Steering Wheel Position

[Tiff]

Yup. Thats me. Auto box and all.

As from tomorrow. Ill do better. I knew being honest was perhaps not the best position here. So the thread is not a wasted one.

I shall just keep an eye out for how smokey and the wombles "assume the position" on the wheel on my stretch of motorways. I dont recall seeing many Panda drivers at ten to two recently.

If you want to see Panda drivers at ten to two, just drive past Mc Donalds..

 

[trapperjohn]

^pmsl

 

[JOB-BLACK-RAT]

If you want to see Panda drivers at ten to two, just drive past Mc Donalds..

But panda drivers are always signalling with thier hands to turn right, or is it their reaching out to the drive through counter???

 

[Gemdo]

3. Why dont they put a ledge for the right arm in cars? too high on the SL and nothing there or too low on the E class

S88

Theres sufficient space in my c class to rest my arm as i lazily hold it at 3 o'clock and with my left hand on my auto knob. perfectly relaxed and comfy. left leg relaxed and as unused as ever. But when it gets busier i do sit more upright and ten to two, concentration steps in.

At the minute I'm driving works 1.2 punto courtesy car, and my poor left leg aches after driving for 30 minutes in traffic missing my autobox. And talk about pulling a handbrake lever up! Give me a break punto!

 

[flango]

Theres sufficient space in my c class to rest my arm as i lazily hold it at 3 o'clock and with my left hand on my knob. perfectly relaxed and comfy. middle leg relaxed and as unused as ever. But when it gets busier i do sit more upright and concentration steps in.

Fixed that for you

 

[markjay]

I was always taught that ten-to-two is the 'official' position, while quarter-to-three is a racing driver's position. Indeed when in my youth I had an Astra GTE with a tiny Momo streeing wheel I used the quarter-to-three position ... but the C180K with skinny tyres and soft-sprung suspension (in Classic guise) is much more comfortable with ten-to-two.

On another note... surprisingly the w203 facelift has 2.5 lock-to-lock steering wheel... which is sporty in the extreme, requires only a fractional movement of the steering wheel to generate a very decisive change of direction.

 

[MOCAŠ]

Isn't the ten-to-two position more or less dictated these days the positioning of thumb indentations on steering wheels? Don't know how universal they are, but both my SLK and Fabia have them, as did the Italvolanti wheel I had back in the 1980s.

 

[219]

I was always taught that ten-to-two is the 'official' position, while quarter-to-three is a racing driver's position.

Watch Jay's video of Karl Kling driving the 230SL , or indeed any footage of the older drivers at work , and you'll see many of them using '20 to 4' .

 

[tagnut]

10 to 2 usually but don't do the push pull thing.

I also had a very scary incident this weekend. Driving my pickup early on Saturday morning was in 2WD and hit a stretch of black ice doing about 40mph. Car was sideways in both directions before I had got it righted and managed to stop (fortunately with nothing more serious than a high risk of needing an immediate underwear change). Definitely a freestyle moment

 

[fuzzer]

1/4 to 3 with my thumbs out on the thumb rests.

gives easy access to the paddles too at that position.

 

[Sp!ke]

Wherever I can keep them warmest

You mean alternately swapping hands on the engine?

It can get interesting when warming your right hand on the cylider head and using your left on the throttle on the right handlebar. It all gets a bit topsy turvy and takes a while to learn.

 

[whitenemesis]

I drive 1/4 to three with thumbs out. The same way I do when I am racing karts. I find the steering accuracy better and I don't have to take my hands off the wheel when going sideways.....on a private road.

BTW I dont race on the road.

Ditto. That's where the rests are on my wheel. Always keep thumbs out after seeing too many dislocated as the 'wheel gets whipped round should one, erm, "have a moment"!

 

[Mr E]

Usually 13:50, but when pressing on I shift to 14:45.

In traffic, often right hand at 15:00, left hand by gear lever, which then comes up onto the wheel when it starts rolling again.

 

[Ted]

Similar to others, ten to two, thumbs out, - a legacy of driving a land rover. (Similar to the thumb 'outside' the starting handle.

Who remembers that one then?

 

[LastMinute]

In the cruise, pre-W140: right elbow on the window sill, first two fingers on the steering wheel spoke between 2 and 3 o' clock, ring finger and little finger to operate the stalk; left hand completely unnecessary...

Otherwise ten to two, I guess. (Little fingers resting on the spokes.) Haven't done push-pull since my driving test

In the W140 and later they moved the stalk to the wrong side on RHD cars

I've seen a friend drive a W202 one-handed, using his right hand to operate the stalk

 

[Ade B]

Nobody use their knee then for the important two handed tasks of opening drinks/butties?

I find I adopt a variety of driving positions on a long motorway journey, always fiddling with seat position as well.. pesky electric adjustment. Although I now make an effort to sit up straight and not slouch/twist like I used to in the CE as I started to get back ache - so 10 to 2 is now more common than right elbow on window cill driving with two fingers and left arm on arm rest tapping gear stick along with music..

Can't remember the last bit of 'spirited driving' I did bar the recent bit of sideways snow/ice action.

Ade

 

[Gemdo]

+1! ^ Its important to keep fuelled whilst driving!

Fixed that for you

I don't know what you take me for?!

 

[Andrew e500]

2 to 10 if i drive something
left hand on 2'o cloick, right hand on my balls if i drive mercedes

 

[Neilos]

You mean alternately swapping hands on the engine?

It can get interesting when warming your right hand on the cylider head and using your left on the throttle on the right handlebar. It all gets a bit topsy turvy and takes a while to learn.

Thought I was the only nutter that did this

 

[Tiff]

Throttle lock and a Boxer BMW is the answer!

This topic reminded me of being in Germany on my Aprillia Pegaso about 5 years ago.. after a long night in a truck stop in Peine doing some repairs.. (its a long story- the engine was out back in,then stripped again in 8 days, in between doing 2400 miles..) I headed back towards Bremen-it must have been 4.30 ish AM and still dark. I was totally shattered and was stopping quite often for a smoke and a stretch.As it was getting quite chilly I would put my gloves and snood on the exhaust to warm them up. I did this maybe 4 times..then on the 5th go I'd forgotten the snood. a few km's down the road my left trouser was ablaze, and I'd kicking and jumping around trying to put it out..of course textiles and polyester makes a right mess of a stainless exhaust and the Audi A4 driver behind me must have wondered what was going on..I reckon it looked like a scene from Ghostrider....

P.S- I sold the bike as soon as I got home- and have just seen it on ebay for sale.. I'm rather tempted..it was a love/hate relationship....