Because I can't move my driver's seat back far enough, I've been considering my options to make it more comfortable to drive. The least-drastic option seemed to be removing the dead pedal. It's actually pretty easy; I removed a couple of the plastic door trim pieces so that I could pull up the "carpet" (not sure what to call the floor covering... it's not really carpet). The dead pedal is just a piece of styrofoam glued to the backside of the floor covering. It's not otherwise attached to anything. Tearing off the styrofoam block wasn't difficult and could be re-glued if desired. That gains you 3 or 4 inches, which makes it much easier to stretch out your left leg and put your foot behind/beside the pedals. The one significant issue remaining is that the floor covering is molded to fit the dead pedal, so it's a lumpy mess with it removed. I've been smashing it down as best as I can with my foot, but I might have to cut it to get it to lay flat. I suspect that seems worse than it is, if done in a strategic spot. If you ever want to undo it (trade in), you're going to have to re-glue the styrofoam block anyway, and I doubt anyone's going to notice a scar on the floor covering deep in the driver's footwell.

I haven't had a of lot of drive time since I performed this surgery, but I'm optimistic that this will make a significant improvement to my driving comfort. If you're tall and find your Fit a little too tight in the driver's footwell, I suggest you give this a try before resorting to a more substantial alteration like fabricating brackets to move the whole seat back.

 

Some pictures:

 

Nicely done. 2015 fit here also and that damn little dead pedal is driving me crazy. It bothered me during the test drive but I thought I'd get use to it. I haven't. The angle is just stupid for taller (6'0 and above) drivers. Is everyone in Honda's design department 5'4?

Anyhoo, how's the modification turned out? I might do this myself. Any tips for getting the trim off without breaking anything?

 

After a long-ish drive (100 miles round trip), removing the dead pedal has unfortunately been minimally effective at increasing comfort. I'd rather not do anything that can't be undone (or at least unnoticed), so I still haven't decided what to do with the molded floor covering, which needs to be laid flat in order to really benefit from having removed the dead pedal. I am able to slip my left foot behind the pedals a little easier (I have a MT), but there's no changing wheel well. Unless you're in to Flintstones-style foot braking.

I'm sorry to say I've had buyer's remorse since day 2. Everything is great except for the driver's foot well. It's comfortable for short drives (including that test drive...), but you realize there's a problem soon after. I randomly drove a Subaru Legacy the other day. I didn't prefer anything about it over my Fit, except there was a glorious amount of leg room for the driver. Sigh... the things you never think about until they're gone.

Next step might be to move the whole seat back. But I really don't want to be farther from the shifter, radio, etc. (wheel is tilt/telescoping, at least) - I just want to put my legs farther into the foot well! Not to mention the possible safety and other unintended side effects of such a modification. Since extendmyseat.com doesn't (yet?) make brackets for the Fit, I'd have to get brackets custom fabricated. A local performance auto shop gave me a sight-unseen estimate of $300-400+. Not cheap, but better than the nuclear option of trading in the Fit. I don't even want to think about how much I'd lose on that.

 

Sorry, I didn't address this question. It's pretty easy to get the trim off. A little more difficult to get it back on, but not much. First, remove the rubber seal from the bottom section of the door. It just slips off. Then, start removing the plastic trim over by the driver's seat by slipping your fingers under the inner side and pulling up gently until it pops off. Then, pull off the next piece that extends up around the fuel and hood release levers. The plastic pieces are held on by some little green plastic fasteners that should pop off/on without too much trouble.

 

Thanks for the reply. Sorry to hear it didn't work out for you. I guess the only other option is extendmyseat.com. I don't think they make fit rails so I've put an email into them to see if they'll make them for me. Like you, I regret the purchase for the same reason. I'm 6'0 and I have problems, if you're taller than that, I truly feel for you my friend.

Take care.

 

I'm 6', too. Well over 10% of the population is 6' or over, yet it seems only about 0.1% of Fit owners are complaining about driver leg room. Clearly we're the weird ones and/or tall people just don't buy Fits. I'll let you know how it goes if I follow through with getting the seat moved back.

 

Does raising or lowering the seat help at all?

