Flat bottom steering wheel

[Gumpertapollo12]

Whats the point of theme? Srry flat bottom steering wheel.

 

[Pupik]

Helps accomodate your knees, especially in tight places. A lot of F1 cars in the late-1990s featured this; the Lotus T101 had a particularly D-shaped steering wheel. On the other end of the spectrum, the latest iteration of the Toyota Prius actually has a semi-flattened bottom section of the steering wheel.

Personally, I like having the steering wheel in my lap when I drive, so it's a nice feature to me. Makes it a little easier to get in and out of the car, especially if there's stuff like a cell phone in your front pocket.

 

[Gumpertapollo12]

Ok thanks

 

[Keef]

Personally, I like having the steering wheel in my lap when I drive, so it's a nice feature to me. Makes it a little easier to get in and out of the car, especially if there's stuff like a cell phone in your front pocket.

That's not a cell phone...

I've never driven a car with a flat-bottom wheel but I have driven cars with eccentric steering wheels. Why the hub of the wheel is not in the middle of the rim I have no idea. I makes for a really annoying wobble as you turn it about in a parking lot. I know why they do it, probably for gauge visibility and knee room, but it looks like a chintzy oversight to me, like some blockhead measured it wrong.

 

[hawkeye122]

That's not a cell phone...

I've never driven a car with a flat-bottom wheel but I have driven cars with eccentric steering wheels. Why the hub of the wheel is not in the middle of the rim I have no idea. I makes for a really annoying wobble as you turn it about in a parking lot. I know why they do it, probably for gauge visibility and knee room, but it looks like a chintzy oversight to me, like some blockhead measured it wrong.

Woah. He's back.

I like the mis-shaped steering wheel. It gives me that "Because Racecar" feel. My mate has a Flat-bottom on his Mustang... it is quite annoying in parking lots, but other than that, I love the feel of it. Much easier to sit down if you're 6'4" trying to get into a racing seat...

 

[Beeblebrox237]

Well, I've not driven a car with one, but it certainly looks cool.

 

[speed junkie]

I saw them allot on riced out civics back in F'nF days. I've also seen them on racecars where the driver's hands don't leave the 3 and 9 positions. These are also oval shaped (as opposed to D shaped) in order to let the low-sitting see over the dash without the wheel obscuring his sight.

 

[daan]

The steering "wheel" of fail.

Helps accomodate your knees, especially in tight places. A lot of F1 cars in the late-1990s featured this; the Lotus T101 had a particularly D-shaped steering wheel.

You may have heard of this but I can't remember anymore details on it.

I recall reading about an F1 driver who had been in accident and had damaged legs of some description. There is a rule that any F1 driver has to be able to get out of his car, with the steering wheel in place, in a certain amount of seconds. He was attempting to pass this test in order that he could race, but he couldn't manage to get out in time. His mechanics then took the steering wheel, and cut off the bottom part of it, so it was then D shaped. When he tried again, he managed to get out in time, so cue much cheering that he'd be allowed to race. However, the FIA official told him to get back in the car, turned the steering wheel 90 degrees and told him to try again. He failed, and they wouldn't let him race.

 

[homeforsummer]

I've driven a few cars with them, and they annoy the hell out of me. It's okay if the steering rack is quick enough that you never need to move your hands from the same position (like in a race car), but most cars require more than half a turn of lock in every-day driving, so it's just an annoying shape to slide through your hands.

I can imagine it gives you a bit more space if you're a big chap, but there's a good reason wheels are generally round, whether you're rolling on them or using them to steer with. The shape works and there's no real reason to mess with it.

Unless you own a diesel Audi A4 of course and think the S-Line pack somehow makes it a sports car.

 

[daan]

The shape works and there's no real reason to mess with it.

Are you arguing with KITT?

 

[Pupik]

The steering "wheel" of fail.

You may have heard of this but I can't remember anymore details on it.

I recall reading about an F1 driver who had been in accident and had damaged legs of some description. There is a rule that any F1 driver has to be able to get out of his car, with the steering wheel in place, in a certain amount of seconds. He was attempting to pass this test in order that he could race, but he couldn't manage to get out in time. His mechanics then took the steering wheel, and cut off the bottom part of it, so it was then D shaped. When he tried again, he managed to get out in time, so cue much cheering that he'd be allowed to race. However, the FIA official told him to get back in the car, turned the steering wheel 90 degrees and told him to try again. He failed, and they wouldn't let him race.

