Is it a big job to raise the position of the steering wheel on a Locost?
Obviously every car is different... but i guess the actual column will need raising and therefore the dash/bulkhead need modifying?
thanks
The steering column support is usually part of the chassis, not the dashboard. You may have to enlarge or reshape the hole in the dash, but adjusting
the column is more involved.
Your first step is probably to remove the dashboard and have a look at the column mounting... if you're lucky, you may find that it's
located with long slots rather than plain round holes, allowing some adjustment.
[Edited on 27/8/16 by David Jenkins]
Thanks David, i thought as much.
Don't know if its a trait of the Locosts - but the two i've tried out seem to have a really low steering wheel. (doesn't help that im a
lanky git though.)
Trouble is, setting the column angle is one of the first things you do when you make a chassis, after the basic frame is made. I sat in my car and guessed the angle, but that was long before the scuttle and dash had been made. I think I followed other builders' guidance for setting the height, to make sure I wouldn't be too far wrong - but I wish I'd set it a little higher. It's not far off right though, so I'm not going to sweat about it.
Mine uses the original Sierra column so you can pull the lever and move the wheel up and down, loads of room. my mate is 6" 5 and he has no
problem. he had his car built by MK with there fixed shaft column and has the same problem as you have found, he has to have the wheel on a quick
release boss to remove the wheel so he can get in, he has now fitted a flat bottom steering wheel and took the drivers seat off the runners and moved
it as far back as possible, even tilting the seat forward slightly so it moves back more.
He has just about got comfy in it, before he couldn't go round a corner fast as the wheel was on his legs
quote:
Originally posted by sonic
Mine uses the original Sierra column so you can pull the lever and move the wheel up and down, loads of room. my mate is 6" 5 and he has no problem. he had his car built by MK with there fixed shaft column and has the same problem as you have found, he has to have the wheel on a quick release boss to remove the wheel so he can get in, he has now fitted a flat bottom steering wheel and took the drivers seat off the runners and moved it as far back as possible, even tilting the seat forward slightly so it moves back more.
He has just about got comfy in it, before he couldn't go round a corner fast as the wheel was on his legs
"I also have the std adjustable Sierra column could never figure out why people preferred the non adjustable one.. "
For me it was done on my locost, because the car was built for ME, and no one else apart from MOT time, has ever driven my car
Going back to the op question, Locosts will of been built with the intended owner driver in mind, as mine was, so will probably have the steering
wheel etc in the wrong place/height, for any one else, especially when there is a height difference were as more mainstream cars as in Caterham
Westfields etc will of been built with a wider variation, to aid selling
steve