Hello all,

I have spent some time searching for previous threads on this topic, but haven't found any (my apologies if I missed them).

I am finding the driver's thigh bolsters on my 2010 G37S 6MT sedan confining. I have found a discussion of this in the Edmunds G35 Forum:
Infiniti G35/G37 Seat Comfort - CarSpace Automotive Forums

nick1958 indicated the solution below. Does anyone have any thoughts on this problem? Thanks.

#20 Tight Sport Seats - problem solved by nick1958 Mar 24, 2008 (2:28 pm)
The G37 Sport Seat has a rigid metal brace in each thigh bolster. It is a plate, about 1 in x 6 in, with a short supporting rod on each end. It is welded to the seat frame, and holds the thigh bolsters very rigidly at a nearly upright angle. If you push down and feel around in the thigh bolster, you can feel this metal brace just under the upholstery. The adjustable thigh bolster bladders also push against these braces, making for a very tight fit - it is rock hard.
The solution was simple: remove the braces. They removed the driver's seat, took the upholstery off the bottom, and just cut off the braces. Reassembled, the seat looks exactly stock - it is now identical to the non-Sport (regular) seat bottom, but still with the inflatable thigh bolsters. There is no way of telling that anything was done.

 

I posted this a while back. Let me know if you have questions.
G37 Seat Modification pictures by goadee123 - Photobucket

 

Well, I did cut the braces off the seat and at first it felt great, very comfortable. Until a couple of days later I was taking a sharp turn and I was about the throw out off the car! The piece of plastic was also snapped off from the seat. The clips that hold the side plastic peace just could not hold the foam bolster in place. In the end, I bought some 1/16 plastic sheet from Ikea, make 2 pcs of braces out of 1/8 aluminum plate from home depot; I cut the plastic piece to a shape just like the foam bolster, insert the plastic inside the bolster and bolt the two braces on to an existing hole on the side of the seat. It has been 3 months, every thing hold up so far and it is finally comfortable yet supportive. I also raised the rear of the seat by .5 inch, stupid Infinity for not include a tilt feature on to the seat.

 

Thank you goadee & CodeG for relating your experiences. The photos will be helpful.

If I understand correctly, nick1958, goadee, and CodeG have simply removed the metal braces. However, with regard to CodeG, I don't understand what piece of plastic broke and why has he had so much trouble with his solution.

 

Just make sure that you have them "deflated" all the way. You will get used to them.

 

If I have a chance for "do over", I would leave at least 1 inch of the metal brace intact to support the bolster. The reason that make the seat uncomfortable are the metal braces fits very tight into the bolster. If it is shorter, part of the foam cushion would be flexing out of the way instead of pinching the driver.

 

Thank you. A very useful insight.

 

The ride in the g37S is firm. Would a seat cushion on the driver's side

soften the ride? Which seat cushion would you recommend?

Driver.

 

i mean lets be honest, it was probably designed for the "normal" japanese adult male.

how big are y'all compared to that?

 

I'm 6' tall and 195 lbs and I find the seats really comfortable; in fact I've inflated the thigh, side, and lumber supports.

 

yeah dude. 6' 1" @ 140 here so I have them inflated the whole way and I don't move in the twisties [:

 

I still find the seat confining, although I do fit in the space between the bolsters. Haven't decided whether or not to modify the seat. I may be gradually getting used to it.

The bolsters would be useful if I regularly took corners at high speeds, but I don't. I agree: it appears the seats are designed for smaller Japanese drivers.

However, the seat back is extremely comfortable, so that, overall, the seat is well suited for long trips.

 

I'm 6'-5", 230 lbs, but neither of those figures determines my level of comfort or discomfort in the G37 sport seats. It really has to do with the size of my frame. The steel bars that Infiniti has designed into the sport seats bear directly on my leg bones, making the seats pretty uncomfortable after an hour or less. Yes, it is true, I am not your typical Japanese male...but really, this basic car is being offered for sale in the US since 2003. Surely the Infiniti designers have noticed the ergonomic difference in the Japanese and American frame by now.

Truth be told, I had the same issue with a Porsche 944 Turbo that I owned for many years. This car was also equipped with sport seats and I would have to crawl out of the driver's seat every hour to get the blood circulation going in my legs again.

My issue with the G37 sport seats made me back away from buying a 2010 6MT sedan to replace my daily driver, a 2003 Infiniti G35 sedan with standard seats.

By the way, my weekend car is a 2008 Corvette Z06. Problems with the driver's seat -- none at all. When I have it out on the road, I do not need to get out of the seat any more frequently than the Z06 needs gasoline, every 6 hours or so, as demonstrated by a 4500 mile road trip.

In my opinion, Infiniti simply needs to address the issue...who are they designing the North American market G37 for? I await the salesperson that will admit to me that their North American product is only meant to fit the typical Japanese male (or a US customer that approximates that body size.

 

Ahhh one of the few reasons it's good to be short, 5.5 hear and 155 pounds. Oh, I work out so it's not all fat.

These seats hug me beautifully and the confined space is like a glove. So I could see a bigger or heavier person having issues.

JG

 

I'm 5'10" and weigh 165 lbs, so I suspect my thighs are thinner than yours. I think the issue with these seats for many is the uncomfortable sensation of feeling confined. Others, like yourself, may actually like the sensation. To each his own.