The only driver I've heard that failed the "5 second escape" rule was Christian Danner, in 1988. He was supposed to replace a driver mid-season (Oscar Laurrauri at Euro Brun), but as one of the tallest drivers in F1, he had a hard time fitting into the cars of the time.

 

[homeforsummer]

The only driver I've heard that failed the "5 second escape" rule was Christian Danner, in 1988. He was supposed to replace a driver mid-season (can't remember who...Schneider? Ghinzani?), but as one of the tallest drivers in F1, he had a hard time fitting into the cars of the time.

Used to be longer than five seconds, too. Seem to remember Martin Donnelly also failed after breaking his back in a crash in 1990. He was actually a fairly promising driver with some big teams looking at him, but although he healed fairly quickly it seriously slowed down his movements, meaning he couldn't pass the leaping-from-the-car test. Back then it was around 15 seconds but he still couldn't manage. Put a stop to his career.

daan - I'm absolutely arguing with KITT Anything that doesn't mind being bossed around by the Hoff isn't worth listening to

 

[TheCracker]

Used to be longer than five seconds, too. Seem to remember Martin Donnelly also failed after breaking his back in a crash in 1990. He was actually a fairly promising driver with some big teams looking at him, but although he healed fairly quickly it seriously slowed down his movements, meaning he couldn't pass the leaping-from-the-car test. Back then it was around 15 seconds but he still couldn't manage. Put a stop to his career.

Mansell also had difficulty with a 'small cockpit' in the '95 Mclaren. But i had a feeling he couldn't get in it in the first place to take the 'leaping-from-the-car' test.

 

[homeforsummer]

Mansell also had difficulty with a 'small cockpit' in the '95 Mclaren. But i had a feeling he couldn't get in it in the first place to take the 'leaping-from-the-car' test.

I seem to remember they had to re-design it, and it actually made the car slower.

More fat-bottom driver than flat-bottom steering wheel.

 

[Carlos]

I've driven a few Audi's, wich one of them was an RS4 B6! I didn't really noticed the flat bottom. Mostly what others say, with parking I felt it but no problem. Only thing I couldn't do so easily was let it slip through my hand because you lose feeling at the flat spot.

 

[MSTER232]

Helps accomodate your knees, especially in tight places. A lot of F1 cars in the late-1990s featured this; the Lotus T101 had a particularly D-shaped steering wheel. On the other end of the spectrum, the latest iteration of the Toyota Prius actually has a semi-flattened bottom section of the steering wheel.

Personally, I like having the steering wheel in my lap when I drive, so it's a nice feature to me. Makes it a little easier to get in and out of the car, especially if there's stuff like a cell phone in your front pocket.

Sometimes I wish that the DFGT is a flat-bottomed wheel, but then again, that would be very awkward for drifting. Would be better if it had interchangeable wheels though.

The steering "wheel" of fail.

*Picture Snip*

You may have heard of this but I can't remember anymore details on it.

I recall reading about an F1 driver who had been in accident and had damaged legs of some description. There is a rule that any F1 driver has to be able to get out of his car, with the steering wheel in place, in a certain amount of seconds. He was attempting to pass this test in order that he could race, but he couldn't manage to get out in time. His mechanics then took the steering wheel, and cut off the bottom part of it, so it was then D shaped. When he tried again, he managed to get out in time, so cue much cheering that he'd be allowed to race. However, the FIA official told him to get back in the car, turned the steering wheel 90 degrees and told him to try again. He failed, and they wouldn't let him race.

If the F1 driver had a crash, I'm pretty sure he could straighten the steering wheel and get out. I think that was a little mean the FIA didn't allow him to race. And for the picture of that steering wheel, that is the most ugly wheel I have ever seen.

 

[homeforsummer]

Only thing I couldn't do so easily was let it slip through my hand because you lose feeling at the flat spot.

That's my main issue. You get used to a round steering wheel, holding it as you turn or letting it slide through your hands, so one with a chunk taken out of it is a pain to use.

If the F1 driver had a crash, I'm pretty sure he could straighten the steering wheel and get out.

Maybe if he was beached in the gravel, but it's less likely if he's stuck it in the wall. A lot of pressure is put through that column, which is why racing drivers tend to let go of the wheel in an accident, so it doesn't break their thumbs as the road wheels spin the steering wheel with huge force.