Improving driving position

[msamaro]

Hi

This is my first post here. I recently bought a MY1998 seven with a 1.6 VX engine.

I love the car so far (not so sure about the engine...) but the problem is that I don't fit in comfortably enough. I am 1.81cm tall and my left leg is almost touching the steering wheel (I have a momo quick release one). I have the type S seat as far back as possible. I tried sitting on the floor but it didn't make big difference. 
The dealer said the pedals are as far back as possible. I haven't tried adjusting them myself yet.

I believe that moving the steering wheel an inch closer to me would give me the necessary clearance from my left leg but I think I can only get 1cm before the clamp touches the firewall (By the way, is the grub screw on the clamp an M5 or M6?)

Is there any other way I could improve the driving position? 
Can I get a longer upper steering column?
 

[Jonathan Kay]

Welcome.

Do you have lowered seats, and if not have you had a look at them?

What diameter is your steering wheel and would you like one that is smaller?

Have a good look at the pedals and how they adjust.

I think that you can usually safely adjust the column length a bit at the joint between the lower and upper columns, but it might depend on exact type. Can you add a photo of yours?

Where are you... trying others' positions might reveal something.

Jonathan

[Dorset7]

Lowered floors and changing your seats to Tilletts might be the answer. The S type seat tends to sit you higher in the car and so your knees will naturally be closer to the steering wheel.

I'm 189cm, with Tilletts and lowered floors I've got plenty of room. I've got a Momo removable wheel but don't actually have to take it off to get in and out. 

Do you have a dealer close by so you could try a car with that configuration?  

[Wrightpayne]

I'm 6'2" in old money and the lowered floor made a massive difference to comfort. I installed it to get my head well below the cage but had the added side effect of improving comfort. I have S type seats too.

Edited to say with the original floor I had no room to manoeuvre my foot from over the clutch pedal so had to hover my foot!! I now have lots of space between knee and wheel to move my foot away from the pedal.

Ian

[Nigel Fox]

You could fit a spacer between the steering wheel and boss. Google momo wheel spacer, lots of choice.

[msamaro]

@Jonathan Kay

Not sure what the lowered seats are. I think I have the standard ones.

My steering wheel is 26cm wide. I don't think I would like a smaller one.

I will take a photo of the steering column tomorrow.

I am based in West Midlands.

@SIG7

To be honest I think I prefer the classic look of the type S seats more than the Tillets.

I was hoping I could avoid the cost of the lower floor. Caterham said that my car wasn't available with a lower floor and it would have to be a custom made one $$$... Do you loose a lot of ground clearance with the lower floor?

@Nigel Fox 

That sounds like a very good idea! I wasn't sure you can install a spacer on a quick release steering wheel... Thanks for that!

[Jonathan Kay]

Doh! I meant to say "lowered floor".

What's your current ground clearance under the sump and under the seats?

Jonathan

[sjmmarsh]

msamro

i am pretty sure that JK was referring to the lowered floor  These do reduce ground clearance a little, but it is only an issue on narrow speed bumps ( the Tarmac ones you sometimes see in car parks) or where there is a crest in the road - typically at the top of a ramp on a ferry or eurotunnel. In practice I seldom have an issue and even then it is only the seat bolts grounding out, which sounds much worse than it is in reality.

The lowered floor needs to be specific to your ca r, but I can't see what is different with your car from other S3s of similar vintage....

Steve

 

[SM25T]

The lowered floor will reduce clearance under the floor .... not the sump ... by about 40mm. It makes a huge difference to the driving position. If you have adjustable platforms on your damper springs you should check heights under the chassis behind the front wheels and at the front of the rear arches ... with the equivalent of your weight in the car. You want at least 70mm under the sump ..... measure the front under chassis dimension both sides and get it level. The rear under chassis height should be 15mm higher.

[SM25T]

Ref the steering wheel spacer .... simply unscrew the wheel from the QR boss .... Fit the spacer and reattach with appropriate bolts.

[paul richards]

I'd be surprised if you can't get more than 1 cm extra on the column before the clamp hits. You can move the clamp a bit further down the slot. By the way, the grub screw is imperial. From memory 7/32.

"Dealer said pedals are as far back as possible" I assume he meant as far forward as possible. 

[msamaro]

Thanks for your replies.

