TerryL

I noticed right after driving hiway 1 when I first got my vert that the sides of my knees take a beating in the corners. After my recent three state 2,200 mile trip up and down the west coast on hiway 1 and 101, I really felt the need for some light padding. They would certainly be good for auto crossing too. I'm about 6'1" and have the seat all the way back. My left knee is just at the end of the armrest and my right one is against the console. My thought is to attach a pad which wouldn't have to be very thick, maybe a quarter inch is all with a smooth covering. It would have to be glued I suppose or possibly attached with hook and loop pieces but even then, a couple pieces would have to be glued onto the door and console. The pads will be covered (unseen) when I'm in the car of course but I still want them to look good and attached well enough that getting in and out (or taking corners with...spirit) won't curl their edges or scrub them loose. Know what I mean? Any ideas? Anyone done something similar? Maybe a nice quilted pot holder would work? Whaddyathink?

SunnydayDILYSI

I would (and did) get a better seat with more lateral support, that is the only real fix that I know. "Angel pads" are potentially another option.

froggy47

I would think along the lines of lightly padded leather to match interior, figure a way to (semi) permanently attach.

TerryL

Well I actually found this for the right knee but I'm worried it's too thick. Wonder if it would fit well on the end of the arm rest for my left knee. Then though, my 'tunnel' would be narrowed by two inches! Hmmmm

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2005-2013-05-13-CHEVROLET-CHEVY-CORVETTE-C6-CONSOLE-DRIVER-KNEE-SUPPORT-PAD-ZO6-/130937879249?hash=item1e7c817ad1&vxp=mtr

Dirk Miller

If you do not want to go with a permanent solution such as a race seat and harness, then you may want to consider trying "angel pads" provided by Angelwings tech out of Spring Valley, Ca..

TerryL

No, I don't want a racing seat and harness. It's my only four wheeler. I also don't want seat pads. My butt stays put just fine. Knee pads are what I'm after. The Angelwings own video clearly shows their pads do nothing for the knees. In hard cornering the knees are forced wide and I want a pad that's affixed to the car, not temporary or something I have to wear or install every time I get in. I emailed the ebay seller with some questions. Hopefully he'll have some good news for me.

TerryL

After asking about a left side pad this was the seller's response,

Sorry! This pad only comes in one (1) size!

He's not too interested in making money I guess....

Sox-Fan

Your knees are forced to spread in hard cornering because your legs are trying to gain leverage to keep your *** from moving and your upper body in place. You can pad your doors all day long and that isn't going to stop you knees from looking for leverage. You can fix the symptoms or the fix problem.

A better seat is your answer. A better seat and a daily driven car are not mutually exclusive.

Bill Dearborn

Terry,
I agree the Angel Pads could do a little better but they do take up the space between your legs and door and the console. If they were a little longer they would be almost perfect. It might be worth your time to get some stiff foam padding about the same thickness as the angel wings but a little longer so they surround the legs more. Then have a seamstress sew them up in a cloth panel like the angel pads are tied together. That way the force applied to the door by your legs during hard cornering is distributed over a larger area which will minimize damage to the door and be easier on your knees.

Bill

Bill Dearborn

Yes, a better seat is the true answer, however, using the seat belt cinch mode can keep the butt in place if the belt is fastened tight enough when cinched. Then it is just a matter of containing the body as it pivots around the lap belt. Angel pads help contain the legs.

Even in my aluminum race seat I find myself spreading my legs sideways into the seat sides during hard cornering even though the shoulder supports keep my upper body in place and the side bolsters are tight around my hips and the upper thighs.

Bill

boltvette

Actually, Angel Pads come in two sizes: Standard and Small Car (for Miatas, S2000s, etc., or for "full-sized" guys who want a little more room between the pads.)

I use my set for track days, autocrossing and canyon carving - anytime I want the lateral support the stock seats don't offer. I use them on trips over an hour long because they help me keep my back straight and I find the outboard pad a much more comfortable arm rest than the poorly padded one on the door.

While my knees may still rest against the door or console under hard cornering, I'm not having to use them to brace myself. I think if I had knee pads, or if the Angel Pads extended all the way to my knees, they would too often be in the way, especially when I'm heel-toe downshifting.

BTW - Angel Pads come with a money-back guarantee.

