I have been looking at racing seats, and was wondering if there are any suggestions as to where the seat should be positioned for autocross and street driving. Options are either a fixed seat position, a reclineable seat in a fixed position, or a fully adjustable sliding seat. The fixed position is the cheapest but does not offer the extra comfort, although it is the lightest.

So really, I'm just curious as to where the seat should be. Or maybe a better question is, what position should the driver be in during an autocross with street drivability in mind. I already sit up preaty close to the wheel, but my legs get a little tied up. If I move back a little, my legs are now free to move about, but my visibility and reach to the wheel are now compromised. Are there any set standards as to where you should position yourself for agressive driving? Is there a certain angle your arms should be at in relation the the steering wheel?

If I do decide to get a fixed position seat; I'm gonna need to know where to mount it down at. The passengers seat will be given all of the available leg room so that is not an issue. But you must remember that this car is also going to be driven on the street and needs to be comfortable enough for say, a 1 hour drive.

 

In my FP car the seating position is very close to stock. I've got an aluminum seat with some custom made brackets attached to the factory slide adjustor. This allows easier entry and exit and allows a co-driver some adjustment. For autocross a more upright seating position is more desirable as your outward vision is very important. The speeds are slower and the cones need to be seen easily. Your ability to get around the cones quickly will be hindered if you sit to low in the car. My seat might be comfortable enough for an hours drive but I wouldnt' want to try it.

 

So it is possible to attach seat brackets to the stock slider? I was thinking that might be an option but I have only had the seats out once and I didn't even think to inspect it. The perfect setup to me would be a fixed position racing seat attached to the stock slider. That would give me the needed support and some comfort for the drive to and from the course. The visibility is almost a non issue for me at 6'2" since my head already comes very close to the roof as it is. But during autocross I would most likely remove the roof section on my vert which would open up some extra head room (lots of extra head room), and the roof section weights in at somewhere around 50 pounds. But I need enough clearance to get to and from. Everything is a trade off I guess.

 

very good point I hadn't thought of that

 

If your 6'2" then using the stock seat adjustors might make the seat to high depending on the type of seat you use. I'm using a Kirkey aluminum seat and have it mounted as low as I could get it. I figured if it was to low I could redrill a hole in the L brackets I'm using to attach the seat to the adjustors or put a 1-2" layer of high density foam under the seat cover.

 

These are good questions, but the core question is, is this a street car or a race car?

In a race car, then it's a fixed location. Especially if you're a taller guy, you're going to need every inch of headroom you can get. Furthermore, if there's a cage in the car, you need to make sure you have enough room in there to keep your head from resting against the A-pillar bar.

Street car, then go with what's most comfortable for you. Sliders are definitely nice to have, but if you do track the car, you'll still want to consider fitment with your helmet on. It will suck if you get in the car no problem, but can't drive with a helmet on

as for seating position, I'll assume racing (autox or road race). In that case, you'll want to have your arms at roughly 120* bend while holding the steering wheel, with your legs comfortable. You may need to space the steering wheel back towards you to accomplish this. Your legs should still be slightly bent when applying full throttle or full brakes, but you don't want to jam your hips or knees at zero throttle either.

Just my .02$

PaulC

 

The more upright you sit, the better your butt sensor can feel the car's attitude and the easier it is to drive.

Of course, if you're anything over 6' tall this means bolting the seat to the floor if not lower.

 

The car will be mostly street driven with a one day a week auto-x. So comfort is a real issue. But I have a nice comfy 626 for daily duties and most of my street driving is preaty agressive. But I really like the idea of using the stock slider with an aftermarket fixed position seat. That setup seems to be the best compromise betweent comfort and function. The height of the seat will be a guessing game untill I find the right seat; but since it is a vert head room can be easily gained for a helmet. On the street without a helmet there should be pleanty of headroom. And since visibility on the auto-x track will be a key element, I think going at it with the top down will not only provide better visibility but also reduce weight by removing the targa section which is preaty darn heavy.

As for the angle of your arms Silkworm; do you mean 120° relation of your forearm to steering wheel? OR 120° from your forearm to upperarm?

And where can you get a steering wheel spacer for a MOMO? I don't want to spend $200 on one of those detachable hickamagiggies just to space out the wheel an inch; there has to be someone who sells just a simple spacer.

 

forearm to upper arm.

Frey racing (http://www.freyracing.com) has a spacer, but it's designed to go with a quick release hub. I don't know of any others right off the top of my head, but there's gotta ge some. Otherwise, you could get one machined for you pretty easily I would think. You may be able to adapt the Frey spacer to your needs, give them a call.

 

Im 6'2" and I have to have my seat reclined. It sucks, I have reach way out to hold the wheel. Any suggestions?