How To Set Up Your Driving Position (for SPEED)
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- čas přidán 24. 05. 2023
- Learn how to set up your seat and driving position properly with TCR racing driver Josh Buchan.
See more about this on the main Mighty Car Mods Channel CASH vs TRASH | BUCKET SEATS
Follow Josh Buchan Here / buchanjosh - Auta a dopravní prostředky
You just know people all over the world are going to be jumping in and adjusting their cars today, all for the better.
I mean I would.... If I could 😅
Surprisingly, my driving position is band on. Who knew...
100% went out as they were explaining it.
2 clicks forward in the seat and I was set.
(In saying that, my last drive I did set it like a lounge chair for a long ass drive)
Cant, im too tall.
The hans device point is incredible. As someone who used to race in the US, i was always baffled about how many people ran harnesses, let alone wrongly installed was shocking. Car seats are engineered so incredibly well. The head rest and back rest are meant to move to minimize whiplash, and it works. Great video.
Great comment.
When I was learning (UK, so manual), the instructor made the point that you can't clutch well if you have to strain to push it. So even at a dead average 5'10"/1.77 I had the seat *way* further forward that I saw people driving by.
I never thought of a HANS device at track day level, but if you're at the stage where a cage and harness and helmet are prudent what's another few hundred quid? Prevents Basilar Skull Fractures, called "that damn noose" by Dale Ernhardt, who died of a Basilar Skull Fracture.
I'm 5'11 and sit waaay closer than most people my height. Almost too close.
I don't have a Hans enabled helmet but I did buy a SFI approved neck roll. I don't go to the track that often I the car but it's a just in case!!!
Yes, he was incredibly hostile to the whole thing, yet he died from exactly the injury it was designed to prevent - the irony of it... However, after that drivers were much more accepting of it.
Moog, just a suggestion, Film both you and Marty doing some advanced driving courses, they're instructional but mainly a ton of fun.
Maybe they’ll be doing a cash v trash of this. Marty will watch CZcams Bros, while Moog spends on a track day with an expert.
@@matthewmason8982 that would be hilarious
Always loved the science of proper seating position. Bring on an hour od this 👌
I'd love to see Josh do an in depth series on seating position and touch points at some point. Seems like he knows a lot about the matter and I think it's something every driver should know a bit about
Good to know I've been setting my seat up correctly all these years. :-)
Yup it's nice to know the why behind it now lol
I already sat like this from watching other racers and reading seat setup tips. But hearing the reason behind each of these is amazing. I like to know the WHY behind everything. Now it all makes sense. This should go on the main channel as well as the top Google search result for literally anything that is typed into Google
I think all these points should be taken as " get yourself as close to these positions as possible without feeling uncomfortable " . For instance, for me if the seat back is too far forward I get a sore lower back which in turn distracts my driving.
so strange because a lot of manuals for cars tell you to sit as far away from the wheel as possible
@@john_barnett bc of airbag
@@john_barnett think the key phrase is: "as possible". Mainly, they are telling the girls driving massive SUVs and vans that basically rest their entire forearms on the front of the steering wheel to slide their seat back, before they get sucker-punched in the chest/face by the airbag lol
For sure, I'm a very tall guy with long legs, I need the seat quite far back to avoid having my knees in the back of the wheel
Defensive driving is so useful. Dad has been a driving instructor for 2 decades and at this point has had plenty of students and parents thank him for going into defensive driving even though not required by the state for instruction(at this point has had kids of his first students on drives that made a point to seek him out). Aside from better avoiding accidents defensive driving often can relieve a fair bit of stress drivers can get on the road that stems from their pointlessly aggressive driving(tailgaiting for example) that they may not even be aware of.
I've never taken a defensive driving course but I do it everyday. Wish I would've taken a course when I was younger so that I knew what I know now. I don't even know what they teach but I just kinda figured it out on my own and feel like I can teach it if I wanted to. Definitely a good skill to have. I usually know what someone is about to do before they even know that they're going to do. I also like making people feel dumb, so I let them think I don't see what they're doing to do so that I give them a little scare. Also scare my wife some which is funny. "Are you gonna stop??!" No I'm gonna make that dude feel like an idiot haha
@@tcoffin014 That sounds like a pretty terrible collection of attitudes you have there mate, you don't know what a defensive driving course is but think you can teach it and you like increasing risk (even slightly) to make someone "feel dumb", whilst also ignoring what sounds like the better sense of your wife. Maybe I'm way off base but from the way that sounds to me, I hope I'm never around you in traffic let alone in the same vehicle.
