Focus headrest swap for Fiesta with Recaros (vid)

[jeff]

Hey folks

I was reading the other thread about a week ago (thanks to all who contributed there) and got bored and a few days later some Focus adjustable headrests arrived at my house.

Aha, many of us with Recaros find the "push your head forward because they are not adjustable (fore and aft) headrests" to be difficult especially if you autocross and have a helmet on. So here is an easy fix. These go for around $60 shipped in eBay cloth and $80 leather but maybe you'll find them cheaper. Junkyard would be super cheap but I couldn't find any locally. Though junkyard parts tend to be mangy, the ones I bought are very clean and like new.

Anyhow it's a nice change and certainly more comfortable and takes about 42 seconds to swap them. The Focus headrests actually have give when your head rests on them as opposed to the very firm Recaro ones that feel like a piece of wood on your skull.

You want 2012-2014 Focus headrests, make sure you get the ones with the adjustment (vid explains this). As of now there are about 10 sets for sale on eBay.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4oJju3thyg


First pic is before...ones that follow display after:
https://public.fotki.com/greentrees2/actuator-and-maf-mod/1578346438968.html]

https://public.fotki.com/greentrees2/actuator-and-maf-mod/1578346373876.html]

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[gtx3076]

Yup!

You can force the headrest down in between the humps, but I couldn't get mine the click even after it bottomed out, I'm sure it would work it's way up anyway so I also left mine up a notch. I got the faux leather and it matches nicely. I agree you can't go wrong with either material. I just ordered one for my seat since I rarely will have a passenger anyway.

 

[kivnul]

Wonder if these will work with the cloth seats.

 

[D1JL]

I got a complete set of headrests out of a Fiesta Titanium and they also have the tilting ability for the front seats.
Yes they will fit in both the Recaro and non-Recaro Fiesta seats.
Yes the have the same issue and are wider then the Recaro seats.
I also obtained a complete set of the Orange Recaro headrests and was going to have an upholstery shop swap things.
The only problem is that I retired and money is just not available as quickly any more so the project is not complete.

 

[MKVIIST]

Great video Jeff.

 

[maestromaestro]

Super helpful. I'm going to get one cloth one and swap it in whenever I'm on the track. Mine are MO Recaros, so I don't want to bother with the upholstery swap.

 

[D1JL]

Super helpful. I'm going to get one cloth one and swap it in whenever I'm on the track. Mine are MO Recaros, so I don't want to bother with the upholstery swap.

If you only want to use it when you are on the track, why not just try turning the one you have around backwards first?
It could save you some money.
This trick works just fine with a helmet.

 

[maestromaestro]

If you only want to use it when you are on the track, why not just try turning the one you have around backwards first?
It could save you some money.
This trick works just fine with a helmet.

View attachment 26618

Heeeeeey....

I am going to check how much distance I'd have; would prefer to hot have a gap...

 

[D1JL]

Heeeeeey....

I am going to check how much distance I'd have; would prefer to hot have a gap...

You need to have some gap as you should always be looking around on a track.
Also on a track you are not driving a lounge chair, you seat back should be in a more upright position.

 

[Ford ST]

Cool idea. Maybe I will get some.

Sent from my LG-LS997 using Tapatalk

 

[maestromaestro]

You need to have some gap as you should always be looking around on a track.
Also on a track you are not driving a lounge chair, you seat back should be in a more upright position.

I have my position sorted out. The challenge is exactly that though - that the angle of the OEM headrest pushes my head forward. With an adjustable one, I should be able to touch it, but not to have to accommodate its geometry. This would allow me to move my head around and not have space between the helmet and the support. I'll have to figure out if stuffing the OEM one backwards would give me the results - but, that's a good suggestion.

 

[Ford ST]

Just ordered a set for my cloth seats. $70 with shipping.

Sent from my LG-LS997 using Tapatalk

 

[TDavis]

Broken record here....6'4 190lbs and love the Recaros. Even with my helmet on the track days the headrests don't bother me.

I hope some do know you can adjust the seat up and down lol. That lever is kinda hidden

 

[jeff]

After driving around for a couple days with these new headrests, I have more perspective. As I mentioned initially the Recaro headrests never bothered me much before. The Fiesta isn't exactly a car you lean back and relax in, especially not the way mine is set up. I'm a low maintenance person so I just tend to deal with things as they are. However now that the space is there to lean back and it's nicely padded, it is a very nice difference and I love it. Kinda like when you watch something on your crappy $300 TV from 2011 and then go to your friends house who has the new $2000 jumbotron. You were OK with what you had but once you realize how it could be improved you notice the contrast.

 

[gtx3076]

I spend most of my time on the highway with cruise control on and relatively disengaged, so leaning back some and trying to relax is something I do often.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

 

[Ford ST]

All right I have the base seats. But I will show some pictures the focus headrest are the larger ones.
Also on the focus headrest the rods are shorter so you will be able to have a headrest about 1 to 1.5 inches shorter, but you also lose 1 to 1.5 inch in height.
Basically if you have your head rest in the upper adjustment position on the base seats these would not be good. If you have your headrest adjustment in the lower setting these would be good.
Pictures show the lower and upper height adjustment.

 

[gtx3076]

So I had left my car leaned back after replacing the headrest, and I realized that people that already lean their seats further back probably won't see as much benefit to this mod (see bottom right example in the picture below). It is nice to be able to adjust the headrest at all though, they should've come that way stock if they were already offering it on other models, especially the recaros being "premium" and all.

 

[jeff]

Wanted to update after driving around with these for a few weeks.

The car is so much more comfortable. Like I said earlier, driving around now I find myself leaning back and relaxing whereas before I just got used to not being able to do that. Between this mod and my padded armrest it's getting nearly as comfortable as my 20 year old Honda.

Also I ended up getting a set of leather just because. They're just as comfortable as the cloth ones. Both look great, you can't go wrong with either choice.

https://public.fotki.com/greentrees2/actuator-and-maf-mod/1580835827668.html]

https://public.fotki.com/greentrees2/actuator-and-maf-mod/1580835837521.html]

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[JDG]

Wanted to update after driving around with these for a few weeks.

The car is so much more comfortable. Like I said earlier, driving around now I find myself leaning back and relaxing whereas before I just got used to not being able to do that. Between this mod and my padded armrest it's getting nearly as comfortable as my 20 year old Honda.

Also I ended up getting a set of leather just because. They're just as comfortable as the cloth ones. Both look great, you can't go wrong with either choice.

https://public.fotki.com/greentrees2/actuator-and-maf-mod/1580835827668.html]

https://public.fotki.com/greentrees2/actuator-and-maf-mod/1580835837521.html]

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Do these look correct: https://www.ebay.com/itm/2012-2014-...=29303547955485ca8b5821f74aa7b2b34c8880859527

I am really struggling to find the correct ones.

 

[jeff]

Do these look correct: https://www.ebay.com/itm/2012-2014-FORD-FOCUS-OEM-FRONT-SEAT-HEADRESTS-HEAD-REST-PAIR-LEATHER-BLACK-PAIR/293035479554?fits=Model:Focus&_trkparms=ispr=1&hash=item443a469202:g:V8kAAOSwj1VcpjBo:sc:FedExHomeDelivery!19428!US!-1&enc=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&checksum=29303547955485ca8b5821f74aa7b2b34c8880859527

I am really struggling to find the correct ones.

Man I just can't tell from the pics but it looks like they do have the adjustment "cavity" where the metal goes into the headrest. Just hard to tell though.