Hand Position On Steering Wheel
12-01-2002, 11:02 PM
#1
Intermediate
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 41
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hand Position On Steering Wheel
Hi there,
I've just finished to read some article explaining the "correct" way to keep the hands on the steering wheel while making the sharp turns.. They say that the driver should place the right hand to 12 o'clock position and left hand to the position of 6 o'clock before executing the RIGHT Turn.
1.So the right hand starts the steering wheel rotation/spinning. The left hand at this time "is awaiting for the right hand remaing stationary at 6 o'clock position.
2. When right hand reaches the 6 o'clock position (after 180 degrees of rotation of the steering wheel) it meets the left hand which now takes the control on steering wheel.
3.Left hand spins the steering wheel further to the right till the left hand reaches the 12 o'clock position (the position where the right hand started the steering wheel rotation).
4. Meanwhile...while the left hand was making the spinning from 6 o'clock to 12 o'clock rotation - the right hand was placed back to the 12 o'clock to be ready for left hand to take the control on steering wheel again at its 12 o'clock position.
wow! That seems to me a very complex/sophisticated way to spin the steering wheel. How many of you guys use this technique while driving car on the streets?
Is it for racing only? What about "regular" 10 o'clock - 2 o'clock hand position? Or is it only suitable for strights?
I've just finished to read some article explaining the "correct" way to keep the hands on the steering wheel while making the sharp turns.. They say that the driver should place the right hand to 12 o'clock position and left hand to the position of 6 o'clock before executing the RIGHT Turn.
1.So the right hand starts the steering wheel rotation/spinning. The left hand at this time "is awaiting for the right hand remaing stationary at 6 o'clock position.
2. When right hand reaches the 6 o'clock position (after 180 degrees of rotation of the steering wheel) it meets the left hand which now takes the control on steering wheel.
3.Left hand spins the steering wheel further to the right till the left hand reaches the 12 o'clock position (the position where the right hand started the steering wheel rotation).
4. Meanwhile...while the left hand was making the spinning from 6 o'clock to 12 o'clock rotation - the right hand was placed back to the 12 o'clock to be ready for left hand to take the control on steering wheel again at its 12 o'clock position.
wow! That seems to me a very complex/sophisticated way to spin the steering wheel. How many of you guys use this technique while driving car on the streets?
Is it for racing only? What about "regular" 10 o'clock - 2 o'clock hand position? Or is it only suitable for strights?
12-01-2002, 11:43 PM
#3
Addict
Lifetime Rennlist
Member
Lifetime Rennlist
Member
What I was instructed at the few DE events is (hey, what to I know) :
1 - Hands are at the 9 and 3 position all the time so you know where the center position is.
2 - If the corner is too sharp and requires more of a turn, you adjust your hands before you enter the turn to be "loaded" for extra turning before entering the corner, much the same way as you described. On the 993's you should be able to go to lock this way (or close to lock anyways).
3 - You should not have to slide your hands around the wheel.
4 - I try to drive on the street with the 9/3 position especially in fast moving dense traffic...its a position that makes you feel ready if someone pulls a fast lane change or something happens unexpected.
I was also told that the correct distance from the wheel is your wrist should rest comfortably on the top of the wheel without your shoulders leaving the seat back.
Cheers,
Mike
Cheers,
Mike
1 - Hands are at the 9 and 3 position all the time so you know where the center position is.
2 - If the corner is too sharp and requires more of a turn, you adjust your hands before you enter the turn to be "loaded" for extra turning before entering the corner, much the same way as you described. On the 993's you should be able to go to lock this way (or close to lock anyways).
3 - You should not have to slide your hands around the wheel.
4 - I try to drive on the street with the 9/3 position especially in fast moving dense traffic...its a position that makes you feel ready if someone pulls a fast lane change or something happens unexpected.
I was also told that the correct distance from the wheel is your wrist should rest comfortably on the top of the wheel without your shoulders leaving the seat back.
Cheers,
Mike
Cheers,
Mike
12-02-2002, 01:07 AM
#4
Passed On
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Your description might be fine for autocrosses where you very well might need close to full lcok steering. I don't remember tracks requiring such mods; 9 and 3 works fine.
Why do you ask??? Had problems steering? Doing track events, autocrosses, or a cruise thru the mountains?
Why do you ask??? Had problems steering? Doing track events, autocrosses, or a cruise thru the mountains?
12-02-2002, 01:43 AM
#5
Addict
Lifetime Rennlist
Member
Lifetime Rennlist
Member
I agree that 9 and 3 position is optimal but can be a problem with a Tiptronic if you have a tendancy to rest your thumbs next to the wheel mounted shifter switches. Occasionally, I have inadvertantly up shifted. <img src="graemlins/cussing.gif" border="0" alt="[grrrrrrr]" />
12-02-2002, 02:13 AM
#6
Intermediate
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 41
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
"...cruise thru the mountains.." Right!
I've just got back from a little trip to the close by mountains....it was Alpine road? Palo Alto area...somewhere around 286 and 92..you probably know this Alpine road if you live here.
