Driving position

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Discussion

175gt

Original Poster:

333 posts

164 months

Friday 6th May 2011
quotequote all
So, you get in a car for the first time and adjust seat, steering wheel etc to get a driving position to suit.

What's you're procedure? What kind of set-up are you looking to achieve and which aspect is most important? Low seat to keep bum nearer to the 'action' or slightly higher for better view? Distance to pedals most important? Seat back a bit reclined or very upright? Arms bent or a little straighter?

What order do you it all in? Which part do you really want to get right? And how does it differ between different cars?

Mastodon2

13,827 posts

166 months

Friday 6th May 2011
quotequote all
Bum lowish but not bottomed out, not to far back from the wheel, legs not over-extended but not cramped and all mirrors in the optimal position for my most commonly assumed sitting position (not reclining right back in the chair, not leaning right forward either) and I like to have my chair fairly upright for better shoulder support.

HughesR1

286 posts

175 months

Friday 6th May 2011
quotequote all
Seat low with back straight, Steering wheel close infront of me, gear shift close to wheel and pedals far just so my legs are almost straight.

IE: Lotus elise/exige, perfect smile

Caulkhead

4,938 posts

158 months

Friday 6th May 2011
quotequote all
I'm fairly tall so it usually seat all the way down, seat and wheel adjusted to allow the 10 to 2 wheel position with slightly bent arms and to allow clutch to be fully depressed without leg being fully straightened.

davepoth

29,395 posts

200 months

Friday 6th May 2011
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First thing is the clutch pedal for me, followed by the steering wheel (arms slightly bent)

JonnyFive

29,403 posts

190 months

Friday 6th May 2011
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HughesR1 said:
Seat low with back straight, Steering wheel close infront of me, gear shift close to wheel and pedals far just so my legs are almost straight.

IE: Lotus elise/exige, perfect smile
This.

If I could get my steering wheel closer to me, (Pretty easy with either dished or some spacers) my MX5 seating position is perfect. I'd like abit of a longer seat back for more shoulder support but that can also be sorted with a new seat.

LukeSi

5,753 posts

162 months

Friday 6th May 2011
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For me shove the seat back as far as possible and if it has height adjust all the way to the floor.

PumpkinSteve

4,105 posts

157 months

Friday 6th May 2011
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I sort legroom first, then backrest. Steering wheel adjustment and seat height are last for me, I like to have my seat up to mid height because I feel more confident when I'm up a little higher.

I think I'm weirdly proportioned, when I have the seat far enough forward so my arms can reach the wheel then my knees will hit the steering column...this has happened on pretty much all the cars I've owned so I think I have long legs and tiny arms.

robsco

7,843 posts

177 months

Friday 6th May 2011
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I've not ever driven a single car in which I've achieved a driving position completely comfortable for me. The GTV has a truly hopeless driving position, to the point where I adjust it every time I drive it because it feels so foreign when I first get in. Can't get it right.

Jayho

2,025 posts

171 months

Friday 6th May 2011
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Forward/backwards first to get the legs perfect, so that my leg can fully depress the clutch without having to be fully outstretched.

Back rest and Arms are accounted for and measured by ability to have both my wrists touching the 12 oclock position with ease while shoulders are on the back rest.

Height is usually mid to low.

Dont understand how people drive around as if they're meant to be "sleepin" while driving. Nearly fully declined? How can you be comfy? pfft!

EDLT

15,421 posts

207 months

Friday 6th May 2011
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Seat so far back I can only press the pedals if I shuffle forward and the tilted so far backwards I can't reach the wheel without sitting up.


Baryonyx

18,010 posts

160 months

Friday 6th May 2011
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EDLT said:
Seat so far back I can only press the pedals if I shuffle forward and the tilted so far backwards I can't reach the wheel without sitting up.

Ah, that position I most usually see adopted by chavs who drive like they've had a stroke!

For me, I have a fairly stretched out driving position. In my MX5, I have the seat as far back as it will go and there is no rake adjustment. Really, I'm cramming myself in around the controls as it's very cramped and tight inside!

In my Focus, I tended to sit a little further back with the seat upright. Arms bent slightly at the elbow with the wheel around mid height and with the depth adjusted to suit. Compared to my twin brother, who is the same height as much, I sit further back. He seems to sit right on top of the pedals! That seating position was very different to the MX5, quite high in relation to the rest of the car. It provided excellent visibility and made that car a joy to drive in a spirited fashion.