I'd like to hear other racers feedback on how they position their seat in their track car (not street car). I've got some short arms and legs thanks to my dad, so I sit fairly close to the steering wheel and pretty much upright based on the form of my seat, which is a MOMO Start/Rookie. However, I've found that when I push my seat back, just an inch or two, its a rather dramatic change. I think I'm more sensitive to feeling the rear end of the car sliding out. This kinda makes sense since Im further back from the center of mass and rotational center. But I keep it in closer since Im more used to it and its a bit more scarier to drive with the extra sense. I'm wondering if the rest of you experienced drivers of FF sedans feel the same way and if they have purposely pushed the seat further back than is normally comfortable. I'm not interested in basic tutorials of how to set your steering wheel and seat and about shuffle steering.

 

i used to sit real close to the steering wheel. i felt i had better control over the steering that way, more leverage. but then i started left foot braking and found that moving the seat back far enough to have my legs at full extension when putting the clutch in gave me a better feel for the brake. with the harness, leverage over the wheel is no longer an issue, so that wasn't a problem. in fact, i can now turn the wheel almost 180 degrees without shuffling my hands too, something that i think is important in autocross.

long and short, i adjust the seat as far back as i can while still being able to confortably get full travel out of the pedals. fortunately, this puts me in the an ok position for my hands (elbows at a slightly less then 90 degree) and since i end up leaning into the harness anyway, reach has never been a problem. many driving schools put emphasis on confortable pedal position first, reach second. hope that helps.

nate

 

Driving on the street, I sit up right, and have my arms bended slightly so I could turn the wheel easily. my left foot on the dead pedal is just slightly bent at full extenstion.

Racing... Seat up slightly, arms are slightly bent more than daily driving, but then again I have a steeringwheel extension. legs, left leg is bent about 150 degrees at the dead pedal. I feel my feet placement and feel should be at it's best for racing, since the pedals are pretty damn important to step on, i.e. brakes.

 

I started out CRX life w/ a Kirkey Cantremembername and had it positioned upright and with the top of the wheel at wrist length. Great, fantastic, kick *** - hehehe - nah, it sucked monkey nuts Metalworker repositioned the whole shindig when I got the Momo LTBwhatsitcalledseat (and I think angled it or got me over an inch or so towards center - I ain't positive but it just feels 'right'). Now it is leaned back significantly and extremely low (more than I EVER would have thought doable for me) to the point that I think the bottom of my helmet is on level w/ the bottom of the window (or is it lower?). I am not significantly further back as my butt is probably near the same spot but my body is notably more leaned. Now I drive using the bottom of the wheel and it is SOOO much more comfortable, less fatiguing, more out of the way (hands/knees). So basically, my arms are slightly bent at 3/9, my left foot rather extended can hit the floor w/ the clutch, my right foot can fully depress the gas and brake and it honestly is the best feeling seating position I have had so far out of 3 seats in 2 cars. Basically, I don't think that I feel any notable difference in the tail's impending movement but then again, not sure that my butt moved any more than 3/4" back w/ the new seat.

Edit: total change from initial seating position was to go from wrist-length to 12 o'clock on steering wheel to maybe knuckle-length to 12 o'clock (just guessing but that is about the change + maybe around an inch rearward??)


[Modified by phat-S, 9:58 PM 12/2/2002]

 

You know, it's funny that you should mention this now since I've been playing with it. Welding in the dash bar and the driver's door bars have made me make some decisions about seating position (and wheel position too). I actually sat in my seat, unbolted, and just scooted around a while until I felt something of a natural position. It never happend! I can't find a position I like in the CRX (unlike the ITR, where I could get it just right. But my situation is different than yours. I have average length arms for someone who's 6'1", but being that tall gives me pretty long legs too. At a distance where I can properly manipulate all three pedals (actually USE them, not just reach them) I'm too far from the wheel. Additionally, I have taken quite a liking to a more reclined position than I ever used before (I was bolt upright in the ITR, but that was mostly autocross where the nose of your car matters). Unfortunately, that puts back even more from the wheel. I think my ultimate plan is to fix the seat at a distance I like my legs (and I don't like being close, although close is relative since "far" means my knees are still slightly bent with the pedal to the floor which would be silly close for street driving). Then I'll recline the seat and use a wheel spacer. I'm also going to move the seat over about 1" to 1.5" toward the exhaust tunnel (right up against it) to position me a little closer to the center of the car.
I have never really experienced the feeling of more "feel" with the seat in a more rearward position, but maybe I'm just taller so I'm already back that far.

 

An inch or two would be extremely dramatic - that is 3 to 6 clicks on a standard seat rail.

My seat, in my RX-7, is positioned so my legs are fully extended when the brake and clutch are pressed. The steering wheel is closer to me than stock, so my arms are bent ~45* when holding at 9-3 or 10-2. The back is upright, but not unusually so.