I’ve always aimed for having all the vehicle controls within easy relaxed reach(nothing that involves manipulating car control should require I lean or reach to use). Sitting comfortably is good, but secondary to my control of the vehicle. If it’s not primary to controlling the car, they can be positioned outside of that zone if it gives me better access to vehicle control(mirrors, windows, seat adjustments, radio, signal, all can take a backseat vs wheel/pedals/shifter/hand brake).
Love how you guys promote responsible mods and driving. Thank you! so many idiots promoting silly stuff on the road. We actually do get teached this here in the UK, well some do. Its not part of a driving test as such but any decent driving instructor will go through it before you set off for the first time. The hand position on wheel used to be an "advisory" on a driving test IIR, to many of those you fail test.
This is a great little video. I'm going to make some adjustments based on it, and I'll certainly be sharing it!
Good information. Pass this on to the kids.
With a big fat warning sticker that this is setup for *track* use, not *street* use. Neither the title of the video nor the video itself hammers this home hard enough, especially based on Moog's lead-in in the Cash vs. Trash video. Sitting low for distance visibility is for the track. NOT for the street.
What a top bloke young Josh is. Nice informative and very friendly.
Bloody good driver too. Won the last TCR round at Phillip Island and also did some commentary at the last Bathurst 12 Hour
This is the best video I have seen about seat positioning. No wasted time or over-explanation. To the point and informative.
One of your 47 watchers here 🤣
I can testify of incorrect seating causing injuries. Rear end collision in a 1993 JDM Impreza, I was at a red light, young P plater in a Fiat Punto too busy watching college girls to see me stopped, I saw it coming through my rear view mirror, tensed up and bang, dislocated right shoulder and permanently damaged rotator cuff. That was 14/15 years ago now and still gives me problems, especially when it’s cold which in Newcastle UK is pretty much always 🤣🤣
So nice to see Josh Buchan
Met him at the last TCR at Phillip Island and saw some great racing as well
Bloody good driver
I learned to drive on a 1978 Peterbuilt 379 so bracing myself with my legs is natural. I was 135 pounds then trying to push in a 200 pound clutch that was very sensitive. So I learned to plant my back in the back of the seat and use it to get leverage to push the clutch lol.
Josh Buchan is a lovely bloke, good racer (won the last TCR round at Phillip Island) but awesome at speaking and commentary. Big props to Josh Buchan hope his career keeps slaying it.
This guy is a great communicator. Regardless as to how good of a race driver he is, gets some very important points across!
I have a bad back (sciatica lower lumbar) and finding a seating position that is comfortable so difficult. Thanks for this!
I used to sit as far back as I could until Marty mentioned your leg will just go through the pelvis in the event of an accident. Probably a 5+ year old episode but that's stuck with me. Glad to see my seating position is spot on now
Love this type of uploads. It's always nice to get confirmation from a professional that you've been doing it correctly this whole time, with the exception of having a HANS brace...
Also, The BMW driving school has a very good way of properly setting up the sideview mirrors as well.
Huh. That was genuinely informative. I learned a couple things and I've been driving for 30 years. Thank you!
One of the best vids on mcmtv2! Thank you so much Moog!
Excellent to see someone talk about the footrest and bracing yourself in the seat. Almost as important on the track as heel--toe downshifting.
This is something I've thought about for years and nobody has ever had any good advice on it. Good on ya lads.
Loved this episode ❤, epic host and really nice explanation
Great video and very informational. Going to check and compare my sitting when I drive.
Incredibly informative video. Thanks!
Thank you guys, this was great. Safety hidden in plain sight
I don't remember where I learned to do it but I have always followed these instructions when setting up my seat.
