Distance From Your Steering Wheel?

I usually stay an arms length from the mid point of the steering wheel. Also tilt seat back . No problem and works good for me on both short and long drives. Oh 6'3" and 240lbs.

 

If you want to be able to correctly control your vehicle you have to sit a reasonable distance back anyway.

Too close and you will be a steering wheel shuffler ... pathetic method for driving a car, try catching a slide by shuffling ... too slow and you loose where the steering is pointing.

Too far back and you won't have enough strength at the top of the steering wheel or will have reach troubles. Think hotted up Hondas with the boys pimping in them.

Somewhere in the middle but leaning more away than close to the steering wheel is where ALL good tin top racers sit ... and that is for a reason!

Sounds to me like the right seating position for full control (and thus performance driving) will be perfect for the airbag issue (personally just remove the thing and wear your safety belts).

Pete

 

Instructors at the M5 driving school recommendations:
Adjust the distance from the pedals so that you have a slight flex at the knee when prssing the brake pedal as hard as you can. This is so you have leverage to really mash down on the brake pedal.
Adjust the seatback so that your wrists hit the wheel at three and nine with your arms fully extended.

 

Have you ever seen the nascar drivers they look like there sitting really close to the wheel. Elbows totally bent

 

I understand that NASCAR guys sit close to the wheel because of the g-forces and the length of time behind the wheel. considering they only turn in 1 direction they don't need to have a lot of left/right capability. Also with the arms bent you use less strength to turn the wheel. With the addition of power steering a few years back it has become easier to steer and not as tiring as prior to PS.

 

Agree, and as I turn left and right ... I sit further back . You very rarely ever see them catch a oversteer situation either ... another reason why I sit further back so I can turn quickly in either direction.

I think I sit about the same distance as an Australian v8 Supercar driver ... which is not as far back as you might think ... but definitely not as close as a NASCAR driver.

Pete

 

Instructors at Ferrari driving courses: adjust seat back so that your arms are NOT fully extended at noon/6. This way you can keep your thumbs in the steering wheel thumb rests and turn the wheel by +/-100 degrees without moving your back or pulling on the wheel. There should be no pull tension in your forearm when you are in corners at +/-90degrees, and your hands should never move on the wheel unless a hairpin or tight bend requires more than +/-100 degrees. They are adamant about this, and I believe they are right.

 

I sit only close enough that I can grip the top of the steering wheel without a major stretch.

 

Wrists even with the wheel at 2 and 10.

 

Agreed, but I'd add that you need to be relaxed. On the track, the more relaxed you are (up to a point) the faster you will go.

Me, I'm a 3 and 9 guy with elbows bent.

Dale

 

Most really good drivers sit closer to the wheel than lesser drivers tend to.

Most top drivers would strongly recommend a closer sitting position than is being implied by the earlier posts in this thread.

If your arms are fully extended or even a couple inches from fully extended at the top of the wheel, then it doesn't really matter that you feel like you can "move fast" up there... you won't have the strength and control to do it well.

If you are trying to save yourself from a spin by moving the steering wheel in great big movements, you've already lost it more than you ever should have. And you should really try moving yourself closer to the wheel.

Why? At the limit, you MUST have as delicate a feel of your traction as possible. You will feel that best through the steering wheel if you are maximally relaxed... and you can only be maximally relaxed if you have maximum leverage (strength) over the wheel.

On race tracks, there is no issue with "shuffle steering" vs. "faster hand-over-hand"... on a race track you shouldn't be re-gripping the wheel anyway.

On autocross, the tighter course forces some re-gripping. But you still want to slow down the wheel as much as possible and want to avoid crossing your arms. Most top autocrossers shuffle steer! And re-grip as little as possible.

On the street, things should be moving much more slowly, so hand-over-hand works okay. But so does shuffle steering, if you learn to do it right. The jerky shuffle steering that you often see is "not doing it right".

 

Agreed ... hence why race cars have quicker steering racks.

In fact I agree with all your post. The arms out stretch driving position is really a poser look now taken over by the buy racers ... somewhere in the middle is right.

Pete

 

Speaking of which, I've been thinking of increasing the gearing of my 355 steering so that it changes from 2.75 turns lock to lock to 1.8. Do you think that would make it too high? It's the only option I have. Anyone tried it?

 

And the winner is:

 

Yes, boy racers and those of us with 308s who are 6'1'' and over

 

6'1"+ in a 308 - you'd pretty much be all around the wheel.

Reminds me of the pic we took of Shaq sitting in a 246 Dino. His entire head was above the windshield and he could rach over the door and, almost, touch the floor. He had part of his legs under the dash but couldn't find the pedals - ecept maybe with his toes.

I've got to find that pciture.

Scottie

 

I actually fit in the car pretty well; its when I put the helmet on that I have to rake the seat back. We taller guys are lucky that, when wearing a helmet, the only way we fit into a 308 actually is also the comfortable way.