Drivers height position

[Stock4Evr]

I have read many articles on drivers position while driving. But non that mention the height of the driver. Should you look out the bottom of the windshield, the middle or the top? Or just position yourself where you are the most comfortable? Most people are able to adjust for all positions. Just wondering.

[pj.rodriguez]

Usually a hands width between your head and the headliner. Then left foot should be able to be flat on the foot rest. And arms slightly bent and not fully extended. Tilt is personal pref but I generally like a little tilt to lock my butt in the seat while keeping everything else as I said before.

[New21er]

I thought it was cool to look through steering wheel spokes.

[darkrom]

I struggle with this every day. Chronic back pain. Everything I've read says you want 2-4 fingers between your head and the headliner.

I change my position almost the whole time I am driving :/

[JimD]

I can't look through anything but the top of the windshield due to my height. I could lower the seat a notch or two but it feels like I'm sitting in a bathtub if I do. So I am almost but not quite all the way down. I can slide my hand over my head.

[pj.rodriguez]

Originally Posted by JimD

I can't look through anything but the top of the windshield due to my height. I could lower the seat a notch or two but it feels like I'm sitting in a bathtub if I do. So I am almost but not quite all the way down. I can slide my hand over my head.

You're tall!

[128Convertibleguy]

My theory is that you'll drive better if you're the most comfortable. Driving is as much mental as physical.

[JimD]

For height, I think comfort is a good principle. But the common legs fully extended arms fully extended position might be comfortable for some but is not a good position for spirited driving. If your body moves a little, you may strain to reach. With arms and legs bent some, you still have plenty of reach available.

[Olgeezer1]

Street driving I go for comfort. For me that's all the way down. At 5'11" that doesn't give me a great view for tight quarter manuevering but I like to be down "in" the car. Going to try some AutoX next week and thinking I'll need to move up and a little forward to see the pylons better. Not a comfortable position for me but probably more efficient for high perf. driving.

[edisapimp]

Originally Posted by New21er

I thought it was cool to look through steering wheel spokes.

[Adam135]

[Stock4Evr]

Thanks for all the responses. The pic fm Adam135 reminds me when a friend took out the springs and lowered the seat to the floor (52Ford). And on top of that he raised the floor gear shift to just above the dash board. Needless to say the ride was very uncomfortable. It did not stay this way for very long.

[2tonik]

I drive with the seat on the floor, tilted back enough to keep me in the seat, and set the wheel at a height that allows me to see the "clocks" through the steering wheel and have the top of the rim around shoulder height. I extend the wheel close to my chest so there is almost a 90 degree bend in my elbows and my legs are less bent around 45 degrees; fairly extended. EDIT-
I just checked my knee bend and it's around 60-75 degrees. In my 944
and RX-8 the hip point was lower, hence the shallower knee bend). I set the fore/aft seat position to allow for easy and comfortable clutch operation. When it's set correctly I can press the clutch all the way to the floor without stretching but also don'tl feel cramped by being too close to it.

I believe this is called "modified" NASCAR" and is a good position to minimize fatigue and maximize endurance, strength, and dexterity on the wheel. Fully or shallow-ly extended arms don't give as much control and result in earlier fatigue. A larger bend in the elbows moves the "load" from your delts (small relatively weak muscle) to your triceps (larger stronger muscle).

I first used ithis position with a 944 many years ago, after reading about it in a Road and Track article, and it's also worked well for me in an 325is, RX-8, and my current 128i.

[mike@x-ph.com]

Originally Posted by Adam135

[Stock4Evr]

2tonik:
Thank you, I set it that way and will see how it feels.

[chris82]

I had the same question and use this video for proper position.

[BBursey]

Cool video. That's pretty much exactly how I'm set up based on what I learned in a track school a few years ago.

Cheers,
Bryan

[Stock4Evr]

Thanks for the video. I set my seat position as the video described.

[7smurfs]

Cool vid! So I noticed mine is set all wrong... I think I sit too high up. Reason why I've set it so high is because I couldn't see the trip meter when I moved my seat down though

[darkrom]

Originally Posted by 7smurfs

Cool vid! So I noticed mine is set all wrong... I think I sit too high up. Reason why I've set it so high is because I couldn't see the trip meter when I moved my seat down though

What matters more, driving position which you use the entire time, or glancing at a relatively useless number that you might do once?

[chris82]

Unless you are really short you should always be as low as possible. You want your wrists to rest on the top of the steering wheel when your arms are straight and with your shoulders back against the seat. Your knee should be slightly bent when the clutch is fully depressed.

[631twentyeighteye]

Seat as low as it can go(i'm 5'9"), tilted slightly backwards from the dash, a pretty upright seating position with knee's bent just a tad when pressing the pedals to the floor. Wheel brought close enough to me that my elbows are bent but not as much that i look like an 80 year old blind man.