SunnydayDILYSI

I know this isn't what you were hoping to find, but a lot of us have gone through the same thought process. I have found through trial and error that it is a good idea to trust Bill D. I actually wore my wife's volleyball knee pads for a few weekends . You can try to velcro on some pads to the side door and transmission tunnel, but it will likely only be temporary. That said, there are a lot of great seats out there that are not full on race seats but provide much more support than the stock seats (i.e., all the seats used in European sports cars such as Recaro). If you want to stop the knee bruises while still looking good doing it, I'd invest in a seat with a little more lateral support that still allows easy ingress. As Bill said, lock your seatbelt in before you take off by pushing it all the way out. Then use it for leverage with your shoulder as you go through the corners. You'll find that a lot less leg support is required.

Bill Dearborn

I added the full sport seat capability to my 08Z so I now have the inflatable side bolsters. If I haven't installed my race seats I will inflate the bolsters as far as they will go. That provides some extra lateral support to help keep the upper body in place.

Bill

Jeff Eikenberry

Hi Terry,

I experienced the same problem you describe. I autocross and have done track days as well. I had the problem in both venues, particularly at track days (Buttonwillow, Laguna Seca and Thunderhill). Laguna Seca was the worst. My solution was to purchase Angel Pads (Angel Wings). Problem solved. Over the last 4 seasons, I've used the Angel Pads on a C4, C6, C6 Grand Sport and now on my C7 Z06. My issue was the seat didn't hold me in high lateral G situations, so I attempted to compensate by trying to stabilize my upper body by wedging my left leg against the side wall. That was a poor solution, as you've learned.

Good luck!

Jeff

72Vega

with Jeff

As pointed out above, there are advantages to installing a race seat, harness bar and harnesses. Yep, it will keep you firmly planted in place during hard cornering. There are also lots of disadvantages which include the expense of seats, seat rails, slider, harnesses, harness bar, etc. and the labor time to install by someone who actually knows what they are doing. Another disadvantage is the loss of the functionality and safety features that were built into our cars by GM. Yep the oem seats in our cars really suck for lateral support, but they are part of a pretty stout safety system that I prefer to keep in place both on the street and track.

Here's how I use my Angel Wing Pads during track days (HPDE 4 Advanced group) - install the Angel Wing Pads on the seat, leaving the left side bolster hanging over the door threshold while leaving the door open a little, run my seat all the way back, pull the 3 point seat belt all the way out and let it ratchet back locking snugly it in place, run the seat up to where it's really, really tight (just shy of cutting off circulation to my upper body) pull up the left bolster of the Angel Wing, close the door.

In addition to the Angel Wing Pads, I use a Sparco shoulder pad that attaches with Velcro. I've got about $200 in this set up and still have all the oem safety features and seat/steering column functionality in place. The Angel Wing Pads prevent about 90% of trying to brace my knees against the cheese grater speaker panel on the left and the plastic console on the right problem which resulted in sore knees and tired muscles after a track weekend.

Suggest that you Google Angel Wings Tech and send an email to those guys. Not affiliated with their business in any way, just a satisfied customer. Good luck!

Jeff Eikenberry

72 Vega hit the nail on the head! The only thing I would add to his set up instructions, and it would be obvious the first time you strapped in, is to partially close the door before you begin the process 72 Vega described so well. I have short arms (32" sleeves), and couldn't close the door when it's fully open. You're secured that tightly.

I'm not affiliated with Angel Wings, either. Just another satisfied "user".

bluemagoo

Short of a more competition-oriented seat (and there are compromises with those too) I agree with the others that your best bet would be the AngelPads for your autocross and/or road course events. The AngelPads let you distribute that force over the length of your thigh rather than concentrating it on the small area on sides of each knee.

As far as having to install each time you get in: Are you really driving that fast on public highways that you need the additional lateral support?

speedwaywhite

I have long arms (37") if my door is open the max and I am strapped in per Bill D's method I can't reach the door either. Slide that seat up till is hurts a little! Also,my budget friendly knee pads come from Lowes and attach to my leg via velcro.

Jeff Eikenberry

While the knee pads may serve a purpose, you'll still be jamming your leg against the lower panel to keep your upper body where you want it. That remains stressful and will impact your comfort and driving skills. If your experience is what I believe it will be, you can always step up to the Angel Wings and use the knee pads for working around the house. Good luck.

Jeff Eikenberry

Hope he's not driving that fast on highways and if he is, hope it's another state. Good point.