 

Raising the seat moves it forward slightly, lowering moves it back. Comfort is personal preference, of course. I've got mine all the way down/back to maximize legroom. It's barely different from all the way up, but every little bit is welcome. Just as removing the dead pedal is worth it, even though it's minimal without altering the molded floor covering.

 

I went ahead and unbolted my seat just to see what it felt like moved back an inch or two. You could make 4 identical brackets from simple strips of metal, drill a hole at either end, get 4 matching bolts, nuts, and washers like the OEM parts - voila, done. But I do wonder about the safety of all that. The last picture is what the OEM rubber floor mat looks like with the seat moved back.

 

I've only had my fit for a few months so I'm just getting use to it. In my last car I always drove with a very low seat and it worked for me, so naturally I'm trying to get the same position in this car (It can't be done!). Today, I took your advice and pumped up the seat about 5-6 pumps and pulled the seat forward a notch and WOW!!! it made all the difference in the world. As awkward as it was for me to sit that high up and closer to the steering wheel, (I forced myself to sit through it) It changes the whole angle of your legs and the way your foot feels on the dead pedal and thus it feels better, at least for me. Today was the first day I felt comfortable, but awkward at the same time that high up. I believe I have finally found the right position, it's just going to take some time getting use to it.

 

[QUOTE=jefft;1306449]I went ahead and unbolted my seat just to see what it felt like moved back an inch or two. You could make 4 identical brackets from simple strips of metal, drill a hole at either end, get 4 matching bolts, nuts, and washers like the OEM parts - voila, done. But I do wonder about the safety of all that. The last picture is what the OEM rubber floor mat looks like with the seat moved back.

Wow, looks like you're going all in Jeff. Good luck with those rails if you decide to perform the surgery. Keep us posted of your progress!

 

Glad to hear raising the seat a bit has helped. It inspired me to try the same, and I think it is a tiny bit more comfortable, but it's not enough. I can't stop thinking about moving the seat back. If I don't do it, it seems inevitable that I'll end up wanting to get rid of my Fit years before I would otherwise.
I think it'll be safe if fabricated by a professional and the wheel is tilt/telescoping, so my only real fear is that the shifter (which is perfectly comfortable now) will become uncomfortable.
I'll be sure to post any updates here.

 

This might be the answer, since we are both experiencing the same problem....

Don't know if you've seen this thread, but it's interesting (adjusting the angle of the seat)

https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/3rd-...ean-angle.html

 

I've seen that thread; I'm not convinced the seat angle or height is really my issue. Plus, it seems that mod is a bit of a safety risk. I like (or at least am accustomed to) practically sitting on the floor and being able to fully extend my legs like I did in my previous car, a 2003 VW Jetta. Hell, I actually had a click or two left on the seat in that car. Also had practically no rear seat leg room. Can't have it all, I guess. Unless you're shopping for a Suburban.

 

Yeah, I had a VW passat myself. Same thing, I sat low, plenty of leg room. Not sure there is any answer, other than trading it in. I haven't seen anywhere on the net where somebody has successfully moved the seat rails back. I don't think extendmyseat.com makes any rails for the fit. I emailed them, and they haven't responded. Raising my seat did make a difference in comfort and alleviating leg fatigue but it's still not optimal. No one can convince me that the designers of this car took into consideration drivers over 5'11, and even that's pushing it. Keep me posted if you do get the seat rails extended.

Thanks

 

Hi guys, just wondering if anyone has made progress with moving their seat back or a way to create more room besides what's been discussed already.

also, do you have any pics of the carpet piled up with the dead pedal removed?

thanks.

 

I did in fact successfully move my seat back a few months ago. It worked out great and I can't imagine not having the extra space now. I've been meaning to post my results and photos here. I will post again soon.

As for a pic of the carpet with the dead pedal removed, it doesn't look much different; the molded carpet holds its shape quite well even without the foam behind it.

 

Thanks Jefft. If you could post some photos and instructions on how you did it, that would be great. I have to do something. I drive it daily, but twice a week I go (260 miles round trip, 130 each way). My knees, ankles, and feet can't take much more of this. I'll be trading and losing my a$$ soon if I can't make this work.

 

I've started a new thread about my alteration to move my seat back. I hope you find it useful.