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Tall people - can you measure your steering wheel position?
MikeR - 28/7/10 at 12:07 PM

Trying to finally sort out my steering column location and it seems that its really far to the rear of the car and so high i can use about an inch of the dashboard above it.

If i have it closer / lower it ends up interfering with my knees so i can't break and turn at the same time. This is with me sitting literally on the floor with no seat.

So, tall people (i'm 6'3" ) can you measure how car from the bulk head is the steering wheel & how high the middle of the wheel is from the chassis floor?

[Edited on 28/7/10 by MikeR]

JeffHs - 28/7/10 at 12:25 PM

I'm not as tall s you but I like a straight arm/leg position. I drive tin tops with the seat as far back as it will go.
My Locost dimensions are :
steering wheel boss to bulkhead 18 inches
centre of boss to floor 18.5 inches
floor to rim of wheel 13 inches
boss to rear of cockpit 32 inches.
I used cheap Cub seats originally bolted straight to the floor but driver's seat is now angled backwards with the front mounts up on blocks to provide the rake.
Seat position makes a huge difference.

big_wasa - 28/7/10 at 12:55 PM

I am 6'3" and only really comftable sat on the floor. Ive had to fit seats for iva with head rests or it would have been just pads.

Ive got a very small 10" wheel that helps no end. Infact there is no way I could drive it with the standard sierra wheel.

02GF74 - 28/7/10 at 12:57 PM

quote:
Originally posted by MikeR
can you measure how car from the bulk head is the steering wheel & how high the middle of the wheel is from the chassis floor?



can't mesure mine since it is in bit but a more meaning ful measurement may be to have have middle of wheel to the seat base, and also the floor.

My seat is a nice padded affair - forget the model - and is sitting on chassis rail and 20 mm alumiunum box so there is some distance lost there.

what diameter is your steering wheel - you can gain clearance between wheel and knees by fitting a smaller one, 11 inch seems to be he norm but peeps have fitted 10 inch ones.

rallyingden - 28/7/10 at 01:28 PM

Can't measure at the moment but I have opted for a D shaped wheel on a Vauxhall Corsa Column. I am 6' and manage ok.

Cheers
RD

big_wasa - 28/7/10 at 06:55 PM

center of wheel is 500mm from floor.

If it looks high but it works for you thats just how it is.

interestedparty - 28/7/10 at 07:26 PM

How long is your car? If it's too short for you then you will be bending your legs upwards at the knees so as to fit in it.

I know a really tall bloke who is building a Viento and the cockpit and footwell is 1400mm long (from cockpit back panel to footwell bulkhead) and that is only just enough for him. How far back the pedals are makes a difference to

MikeR - 28/7/10 at 08:23 PM

Its a standard locost (ron champion) sized chassis. I've got Stuart Taylor pedals and I'll be making a new seat tomorrow morning using foam. The previous seat had a 1" kneeling pad under each butt cheek - tomorrows wont.

I'd like to have some bend in my knees as it feels more comfortable for the pedals - the problem being the wheel ends up on my knee bend line. Thought i'd cracked it by having the wheel really far back until i realised just as i was about to weld the new steering column that it was so far back i couldn't use the plastic forward support bush.

So, further measurements appreciated