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driving instructor style dual controls?
fha772 - 27/5/14 at 11:13 PM

Hi all,

After reading today in Practical Performance Car, about the Caterham 160, that uses Suzuki Cappuccino running gear.
It got me thinking about building a low power locost, so I could teach my kids about car control and let them have some fun driving a proper car.
It then occurred to me, it might be handy having a set of dual controls(clutch and brake pedals) like a driving instructor has.

Do you think a car can pass the I've with a set of dual controls fitted?

Cheers Frank.


ReMan - 28/5/14 at 07:35 AM

From a mechanical point of view probably yes, but looking at the bigger I'd say not given that the passenger could be someone not qualified/trained to not touch them!
Build them in then remove them for the test I'd say?


Ben_Copeland - 28/5/14 at 08:18 AM

Agreed, build them in, remove the mechanism for iva. There maybe some legal hurdles if they are installed by an approved fitter maybe.

Best speak to a driving instructor who's had them installed in his car.


nick205 - 28/5/14 at 08:30 AM

Are you talking about once your kids can legally drive and using the car on public roads?

If so, then I'd imagine there are insurance implications and possibly type approval relating to the dual controls themselves. As above, best place to start would be speaking to a driving instructor or a company making/installing the systems for driving instructors.

He Man is a name that springs to mind, having seen it on cars fitted with the system....

http://www.he-mandualcontrols.co.uk/faq.html


pewe - 28/5/14 at 09:24 AM

Or do what a well-known track-day company do on their top end sports-racers and fit an engine kill switch for the passenger to operate.
Probably best fitted under a grab handle on the passenger side of the dashboard so a) it's out of the way and b) driver doesn't get upset when you operate it.
Cheers, Pewe10


DW100 - 28/5/14 at 09:47 AM

I've fitted a few sets of dual controls to driving school cars. They tend to be very crude devices. They are not supposed to be fitted while a pupil takes a test, so they tend to have the pedals on splines held with a spring loaded clip so they can be removed easily.

They are very often removed when the car is sold on, so there must be sets on ebay that can be adapted.

Like this

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1311.R4.TR11.TRC1.A0.H0.Xhe+man+&_nkw=he+man+dual+controls&_sacat=0&_from=R40 />
[Edited on 28/5/14 by DW100]


StevieB - 28/5/14 at 08:48 PM

quote:
Originally posted by pewe
Or do what a well-known track-day company do on their top end sports-racers and fit an engine kill switch for the passenger to operate.
Probably best fitted under a grab handle on the passenger side of the dashboard so a) it's out of the way and b) driver doesn't get upset when you operate it.
Cheers, Pewe10


I think that might lack some of the 'immediacy' that you might want when going on track with a learner...