[vsathyap]

Hi Folks!

I have a question regarding the modifications available for short drivers. I purchased an Alto K10 recently, and it was primarily for my wife to drive to office and back.

She is about 5' tall. She is still learning how to drive and complains that she cannot depress the clutch pedal fully. We have tried to adjust the seat to its "front-most" position and have made the back rest almost @ 90 degrees. I know this is a bit unsafe as she is too close to the steering wheel. I want to know if we can get the following modifications done (or even whether they are feasible) ?

I must admit that I haven't tried putting a hard cushion/pillow yet. I'm sure she's gonna complain about back ache very soon if she uses regular pillows / cushions. Are there any ergonomically designed height enhancers available?

1. Can we somehow get the pedals "extended" by elongating the rods coming from under the hood?
2. Can I get another seat installed on the car which has height adjustability and moves forward a bit further

Are there any other drivers out there who are 5 feet tall and can reach all pedals safely/easily? Any suggestions?

I don't want to make "permanent" modifications as I will be using the car a fair bit during the weekends and I like things the way they are, as default.

Waiting for some suggestions...

Cheers!

[Durango Dude]

Have a look at these two links: http://http://www.cartalk.com/conten...hort-tall.html
Power Adjustable Pedals Are A Fantastic Feature

But the quick fix solution to the problem would be to increase the thickness of rubber on the pedals to suit your wife's height.

[sumeethaldankar]

Another way is she could use shoes/sandals which have a thicker rubber sole which would help incase you do not want permanent solutions to the car.Make sure she is comfortable to drive while wearing those though.

[vigsom]

use a bed cover folded such that it can be placed over the seat ;use two if you wish i am not short but use this to give me a "commanding" view.

no back problems with this arrangement.try it out - it's free

[Endeavour333]

On the other hand, are there modifications for tall people like me? I am 6 feet 8 inches tall and can barely even fit in my Endeavour comfortably. The problem with me is that my legs are just way too long. I cant get them under the steering wheel even with the seat all the way back. If I move the seat too far back and down like in a BMW 5 series, the steering is too far away from me. Tough life.

My dream is to own a supercar like a Porsche but with my height I dont think I ma going to be able to fit in :(

[vsathyap]

Thanks for all your suggestions and inputs! I will first try the "free" approach suggested by vigsom. My wife already tried wearing thick-soles (and my pocket conveniently became lighter!) but she says that they don't give her that "feedback" one gets while using the pedals. So, new footwear doesn't work - and there goes my hard earned money

I'm not sure if anyone in Bangalore has any of those power adjusted pedals or those extenders available. A quick scan through JC Road shops and all I got was silly grins from shop owners ...

I dont know why but none of those shop fellows seemed interested in my question. I got the feeling that they were only there for the customers who had more expensive requirements like Car Stereos/Alloys/Tints/Seat Covers, etc, where the bill amount would be over 5000 INR.

[ashis89]

IMHO car manufacturers should provide adjustable ABC pedals(like the adjustable brake pedals in bikes). They provide steering with rake/reach adjustment,seat height adjustment, so why not pedal adjustment? Pedals are vital,so their adjustments should be standard across all variants.

[RajaTaurus]

1. - Problem with raising the seat is - it will be even more difficult to press the clutch pedal than lower position. I am 5' 3" and I faced this problem in my Cedia - I took the seat to the top most position and pressing clutch pedal was difficult, as my thigh hit the edge of the seat. So, don't increase the seat height.
2. - High heal shoes - she is right. I used to drive Ford Grand Marquis with Caterpillar safety shoes and the feedback used to be terrible. Not comfortable at all.
3. - Pedel extensions - This will only increase the travel of the pedals for the same result and obviously will pose more discomfort / fatigue rather than improving.
Suggestion? - Push the seat as front as possible and let her try to press the clutch full on stand still condition. See how much more the seat has to go front and shift the seat rails forward. - Problem - She is too close to the steering wheel? - Push the backrest slightly and let her get a slanting position instead of upright. With this position, she must be able to use the pedals as well as maneuver the wheel also comfortably.
- My Two Halalas.

[YaeJay]

Originally Posted by vsathyap

Hi Folks!

I have a question regarding the modifications available for short drivers. I purchased an Alto K10 recently, and it was primarily for my wife to drive to office and back.

She is about 5' tall. She is still learning how to drive and complains that she cannot depress the clutch pedal fully. We have tried to adjust the seat to its "front-most" position and have made the back rest almost @ 90 degrees. I know this is a bit unsafe as she is too close to the steering wheel. I want to know if we can get the following modifications done (or even whether they are feasible) ?

I must admit that I haven't tried putting a hard cushion/pillow yet. I'm sure she's gonna complain about back ache very soon if she uses regular pillows / cushions. Are there any ergonomically designed height enhancers available?

1. Can we somehow get the pedals "extended" by elongating the rods coming from under the hood?
2. Can I get another seat installed on the car which has height adjustability and moves forward a bit further

Are there any other drivers out there who are 5 feet tall and can reach all pedals safely/easily? Any suggestions?

I don't want to make "permanent" modifications as I will be using the car a fair bit during the weekends and I like things the way they are, as default.

Waiting for some suggestions...

Cheers!

put a few soft cushion/pillow and check it out. Quite a few of us started learning pretty young. A 5th std kid has to be shorter than your requirement. Just check out with different cushions and pillows. Be happy you did not own a safari! Cushions are not cheap these days you know!

This is the first time I have heard of someone complaining that they can't depress the clutch pedal to the floor board. ( In My 9th std, The Dolphin, M800, and later the Gypsy were pretty good for my 'short' legs. I must have been less than 5 ft then. I suspect this is a first in the whole of T-Bhp. "About 5 ft tall?". My BIL was supposed to be 5'10 , and I can see the bald spot on the top of his head. I am 5'8 bare feet. So this 'about x ft' affair does not hold any good. unless one is around 4'5 or so depressing the clutch on an Alto would be a task.

If the pillows don't work, Ping me, Id send my 800 seat and base for your seat! Its too small for me even when fully extended, I am thinking of modding the whole thing. If I work out something cheaper, you can have my seat, its base and all other contraption that comes with it. but let me warn you, the nearest position on that seat makes u feel like one is on to that steering wheel, a few mm away even for a heavy chested man.