I ordered a 3 Bolt 19mm spacer this morning. Hopefully this is going to give me enough space between the wheel and the knees. If not, I will have to go for a lower floor... :(

@ Paul Richards

That explains why the 5mm Allen key was too small and the 6mm too big... I have to buy a set of imperial Allen keyes. Not sure how the pedals are adjusted but he meant as far away from the seat as possible, giving maximum leg space.

[Jonathan Kay]

I think that 5.5mm is quite close to 7/32"... 

Jonathan

[paul richards]

Be careful. Not all sets include 7/32. 

[JNC]

I take it you have a live axle ? . My first car was a 1.6 VX Beaulieu S3 and I found the driver space was cramped and I looked at all of the options including a different car !. I phoned Sevens and Classics as they seem more open to new ideas and put it to them about the possibilities of lowered floors, There response was positive but I was told that hasn't been done in a live axle car, I said to them there is nothing in the way pipes or cables etc ! so why not. Any way I delivered the car to them and in less than a week it was  ready with lowered floors and original S type seats, The difference it made was remarkable well worth the effort and I was told it was the first live axle car to have lowered floors . In old money lowered by 2" . The way I see it you have limited options, Lowered floors, Change the seats, Surgery, New car.   

Before and After.

 

 

[Brian Deacon]

If the pedal pivot is in the forward position you can still adjust the brake and clutch master cylinder operating rods to get the pedals at more of a straight down angle, i.e. further from the seat. This made a big difference for me.  Take off the pedal box cover. lengthen the brake and clutch push rods.  Making sure that in the final position you still get full travel on the pedal without hitting the bulkhead.  I gained an inch which is like moving the seat back an inch, straightens your legs and moves them away from the wheel.

 But make sure you do not adjust to far and then get restricted pedal movement by the pedal hitting the bulkhead.

[Jonathan Kay]

Agreed. It's worth having a careful look at what's limiting travel and what you can gain this way. 

Jonathan

[Pat the Plumber]

where about in West Midlands, you can come and sit in mine with lowered floors and tillets, if it helps

[msamaro]

Back on the same subject. I fitted the 19mm spacer at the steering wheel and although it has massively increased the gap between my legs and the steering wheel, the driving position is still not 100% perfect.

I had a look at the pedal box. I read people saying that there are 3 positions for each pedal but I could personally see only two for the brake and clutch pedals. Unless I'm wrong, it looks like they are fitted at the forward pivot point (photos below). However the clutch pedal sits almost an inch higher (closer to me) than the brake pedal.

 

http://i663.photobucket.com/albums/uu360/mikesamaro/20160221_150610_resized.jpg   http://i663.photobucket.com/albums/uu360/mikesamaro/20160221_144531_resized.jpg

@Brian Deacon Is the clutch master cylinder next to the brake one on your car? I can't see where exactly is located on mine and how it would be to adjust...

 

[Brian Deacon]

Hi. Mine had a hydraulic clutch. Yours is cable operated.  You should be able to adjust the clutch cable so that the top of the clutch pedal (as seen in your picture with the cable attached to it) moves backwards. This will move the foot operated part of the pedal forwards and away from your sitting position.  To achieve this you will need to adjust the clutch cable outer sleeve. Not sure of the adjustment is on the front of the pedal box ( where the cable goes through) or at the clutch end on the engine. Either end should have an adjuster. Just try turning it and watch the pedal move to make sure its going in the right direction.

When you get the brake and clutch pedals aligned make sure you still get enough clutch pedal travel to disengage the clutch.

You can also adjust the brake pedal by moving the two nuts along the threaded shaft, shown gold colored in the picture.  Again when you have a comfortable pedal position enure that you are getting full braking without the pedal hitting the bulkhead.

Hope all that makes sense?    

[Nigel Riches]

Not sure if I am talking bollocks here, I haven't one of these adjustable pedal cars. However, from your pictures, and my eyeballing, it does look like the pedals are pivoted at different centres. On the lower picture, it appears there is "something" (caphead screw)  in the hole for the clutch pivot, and the centre line through the brake pedal (another cap head screw) pivot isn't in line with the clutch pivot, common sense and commercial cost cutting would suggest there would be one bolt through both pedals, which would also give a good reference for adjusting the pedal height, or, as I said, talking bollocks. 

Nigel 

[Brian Deacon]

There is one bolt through both pedals, long thread and nut showing in lower picture. Upper picture shows a socket on the head of that bolt.  I think the "cap head" is just the strengthening boss around the rear , redundant, holes.