Great advice, Hopefully many many people learn something from this. The amount of bad seating positions you see daily is concerning. As a racer (not just the kart pictured) I've always set my seat up correctly, from the day I got my L's.
what a lad. great tips for track day seat position safety, and great lip service for his sponsors. can't be mad at that lol
VERY VERY INFORMATIVE VIDEO FOR ME BECAUSE I DRIVE A SWIFT AND I'VE BEEN WONDERING HOW I SHOUD I SET UP MY SEATING POSITION~ THANK YOU!!!!!!
Altezza… there you go. Great video, you guys!
Awesome video - that guy was great!
Moog was cool too.
That was an amazing summary
I think I had my seating correct when I had my big crash into the side of a GMC panel van , only thing I had was the soreness on my chest from the belt. probably helped the 2014 Mazda 3 was super safe
Wow... What good tips. Must go check my cars seat now.
Gotta be the most important video i have ever watched!
another thing to consider too is how your arms are at 180*. like if you fully run the wheel half a rotation how your arms are bent too. i try to aim for still having some bend due to what if your in a turn (doing a fun drive lets say) and something goes wrong. also something to try to remember is if your front wheels are going to be hit LET GO OF THE WHEEL....you can and more than likely will break wrists or hands if you try to hold on. just watch any on board crashes of motorsports and youll see the wheel go crazy.
Yeah, wheel jolt is no joke. I remember a few years ago a white 2nd gen Megane RS crashed at the Nurburgring that got some serious air time after hitting the barrier and almost doing a front flip. Heard that the driver got his thumb cut off by the steering wheel.
I can't tell you how many fights I've had with my parents how much better it is to sit lower not higher.
That is exactly why I put this up on the TV as evidence.
I’m pretty sure the “sit higher” crowd is focusing on low speed up close maneuvering(parking lot/driveway maneuvers). Personally, as I’m on the large side(I’m about 9 inches taller than the regional average), I’ve alway just slammed my seats as low as they can go and still see a bit of the bonnet(I’m often up against the roof liner)…
@@maqywhaq they often say "visibility" but as this video states that's false
Its the Boomer suv mentality
Maybe you could make an argument for it on the basis of sun shades being more effective? But to be clear I am not going to argue for putting the seat higher.
great video!
Looking forward to the series all about Seating positions
2010 volvo xc70 3.2, love it. Just doesn't do mountain roads well. 215/65vr16's don't help. But I have adapted.
This is an important video that everyone should see
Maybe talk about harness installation also, because if you install them incorrectly your Hans device will be useless also! And maybe cover the Hybrid also! Love this Series, keep up the fantastic work!
fantastic
HANS is for preventing base skull fractures. The harness keeps you from hitting the steering wheel.
More like this!
10/10!
I've had my seat position very similar to this for years, always had the micky taken a lot. But nice to hear I was somewhat correct 😂
I love it full circle went from mess with everything to yeah… sure you want to do that mate?
It would be a good idea to clean the steering wheel as leather gets shiny when it gets dirty/used and likely is more slippery than it was when new.
Supercars driver and crash was Lee Holdsworth, Darwin 2016 for anyone curious.
I was fortunate enough to grow up when you could drive like you were on a racetrack everyday. And cars and tires didn't handle that we'll. So proper seating position for car control was common sense. It's amazing how many cars l would have liked to own but never did because you just can't achieve the correct position comfortably.
Which cars?
Yes! I can’t seem to find the right spot for my MK7 Golf!
Altezza FTW!!
This is pretty much exactly how I’ve always sat in my cars and my friends have never stopped giving me shit for how close I sit to the steering wheel. I’m gonna send them this.
That's all well and good for average height people. I'm 6'3½'' tall so seat is all the way back all the way down and my head is still nearly touching the inside of the roof. But all very good points. The best defence in an accident is to relax go floppy. More change of little to no injuries.
Interesting video. I have to say most of what I heard here goes against everything my driving instructor taught me back when I was on my L's and what I have seen my wife and son learn while they have been on theirs. In all cases I've been taught 10 & 2 for hand position and I was taught to sit normally with a slight bend in your elbows, your thighs should be flat on your seat with your knees bent and feet touching the peddles. In most cases this hand meant my legs are locked straight or very close to by the time my clutch hits the floor and if I push back against the seat with my arms they are straight too. In my Pajero there is no way possible to set my seat up so I can't see the bonnet unless I am laying back in the car but I guess they are designed for a different purpose than a swift. I will keep this video in mind when I jump in my car later though and see how some of these techniques go in it.
