is it posabable to make my steering wheel tilt down more? - Honda Prelude Forum

Pshrod · 11-13-2011, 12:20 PM

I own a 5th gen and I would like to know if anyone has been able to make there steering colum tilt down more then stock? I would love to keep the stock steering wheel, and make it tilt down more! any info on this would be great! Thanks!

Dan1028 · 11-13-2011, 01:19 PM

Pretty sure that any more tilt and the airbag will squash your nuts in a crash. Not to mention that there probably won't be much room left for your legs with additional tilt...

Pshrod · 11-13-2011, 01:44 PM

I'm not worried about the consequences of making the wheel tile lower, unless doing it will make the colum joints wear out faster. It's just that I'm sooooo short that the wheel is right in my line of sight while driving. If I have to, I will swap out my steering wheel for a smaller one. But first I would like to see if I can make the stock wheel tilt down more. There would still be a lot of room for my legs if I were able to lower the wheel at least one more inch.

Nighthawk01 · 11-13-2011, 03:16 PM

Stupid questions - but i need to ask anyway to further help.

Did you tilt the wheel as far as it can go factory?

Did you raise the bottom portion of the seat via the knob so you're not sitting in a "hole"?

Did you consider swapping out to whichever s2000 steering wheel that is useable with the airbag function on our car so the overall wheel diameter is smaller thus easer to see? That would give you that 1" you're looking for while still remaining safe

Lastly - if You're really that short that you cannot see over the wheel as low as it can go, use a cushion or consider another car. It's not worth the risk of any modifications that would oppose safety of you the driver - when an accident can hurt more people than just you.

I don't mean to sound rude - but my sister is 4'9 and she can see fine behind the wheel of my car.

Kronn 98SH · 11-13-2011, 08:13 PM

I have to agree with Nighthawk. Tilted all the way down, I can steer with my thighs. There really isn't a need for it to go lower. If you can't see past it, you're sitting improperly.

I've had plenty of short people drive my car (under 5ft), and none of them had an issue. User error.

Lastly, it's a freakin Jap car. You think it's not made for tiny humans?

Pshrod · 11-14-2011, 09:00 AM

I really appreciate the concern for my safety! And please don't take anything I say as the wrong way! I don't mean any harm what so ever! I apologize right now for anything that comes out attitudey! All I really wanted to know is if anyone has been able to make there steering wheel tilt lower. I'm sure someone out there has done it before! And besides, There is plenty of room between my legs and the bottom of the wheel to be able to lower it an inch and still be as safe as it was at stock height. For some reason I have always driven all of my car with my left hand at the 12 o'clock position. And that's always been most comfortable (control wise) for me to drive that way. So it's actually my own hand that's in the way, but that's besides the point. Is it posable to lower the steering wheel, via modifying the stock tilt mechanism?

Rycon · 11-14-2011, 02:10 PM

I realize you're not trying to cock an attitude and that's good, but you still don't seem to be getting the message.

The 'consequences' are not to be ignored. Don't think they don't apply to you somehow, because they DO.

The airbag system is designed to save your life in the event of crash. It doesn't matter how you drive or what you do, someone could hit you head on while you're sitting at a stop light.

I'm not trying to be mean, I just feel you are ignoring safety warnings because you feel like they are not important.

You must raise your seat height.

Pshrod · 11-15-2011, 11:18 AM

I've got your message loud and clear. In your opinion it's not safe. But in my opinion it's as safe as it is at stock height. My car was stolen from it's last owner and he put aftermarket seats in it that don't have height adjustment. And they sit me way lower then I would be if it had stock seats in it. I really like the seats! So swapping them back to stock seats is not an option, nor is raising them up. I'm not ignoring the consiwuences, And I know I'm not exempt from them either! I've been driving all sorts of cars on California freeways for a very long time, and ive seen some pretty horrific sh*#!!!! But if something dose happen, I take full responceability for my own actions! So now that we have all the safety talk out of the way, is it posable to make the steering wheel tilt lower by modifying the stock tilt mechanism? If no one has any info on this, I'll be going exploring on my own, and I'll post a write up on it for anyone else who is interested in doing the same.

Pshrod · 11-15-2011, 11:22 AM

I am also considering the s2000 steering wheel in conjunction with lowering the wheel via modification of the stock tilt mechanism.

Rycon · 11-15-2011, 12:12 PM

Fair enough, safety talk aside though why are you giving up on raising the height?

Is there a way you could put spacers on the bracket mounts?

It's always better to sit up a little higher, it gives you better field a view which = better control.

Honestly lowering the tilt is probably impossible or requires difficult custom fabrication.

