More on FUSO suspension seats

[Czechsix]

If I can find it, I'll post up a video so you can see exactly how they behave. I think Jon has found out the same issues. I thought about milling out a couple of pieces of nylon or UHMW, and getting a tighter fit on the tracks, to prevent them from making so much noise, but I'm not convinced it'd help. That, plus the height issue......nope. Not for me. They'll be up for sale once the truck gets back from the build. I'll drag a trailer up there with me, seats and frames will come back down if they don't sell up in Bend, or on the way down.

 

[SkiFreak]

I'll probably be ditching the National setup I've got, and going with the Stratos seats from EarthCruiser, when the build gets finalized.

My FG84 has a set of Stratos seats fitted, so here is my assessment of them...
I have to admit that they are better than the OEM seats, but as I have stated on this forum many times, I would not recommend them to anyone.
The build quality of the Statos seats is really poor and they too move around quite a bit. My seats went back to the factory three times, but nothing really changed as a result of this happening. I have also found that if the seat back is not inline with the suspension mechanism at the rear then the suspension functionality is affected adversely. Having the suspension frame at the rear of the seat also seriously limits the amount of adjustment you can get out of the seat back. Should you recline the seat too far back then it will rub on the suspension mechanism frame and make quite bit of noise as it goes up and down.
I seriously believe that these seats are not worth the price charged for them, being over $2K each here. In my opinion they are definitely not worth that kind of money.

Earlier this month I went to a mining industry trade show and did see some suspension seats that took my interest. Those seats are not on the market as yet, but I did get to inspect their pre release demo. It was quite well built and seemed quite solid. I was also told that they would be cheaper than the Stratos.
When they become available I will definitely post some information about them here, but it's a bit pointless doing so now, as they will not be available until the first quarter of next year (at the earliest).

 

[Czechsix]

Ski - I'd be very interested in hearing about those other seats from the trade show.

My experience with the Stratos was good, however I had less than an hour or so during a test drive, albeit over some decent terrain and speeds. They did perform much better than the National system, which is my main reason for going to them. However, if there's something better out there........any idea when the other seats will be released?

 

[SkiFreak]

........any idea when the other seats will be released?

As I mentioned, the release date I was given was first quarter of 2016. I don't know if the seat will be available outside of Australia, as I believe that it is being developed here.

The seat will be targeting the Fuso/Isuzu light truck market and will be based on a material handing seat base that has either 40mm, 60mm or 80mm of suspension travel and is intended as a direct competitor to the Stratos seat. I was told that the suspension adjustment could be configured during the installation.
The company is Sears Seating, which is a worldwide manufacturer of seats. The prototype I saw was based around this seat base. http://www.searsseating.com/products/1700-series-1715-2/

 

[Michelle@EarthCruiser]

I just want to note that although EarthCruiser uses the Stratos suspension seats they are not the off the shelf variety and have been modified extensively by us to address the issues and to improve them where we can. I can say that our customers really like them.

 

[SkiFreak]

Having never driven in an Earthcruiser I cannot comment on how their modifications to the Stratos seats change the characteristics of the seat. I do know that they usually recover the seats, making them a nicer looking seat.

What I will say is that having the suspension mechanism located at the rear of the seat seriously limits the available adjustment of the seat back and there is no "stop", so you can adjust the seat back in such a way that it will hamper, if not stop, the suspension mechanism from working. And, you don't have to recline the seat very far for this to happen.
Personally, I believe that an X frame suspension mechanism is far superior to the system used on the Stratos seat. Sadly, there are not a lot of options when it comes to suitable suspension seats for these trucks.

I have seriously considered manufacturing my own low profile suspension base, but that is something that will only happen when the truck is finished, so that may never happen...

 

[DzlToy]

The fixed back version of this seat works in Class One cars and Trophy Trucks. It will surely hold up to FG use:

http://www.mastercraftsafety.com/mastercraft-baja-rs.html

and these are FIA homologated for WRC use:

http://www.ompamerica.com/product_info.php/cPath/1_54_106/products_id/653

spend the rest of your money on upgrading the absolutely awful suspension these trucks are setup up with from the factory.

 

[Decanter]

My research continues. National of course is in the mix.
.
I recently discovered Ultra Seats out of Edmonton. Anybody have any experience with these? They are made for off road use and appear to be much more robust than the Nationals. T825c has about 2.5 inches of travel. Is this enough? The t845c has 4 inches, but could be a bit too tall for me. I like dual X bracket support and the dual slider rail locks. They also have their own compressor. With the exchange rate the T825C is under 800 shipped from Canada. For another 150 they will attach a nice 2 inch seatbelt to the seat. This would be especially nice for a 4 inch travel seat. http://www.ultraseat.com/index.php?page=shop&action=displaygrid&cat_id=33254&parent_id=23
.
Next is the Knoedler Extreme Low rider. Made to order out of Montreal. Much more pricey, but appear to be the best quality of the bunch. Around $1600 shipped. They claim to have a bracket to fit the FUSO. http://www.knoedler.com/index.php?o...oduct_id=29&virtuemart_category_id=8&Itemid=2
.

I had a long talk with a Knoedler dealer and at least on a 2012+ they in fact do not have any brackets to fit a Fuso. However their extreme lowrider base and seat would appear to fit within the floor footprint needed in the fuso cabin. Maybe not with 2 arm rests though.

 

[alan]

The knoedler has a low height of 205mm, what is the standard mits seat height?

 

[Decanter]

8" for the deflated Knoedler extreme low rider, 9" for stock FG4x4 seat measured from front top of bottom cushion to floor.

 

[alan]

8" for the deflated Knoedler extreme low rider, 9" for stock FG4x4 seat measured from front top of bottom cushion to floor.

Ok, i have a new seat i imported but i have not had a chance to try it, the deflated height is 7" approx (180mm) so this might work out ok.

 

[Decanter]

I've measured out the Knoedlers for my 2013 and I think with only the inside arm rest they will fit with 4" of travel. I've got them on order so I hope so

 

[SkiFreak]

My 2c worth...
When it comes to suspension seats on a 4x4 vehicle, especially a cab forward truck, having too much travel in the seat can be a real negative.
As much as I am not a fan of the Stratos seat's build quality, the 2" or so of suspension travel seems to be ideal. This is enough to take out any harsh bumps but not so much that you lose "feel" when driving the truck.
Bouncing up and down in the seat while travelling on a rough road should not feel like a ride on a pogo stick. Everyone will have their own "sweet spot" when it comes to the amount of travel they prefer in their seat, but I feel that too much can actually be worse than none at all.

 

[Decanter]

Ski, I appreciate the input. I made this decision based on a few things. First is that I will likely put 20-40k miles a year on this truck on highway. Second, I've done a lot of backcountry driving in Jeeps. Being right above the wheels is much more pronounced than being in between the axles as you are in a Jeep. On some roads that really are a kidney cruncher in a Jeep I can only imagine what they might be like in the Fuso. Having some pneumatic control over the situation seemed worth the price. I hope I'm right or this is an expensive mistake.

 

[alan]

Ski, I appreciate the input. I made this decision based on a few things. First is that I will likely put 20-40k miles a year on this truck on highway. Second, I've done a lot of backcountry driving in Jeeps. Being right above the wheels is much more pronounced than being in between the axles as you are in a Jeep. On some roads that really are a kidney cruncher in a Jeep I can only imagine what they might be like in the Fuso. Having some pneumatic control over the situation seemed worth the price. I hope I'm right or this is an expensive mistake.

Keep us up to date on how the seats perform.