There is a reason why all racing drivers use the quarter-to-three hand position. You can study the subject by searching on Google. There is only one good position and you can indeed learn to change your ways. I changed at an older age and I can't believe how much easier driving became.
Something IMPORTANT that wasn't mentioned - but can be when they come up, is the correct way to wear a 4 point harness!
Most people don't know what the heck they're doing and cinch down on the shoulder straps and pull the lap belts WAY out of position, often to the point where the buckle is close to the middle of the chest. This means that the primary restraint forces will be through the false and floating ribs, almost invariably breaking ribs and causing internal injuries, but it will also promote "submarining", where the body simply slides under the harness, almost invariably causing leg breaks and further injuries.
The lap belt should be positioned so they're across the bony part of the hips, and firm enough to border on uncomfortalbe, then the shoulder straps can be tightened, but not to the point where the lap belt is pulled out of position.
A good 4 point harness, especially with a suitable seat, will give a great deal of support and hold the driver safely in position in an accident - HANS devices are specifically designed for high "G" head on impacts and, while they may be desireable, they're not essential for most drivers.
What happens when you are am above left knee amputee and have a non locking knee joint you only can use brake foot . Especially when doing track days ?
then its impossible for a generalised advice video to benefit you so then you just have to do what feels right,
All excellent points, especially sitting as low as possible, and 9 & 3 hand positioning. Another thing that also helped me was flaring my wing mirrors further out to capture more of the blind spots. The centre rearview mirror already shows what is directly behind you, so the wing mirrors don't need to be doing the same thing.
Will my 55mm steering wheel spacer kill me if airbags go off?
As a 6’5 person I find most cars require aftermarket seats to achieve a proper driving position.
Just come back to this comment section after adjusting my position, did not realise how much I was using my arms to hold my body from moving, now it feels more like a sim where you are just turning the wheel! Cheers
My mom puts the seat like a freaking bar stoll, I have already shown her this video.
The passenger seat looks like it's "sunken" on the side closest to the tunnel. This happens when someone big jumps in the car and sags the thin floor pan. Get out the trolley jack and jack up the spots under the seat bolts.
Was waiting for the explanation of 9&3 hand position!
As I understand it it's basically down to airbags, your arms are more in the way when the airbag deploys if your hands are at 10 and 2 so there's more chance of injury.
@@SomeMorganSomewhere It also gives better control and leverage - you are stronger with your hands at shoulder width and your fine control is boosted by being able to counter one hand with the other. This sounds odd but try driving (somewhere safe & slowly!) with your hands at 11 & 1 or "12 &12" and you'll understand right away.
the fact that was doing all that unintentionally (it felt right) says a lot when I was learning driving my left leg was too far back and it was sore all the time once I got to drive on my own I progressively changed my seating position kinda like that
My manual friends tend to set more forward and my auto friends are practically laying down in their car. I learned quickly that my calves prefer to slide more forward in my seat. Seems better for the clutch didnt know about the steering wheel height though.
Love how Josh said the steering wheel is a nice shape
lol. Round.
In the US we are thought defensive driving first, but nothing else about seat or arm placement…. Besides 10 and 2 o’clock
I have one question about the "not seeing you bonnet", how do I see where my bonnet ends so that I can feel the dimensions of the car when switching lanes and avoiding a crash? Thanks
Spacial awareness and give yourself a few more metres than you think you need.
I knew a guy that sat too far back while driving his standard car so his left knee was locked and one day he had his clutch to the floor and was holding it getting ready to start driving and he got rear ended and the impact actually broke his hip and sent his femur out through the skin on the top of his hip. He lost the leg because of that. He said the bone was actually stuck in the seat.
I don't see how lowering your seat causes you to look more forward?
I'm tall so my head is only and inch from the ceiling. I tried to lower my seat as much as I could but then my legs were at an angle that hurt so I raised it a little till that stopped from memory.
I can see a bit of the bonnet, I still look far forward. My car is low and other cars are high, why wouldn't this affect it?