So...the road is very curvy...one turn after another...left-right-right-left...and so on. While driving I noticed the car seems to be very stable even if drive it through the turns pretty fast...the only reason for the fear I had was because i didn't have enough self assurance how fast I could spin the steering wheel. I remember a month ago or so someone posted the link to movie file which was shot from the camera mounted behind the driver. That guy drove the car on similar road...but probably twice as fast as I could do today
I thought there must be some kind of trick to be able to spin the steering wheel fast enough to get every turn "on time".
p.s. Because we started this topic...I would like to ask ... while making those endless turns I noticed I often push the break pedal ... I guess it is not the best thing to do while turning.. should i keep the speed constant...or accelerating?
here is the part of the article i read today before I posted this thread (originally posted on : <a href="http://www.pca.org/autox/ax_6.html" target="_blank">http://www.pca.org/autox/ax_6.html</a>
"...Steering Techniques
(1) Keep both hands on the steering wheel at all times, except at the start and shifting.
(2) Position your hands on the steering wheel at either the 10 and 2 o'clock positions or 9 and 3 o'clock positions on the wheel.
(3) For most of your steering inputs, you will not have to adjust your hand positions. However on some courses that have very tight turns you may want to use what we term the "Steering Shuffle" routine. This will enable you to feed the wheel from hand to hand without taking either hand off of the steering wheel. First imagine that there is a vertical line through the steering wheel at 12 and 6 o'clock. The left hand stays on the left side of the wheel and the right hand stays on the right side. To turn right, slide the right hand up to the top of the steering wheel at 12 o'clock then pull the wheel down to the 6 o'clock position, meeting the right hand with the left hand which has slid around the steering wheel to that position. To continue to turn the wheel, the left hand will now pull the wheel to the 12 o'clock position, and so on. To turn left, the left hand begins the process by starting to pull the wheel from the 12 o'clock position down the left side to the 6 o'clock position where the right hand will meet it and continue the arc to the left. Remember: you use this process to turn into a corner and to turn out of the corner, so you turn in and you turn out. Don't let the steering wheel loose in your hands when coming out of a turn then grab it when you think it is straight. You will only be playing a guessing game. Steer in, steer out. Also, most of the movement that you will do with this method will go beyond the 9 and 3 o'clock positions on the steering wheel. The more you practice this method, the easier it will work, eventually it will be an automatic process. As you exercise the procedure, you will appear to be moving the wheel slowly, but deliberately. Slow down and you will go faster!..."
I've just got back from a little trip to the close by mountains....it was Alpine road? Palo Alto area...somewhere around 286 and 92..you probably know this Alpine road if you live here.
So...the road is very curvy...one turn after another...left-right-right-left...and so on. While driving I noticed the car seems to be very stable even if drive it through the turns pretty fast...the only reason for the fear I had was because i didn't have enough self assurance how fast I could spin the steering wheel. I remember a month ago or so someone posted the link to movie file which was shot from the camera mounted behind the driver. That guy drove the car on similar road...but probably twice as fast as I could do today
I thought there must be some kind of trick to be able to spin the steering wheel fast enough to get every turn "on time".
p.s. Because we started this topic...I would like to ask ... while making those endless turns I noticed I often push the break pedal ... I guess it is not the best thing to do while turning.. should i keep the speed constant...or accelerating?
here is the part of the article i read today before I posted this thread (originally posted on : <a href="http://www.pca.org/autox/ax_6.html" target="_blank">http://www.pca.org/autox/ax_6.html</a>
"...Steering Techniques
(1) Keep both hands on the steering wheel at all times, except at the start and shifting.
(2) Position your hands on the steering wheel at either the 10 and 2 o'clock positions or 9 and 3 o'clock positions on the wheel.
(3) For most of your steering inputs, you will not have to adjust your hand positions. However on some courses that have very tight turns you may want to use what we term the "Steering Shuffle" routine. This will enable you to feed the wheel from hand to hand without taking either hand off of the steering wheel. First imagine that there is a vertical line through the steering wheel at 12 and 6 o'clock. The left hand stays on the left side of the wheel and the right hand stays on the right side. To turn right, slide the right hand up to the top of the steering wheel at 12 o'clock then pull the wheel down to the 6 o'clock position, meeting the right hand with the left hand which has slid around the steering wheel to that position. To continue to turn the wheel, the left hand will now pull the wheel to the 12 o'clock position, and so on. To turn left, the left hand begins the process by starting to pull the wheel from the 12 o'clock position down the left side to the 6 o'clock position where the right hand will meet it and continue the arc to the left. Remember: you use this process to turn into a corner and to turn out of the corner, so you turn in and you turn out. Don't let the steering wheel loose in your hands when coming out of a turn then grab it when you think it is straight. You will only be playing a guessing game. Steer in, steer out. Also, most of the movement that you will do with this method will go beyond the 9 and 3 o'clock positions on the steering wheel. The more you practice this method, the easier it will work, eventually it will be an automatic process. As you exercise the procedure, you will appear to be moving the wheel slowly, but deliberately. Slow down and you will go faster!..."
12-02-2002, 12:11 PM
#7
Addict
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Houston, Tx
Posts: 2,956
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
You have reasonable questions, but you aren't going to learn satisfactorily via a forum like this... Get Thee to a Driver's Ed event! If you're in Northern California, you have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to track facilities & organizations which host such events.
You must have four pedals in your car, BTW. When I need to slow down, I just use the 'brake' pedal, myself
You must have four pedals in your car, BTW. When I need to slow down, I just use the 'brake' pedal, myself
