drivers seat failed in accident

[TominMO]

The Tiburon seats have a frame thats twice as strong and rigid as a Festiva seat ( a lot more weight). The gear mechanism is smooth and built to a closer tolerance. Did I mention that they were far more comfortable and offered superior neck support in the event of an accident? I was rear ended twice in my 81 Malibu while waiting for the light to turn. I had to change the rear bumper both times. The other two cars were totalled. I drove away both times.

How hard is it to do the Tiburon seat swap?

[drddan]

Hey Tom, check this out:

http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/sh...t=Tiburon+seat

[Safety Guy]

Yep, the poor front seat strength was a known safety issue. We should perhaps have a sticky or something on this and any other major "flaws" of our cars so folks will know.

My guess is that having the seatback "recline" like that may actually help in a crash by not smashing you so hard in the back if it didn't have some "give." However, I could very well be wrong on that.

What do you guys think?

Karl

[batstiva]

Man thats terrible sorry to hear that im always watching my rear view worried about such an event , but i feel 100% better with the seats ive swapped in sorry cant show saving for Florida meet surprise

hope you feel better soon

Ooh, a mystery!! Yet another reason for me to get my butt down to Fla. As if I needed another one.

Sorry to hear about your car, angry. Glad you are okay. Cars and car parts can be replaced. People, not so much. Be careful out there.

[freshtiva]

The breaking seat might be good in a roll over. Sorry to hear about the festiva esp after all the work and love you put into it .

[FB71]

actually, the seat is supposed to yield. If it didn't, your injuries could have been worse.

[blkfordsedan]

I had an '84 SAAB 900S years ago. I was stopped at a red light when an old lady slammed into the back of me doing 40mph (looking over her shoulder & never hit the brakes). The impact caused the factory radio to land in the back seat and my seat back laid back at about a 45 degree angle. Even though the seat back did yield, the secondary force of the seat pushing against me caused me to fly forward and hit my head on the top edge of the windshield and my right knee bent the gear shift lever.

The SAAB was a pretty well engineered car in terms of safety and had a "crumple zone" over the rear axle that absorbed most of the forces. I would guess that your Festy seat did what it was designed to do. If you had been sitting in a rigid seat, the reaction forces would have pushed you forward with much more force. The Festy is so light that the transfer of momentum is more dangerous.

[sodikartracer]

my shoulder belt failed when i wrecked my first stiva. I would have been fine if the stitching at the buckle didnt pull apart. Everyone needs to check their belts stiching, if its frayed its bad. Try pulling it apart, i bet it will rip in your hands.

X2!!!!! both of my seat belts when i bought the car had threads completely fried by the sun to the point that they would rip apart if i hit the breaks hard. I replaced the drivers side with a good one and since i couldn't find a good passenger one at the time, i had my mom sew the crap out of it with really thick thread until i could find a good one in a j/y. CHECK YOUR BELTS!!!

[Safety Guy]

I've always warned people about getting manual '88 and '89 Festiva belts from the junkyard to replace their auto belts. Seat belts wear with age and sunlight, and may have already been stretched in a crash.

I'm replacing my auto belts with new aftermarket ones.

Another idea that I don't think anyone has tested out yet is to see if Aspire front or rear belts work in a Festiva. They are at least newer.

Karl

[angrygocart]

Took a few pictures tiday.

[MONSOON]

actually, the seat is supposed to yield. If it didn't, your injuries could have been worse.

Yep just imagine your insides suddenly slamming into your spine.

[Garsdad]

A seat that collapses is dangerous! Once you are laying at an angle, any forward force on your body would throw you right under the seat belt and you would end up crumpled under the dash... or have your neack broken by the shoulder belt catching under your jaw. If you had been propelled into the car in front of you with any real force your body would have likely shot under the belt.

Any seat that collapses can lead to back and neck injury. It should support your body, allowing the crushing of the car body to absorb most of the impact, and your seatbelt should hold you firmly in place.

The fact that they twist as they collapse indicates this is no planned safety feature- your body does not handle violent twisting very well. Hold a 20 pound weight in your hands and out in front of you, swing it from side to side as hard as you can, and see how well your body deals with it.

I have been looking for the "perfect" seat to put in my Festiva, and new belts to replace the crappy ones in the car. No one can ride in the passenger seat right now because the thread in the belt has decomposed, I guess because the windows are not tinted and the thread is not UV resistant. This post just adds to the urgency to make this swap, and I'll stop messing around looking for a good deal and just pay for a good pair of seats!

You are very lucky. All of us should be looking for better seat and safety belt options.

[mechanicaldj]

actually, the seat is supposed to yield. If it didn't, your injuries could have been worse.

i had the Aspire seats in my first Gstiva and if they did not Yield when the car hit me from behind at 40 mph without touching the brakes, i would have never walked away without a scratch.

[Garsdad]

OK, I will say one more thing and then leave it.

Your seat is not supposed to collapse. Your organs have a much better chance of surviving if they stay put, but get "slammed back into your spine" than they do if you are reclined and they get to move up in your abdominal cavity.

Then there is the ability of your seat belt to hold you in place. If you are lucky enough to only get hit from behind, you may not fold up under the dash. If you go from sitting still to being launched forward, then hitting the car in front of you and getting slowed to a stop again, all in the space of 10 feet, you have a very good chance of needing your seat belts. A reclined body will slide under the lap belt, and the shoulder belt is worthless. There is a reason racing organizations require an "anti-submarining" belt (the fifith point in a five-point harness). It is not to crush your balls in a wreck- it is to keep you out from under the dash board.

Most modern owner's manuals will warn you not to drive with the seat in a reclined position. This is to keep you from submarining under your seat belt.

Whiplash and related injuries, along with lower back injuries, are the most common injuries received when you are hit from behind. In the most devastating impacts, the head will snap back fast and far enough to crush the vertebrae in the neck. Modern seats have head rest that move FORWARD in a rear-end collision to reduce the space between the head and a supporting surface to minimize this injury. How much protection do you get from a head rest that disapears?

If your hips stay put, but your unsupported lower back is allowed to flop back, severe injuries to your back are likely. Not to mention the injuries from your twisted body slamming in to the pasneger seat or the center console.

If you don't believe me, do a little research on the NHSTA and IIHS websites, as well as medical journals. Google it- there are world-wide efforts to develop standards for seat integrity for the auto industry.

If it was safer, car seats would be designed to do it. They even have to be careful about how much flex the foam in the seats have so they don't allow too much body movement.

I know that I can't change the mind of the true believers, but for the rest of you, change out your seats. I will be replacing mine this week. Oh, and if you are making a mounting bracket, how much do you trust your welds? The forces in an accident are horrendous, and a seat that comes lose off the floor isn't much good, either.

End of rant.

[ejp2fast]

are you going to part it out?? couple of good parts anyway..
glad at least you are ok and wasn't any worse.