I just don't get this, I look where I need to, as far ahead as possible. What am I missing in what he said as it just doesn't make sense to me?
i30cw diesel - madd fuel economy and turbo boost to boot
I have the same model Swift, bought about a week before the first vid' on yours, but with my body shape I need a steering wheel with a couple of inches more dish, but also want to keep the airbag, and haven't found anything.
Anyone reading this have a suggestion that keeps the air-bag but has more dish?
Daily Driver Motorsport aka The Spacer Shop out of Italy have steering wheel spacers for ZC31S Swifts. The spacer bolts to the steering column and your stock steering wheel then bolts to the spacer, positions the stock wheel approx 50mm closer, roughly the same as a dished aftermarket wheel - but you get to keep your airbag.
@@AndrewJZX
Wow, thank you so much for that - been just checking the legal side of aftermarket wheels here, NZ, and it seems if an airbab is fitted as an OEM item, then a replacement wheel must also have one - which effectively means they'd be illegal. The spacer should solve that issu - I hope!
Eek, 245 Euro's - might have to do a bit more checking on our questionable laws for legality.
@@gordowg1wg145 no dramas dude, I've been using the bloke's spacers in a couple of different cars for a while now, they are a little on the pricey side but quality is good and he's pretty good with any issues (my ND MX5 one came with the wrong adapter harness for the cruise/radio buttons - he rectified it quickly and without question).
8:45 Moogs summary :)
If Moog had watched last week's video, he'd know about about HANS devices! MCM definitely need to get their hands on an i30N, they're supposed to be a lot of fun and they're not a Golf.
At 6'4" I wish I could have the backrest forward more, but I can't see out of most cars with my head in the roof.
My biggest problem is that I own multiple cars and drive multiple cars that are completely different in terms of seating positions. If I set up my seat so that my feet are properly in position I can't even reach the steering wheel even in a car with a adjustable steering wheel. Or I seem to sit properly but after like 10 minutes my back and knees start to feel uncomfortable real fast lol. I hate setting up seating positions..
For reference I drive a Peugeot 307CC facelift with the leather interior and full adjustment in the seats and steering column and a 97 Civic EK3 with gen 4 prelude seats with no height adjustment and a steering wheel with a deep dish and a extender.
Just make the best compromise you can then mate
Well, my seat is more comfortable now👍
HURRY UP HURRY UP 🚀🚀🚀
He is living the dream, isn't he? Also a nice and informative video.
You can get your steering wheel retrimmed to help with slippage.
id tape the steering wheel
Great advice for safety..
Bad advice for Street cred 😂
So when are you at MCM going to visit KDM and mod a Hyundai? (KDM =Korean Domestic Market, instead of JDM)
Wow finnaly. I'm in my mid 50s, I qas lucky my dad a x race car driver, taught me as a 13 year old how to "sit" in a car bum to pedal to wheel. Also if shit goes wrong and you need the controls ie wheel gears pedals it's in a natruel grab postion, also its how you "feal" the car how to understand what the car needs to respond to what you need it to do.
It's called driver feed back.
That’s all well and good but what about people who are 5,5 or under?
100% on the defensive driving course, frankly I think it should be required to transition from L's to P's. You don't really understand JUST how sketchy things can get (and how to recover) even at 40kmh until you actually DO IT on a pan.
I learnt how to setup my driving position from Francois Delacour.
VOTE: Main channel video PLS?
I drive an elantra N go Hyundai!
You can literally be killed by airbags if you sit too closely. My best friend in college was an EMT, and he told me about this old lady who had her chest collapsed by sitting too close to the wheel. The airbag deployed and crushed her ribs into her lungs. That said, a lot of people also sit too far away as covered in this video. We've all seen the people sitting reclined as far back, but also the grannies sitting two inches from their steering wheel with their hands at 10 and 2. Both are unsafe, and people are judging you from driving in a stupid way.
If I see a gangster lean or the granny up on the wheel seating positions. I'll judge you and assume you can't drive to save your life.
also helps if you dont have the steering wheel facing your chest
13.89m
Wow I literally did all of them already
My seat is a bit higher because I'm short xd