Pshrod · 11-15-2011, 01:10 PM

I guess I just like how low I sit in the car. I can see over the steering wheel, but with my hand up there, all I see is my wrist. I have considered raising the seat, but don't really want to. If all of my efforts to not have to raise the seat up more then it is now, become exhausted, then I will have no choice but to raise it up. I am a custom metal fabricator at heart, and a electrician by trade. I thinking can figure something out! I'll let yal know how it goes...

Kronn 98SH · 11-15-2011, 01:22 PM

Wouldn't it be simpler and wiser to just raise the seat? A couple of quick brackets and you're done, plus you'll be at the height of a regular person, which means you'll be more aware of your surroundings. Win, win.

Nighthawk01 · 11-15-2011, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pshrod

I guess I just like how low I sit in the car. I can see over the steering wheel, but with my hand up there, all I see is my wrist. I have considered raising the seat, but don't really want to. If all of my efforts to not have to raise the seat up more then it is now, become exhausted, then I will have no choice but to raise it up. I am a custom metal fabricator at heart, and a electrician by trade. I thinking can figure something out! I'll let yal know how it goes...

huh... we have something in common.

Try the s2000 wheel first - i can't remember if it's an ap1 or ap2 that's compatible with the airbag plugs.

Rycon · 11-15-2011, 01:33 PM

I know your tired of hearing it, but I'm sorry.. if your hand is in the way at the 12 position.. you just arent sitting high enough and your vehicle awareness is suffering at all angles. I cant imagine you can see down the hood so good, and the rear is probably worst.

I know you are working to correct the issue by lowering the tilt. You don't have to fight me on it I will leave you alone now.. I just cant see how this is a good idea..

Sorry for repeatedly not answering your question. In my mind all I see is this:

playludesc · 11-16-2011, 01:36 AM

Best thread ever. +1 to everyone.

To explain myself, some of that is sarcastic for no one answering the poor guy's question. Some of it is for the ridiculous chastising for making an "unsafe" modification to his car. (I mean, seriously? Isn't that what we're all about? Our airbags don't do anything but get in the way for everything but head-on collisions with other cars or walls. If modifying the angle of the steering wheel makes the airbag a lethal killing machine, just disable it while you're in there making modification. Seat belts worked for decades.) Some of it is for his stubborn nonacceptance of an incredibly easy solution like using a cushion. Some of it is for "posabable". The rest is for the lulz I got.

Pshrod · 11-16-2011, 09:05 AM

I just found a 3 spoke bb6 prelude steering wheel from a japan model prelude. What's the size difference between the 4 spoke prelude steering wheel in my car now and the 3 spoke wheel from japan? They look just like the s2000 wheel.

Rycon · 11-16-2011, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by playludesc

(I mean, seriously? Isn't that what we're all about? Our airbags don't do anything but get in the way for everything but head-on collisions with other cars or walls. If modifying the angle of the steering wheel makes the airbag a lethal killing machine, just disable it while you're in there making modification. Seat belts worked for decades.) [/I]

I don't know if your being serious or sarcastic, but that's not what I'm about.

Only ricers and idiot teenagers don't take safety seriously and are more concerned about 'looking cool' or being 'fast n furious'. Then when they are dragged out of a crushed tin can, they blame everyone but themselves.

Pshrod · 11-16-2011, 12:14 PM

For one, I'm no ricer! And I'm no teenager by a long shot!! What's the difference between disabling the airbag and replacing the steering wheel with one that dose not have an air bag? And it has nothing to do with looking cool!! It has to do with being comfortable in my own car! I broke my back twice in my lifetime in two motorcycle crashes that weren't my fault!!! And I hate to say it, but it was aisian ladies both times that plowd into me. So I sit which ever way is most comfortable to me. I've lived in the sf bay area all my life, and just dealing with the ass holes on these freeways have made me not care about anyone's safety but my own! Heck, in my opinion I'm the only one on the face of this earth that actually knows how to drive!!! But that's just my own opinion. I used to drive 150 to 200 miles a day for my job on sf bay area freeways for over 10 years. And I've seen just how much others care about others safety out here. So it's now everyone for them selves on these freeways. And that's just the way it is. so why should I care about keeping other people safe, when they don't care about my safety and cut me off when I have my two little ones in the car with me? So what I have found out so far is that it is posable to lower the wheel by modifying the stock tilt mechanism, which I'm fabing up the parts to do it almost as we speak. If anyone wants to have me make them the part to do it, just pm me. It's a bolt in part. All you have to do is unbolt the old one, and bolt on the new one!

Rycon · 11-16-2011, 04:03 PM

I should have stated that I was speaking in general and not directed towards you, I realize that replacing the steering wheel removes the airbag anyway.