenders... anyone have a photo, or pair for sale?
Quite a difference in distance to engage the clutch from an overhead pedal system

Noticed they were n/a from Moss.
g.b.lawson '53TD

Gordon, you might call Abingdon Spares. They also have an extensive inventory of used T series parts.
http://www.abingdonsparesllc.com/
Good luck,
Dennis
D F Sexton

Back problems were and are standard equipment of English cars of this vintage. All the reasons noted - oversized drivers, bending over the mud guards, and so on - can be contributors but the basic reason is poor seat design. The standard seats give no support to the middle back. I have overcome the problem by strapping a half cylinder shaped cushion to the seat in the lower mid spot. The cushion is specifically designed for this purpose. So common was the problem (lots of English cars were imported) that such cushions were commonly available and advertised in such places as the local road service organisation (NRMA) magazine in the period. The one I have now I bought through my physio a few years ago, after she treated the problem.
Bill
Bill McGee

IMO the problem is (mostly) in your back. I have a back problem too and was instructed by the gyropractor (that's what he's called here: he bends, pulls and turns your body very unnaturally until everything cracks and pops, the day after there's afterpain, but on the third day there was "mobility without pain") to work on my knees instead of bending AND when you get out of a car, TV bench etc. arch your back backwards as far as you can and, with your thumbs, push the bones of your lower spine (what are they called?) to the front one by one. It really helped me to control my classic-car-back-ache.
Willem van der Veer

Gordon,

I also have a sensitivity to my lower back, I just can't stand the "bolt upright" seating position, whether in a modern car or TD. So, I recline the seat back as far as it can go, and pull the seat bottom forward. This pulls the lower portion of the seat back forward, increasing the reclining angle. This greatly improves my back angle, making it much more comfortable, especially for long hauls. While I'm not as tall as you (5'11"), I find the loss in leg room an acceptable alternative to back pain.

Larry Thompson
'51TD
Larry Thompson

This thread was discussed between 09/08/2004 and 10/08/2004

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