Possible next car.

[TurboDan]

Someone who owns a Saab has to make one of these vids and show 'em how it's done...

[Raza]

The difference is I've never heard him say a car has a design flaw because it doesn't have room for a double stroller.

But the recommended hand position is 9 and 3.  It's odd that he doesn't put his hands there.

[Raza]

Actually it is, and in most performance cars the steering wheel is shaped for it.
I still can't figure out how you would hit the steering wheel controls no matter what position your hands were at.  Your hands shouldn't be on the spokes.  You need to make a YouTube video so we can see how this happens.

I took a picture.  I can't film a video of me driving with both hands on the steering wheel.  I lack the amount of hands to do that.

And no, drivers' ed classes haven't recommended 10 and 2 for at least 10 years.  9 and 3 is the proper position (and more natural, and definitely more comfortable for me) and most three spoke wheels are built for that. 



See?  You tuck your thumbs in those little nooks, for lack of a better word.  And, it looks like that is a wheel with Tiptronic controls, so you have them right at your thumbs, without having to move your hand off its position while turning.



Again, right there, where the rim of the wheel thins a bit. 



And again, look at the position of the shift buttons.  Your hands aren't supposed to be above that. 

Here is the Stig driving:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbYuGnibikk

Look at his hand position at 1:42.  That's basically identical to my normal driving hand position.  Then look at it at 1:50.  He's turning the wheel and.....THE HORROR!  His palm is clearly touching the spokes of the wheel.

[SVT666]

Well, I'm going to have to work on that then...but my hands still won't touch the spokes.

[Cookie Monster]

Here is the Stig driving:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbYuGnibikk

Look at his hand position at 1:42.  That's basically identical to my normal driving hand position.  Then look at it at 1:50.  He's turning the wheel and.....THE HORROR!  His palm is clearly touching the spokes of the wheel.

Yeah, because he moved his left hand over to his right hand to try and control the car... in normal situations you wouldn't palm the spokes like that.

[Raza]

Well, I'm going to have to work on that then...but my hands still won't touch the spokes.

I bet they will.

[hotrodalex]

Must only be a problem for midgets. The steering wheel is too low in my Saturn for me to possibly palm the spoke without bending in an extremely awkward position.

[Tave]

Your thumbs shouldn't be tucked around the wheel or resting on the spokes. That's a good way to needlessly break your hands should you ever get in a front-end collision. Proper position is 9 and 3 with both your fingers and thumbs gripped lightly but firmly on the outside edges of the wheel: your fingers on the back and side, your thumbs on the top and side.

[Raza]

Yeah, because he moved his left hand over to his right hand to try and control the car... in normal situations you wouldn't palm the spokes like that.

He does it at 1:46 too, but the camera angle is from the other side, so you can't get a good look at it.

And again at 2:17.

[Tave]

Your hands should never need to touch the center spokes while turning, and I've personally never accidentally hit any of the spoke controls in the course of driving.

[Raza]

Your thumbs shouldn't be tucked around the wheel or resting on the spokes. That's a good way to needlessly break your hands should you ever get in a front-end collision. Proper position is 9 and 3 with both your fingers and thumbs gripped lightly but firmly on the outside edges of the wheel: your fingers on the back and side, your thumbs on the top and side.

Again, the Stig disagrees with you a 1:42.  His thumbs are tucked.

[68_427]

Bring it on Mark

[68_427]

Really?  Are y'all just a bunch of pussies?

[93JC]

lolwut?

[Tave]

Again, the Stig disagrees with you a 1:42.  His thumbs are tucked.

I forgot, you're a race car driver.

[SVT666]

So I drove all day today with my hands at 9 and 3, and my hands never so much as brushed a spoke. 

[2o6]

...what's wrong with touching the spokes?

[Northlands]

...what's wrong with touching the spokes?

This thread went bonkers a few pages back. I wouldn't even attempt to understand what they're getting on about now. 

[hotrodalex]

So I drove all day today with my hands at 9 and 3, and my hands never so much as brushed a spoke. 

I figured out his problem.

I hold the wheel with my fingers and the very edge of my palm (the inside of the first knuckle). To have my hands touch the spokes while turning, I have to use a death grip, with my whole palm touching - enough that my wrist touches at times. Seems like a little overkill, even for racing. It actually gives you less control, because you can only control the wheel with arm motions, instead of finger, hand/wrist, and arm motions.

[Raza]

I forgot, you're a race car driver.

No, he's a race car driver.  You're an ass.  I hope that clears things up.

[Raza]

I figured out his problem.

I hold the wheel with my fingers and the very edge of my palm (the inside of the first knuckle). To have my hands touch the spokes while turning, I have to use a death grip, with my whole palm touching - enough that my wrist touches at times. Seems like a little overkill, even for racing. It actually gives you less control, because you can only control the wheel with arm motions, instead of finger, hand/wrist, and arm motions.

Obviously things like finger and hand positioning change while driving and so does grip tension.  I'm just not understanding how I showed pictures of how I hold the wheel when touching the spokes and then show a video of a professional race car driver doing the same thing, and you people still don't understand how it happens.  I didn't think you were all that dumb. 

The way you hold the wheel seems very uncomfortable, like your wrists are basically being thrust away from the rim of the wheel.  And can you actually turn your steering wheel using just your fingers?  Either you're inhumanly strong or your steering is very light. 

[Raza]

So I drove all day today with my hands at 9 and 3, and my hands never so much as brushed a spoke. 

See, that's not possible, since to hold a wheel at 9 and 3, you have to be touching a spoke.  Or is this going to be another one of those "I stalled, but I'm not calling it a stall because I didn't mean to stall" arguments?

[Cookie Monster]

See, that's not possible, since to hold a wheel at 9 and 3, you have to be touching a spoke.  Or is this going to be another one of those "I stalled, but I'm not calling it a stall because I didn't mean to stall" arguments?

I touch the spokes where it connects to the rim, but my palms don't actually brush the face of the spokes.

[MX793]

I touch the spokes where it connects to the rim, but my palms don't actually brush the face of the spokes.

Ditto.  I touch the transition point between rim and spoke, and my thumbs rest on the top of the spoke (again, pretty much at the transition), but I don't touch the face where the controls would be placed.

[SVT666]

Ditto.  I touch the transition point between rim and spoke, and my thumbs rest on the top of the spoke (again, pretty much at the transition), but I don't touch the face where the controls would be placed.

Same here.

[hotrodalex]

Maybe I'll take another video tomorrow (getting dark soon so it'll have to wait).

[Raza]

I'm now assuming that you all have tiny girl hands. 

[CJ]

????