Whats up with the NON Tilt Steering Wheel?!

[amd2132]

Any comments?!

[amd2132]

i dont know about anyone else but i think its fkng annoying... i mean heated seats but no tilt wheel?! pffffff

[clex2]

If you want it bad enough, you can add it. I did.

Look here:

http://www.apexcone.com/JimPowellHomepage/tiltwheel/tiltwheel.htm

[amd2132]

Thanks for the help.

[nick_hegel]

I was pissed when I first got my car, but I have no come to expect nothing fancy from my ti! :biggrin: I'd like to redo my interior and add heated seats in time.

[GREX1969]

Yep I find it really annoying especially as it seems to be positioned right in view of all my warning lights?

[robcarync]

it was annoying at first.....but the steering wheel cant move, but the seat can move in just about every direction to compensate for the wheel in the way of the warning lights :-)

[amd2132]

yea def. agree with you guys .... jus the way the seat feels most comfortable to me doesnt match with the steering wheel so i might have to take the option of adding in the tilt ..... it would be more comfortable not to have my arm up that high on long drives ...

[aceyx]

the stock steering wheel is to promote proper driver positioning (if you're within a certain height range) and not the ghetto style crap i see most people doing.

ideally, you should be sitting fairly upright. with your arm level, the bottom of your wrist should be able to sit at the 12:00 on the steering wheel.

even the offest of the steering wheel (note that it is a shorter reach on the right at 3:00 than on the left at 9:00) is supposed to contribute to proper driving technique, not to mention solve a problem with balance and feedback.


remember that these cars are engineered, not just built.

[amd2132]

thank you for that LOL .... still want tilt wheel!

[cali-ti]

the stock steering wheel is to promote proper driver positioning (if you're within a certain height range) and not the ghetto style crap i see most people doing.

ideally, you should be sitting fairly upright. with your arm level, the bottom of your wrist should be able to sit at the 12:00 on the steering wheel.

even the offest of the steering wheel (note that it is a shorter reach on the right at 3:00 than on the left at 9:00) is supposed to contribute to proper driving technique, not to mention solve a problem with balance and feedback.


remember that these cars are engineered, not just built.

tilt might be convenient/nice, but i agree with aceyx (and i must be in the proper range for the "right" driver size, lol). i find when i have my seat adjusted properly, i can see the gauges and warning lights just fine. the gauge cluster is precisely aligned with the view through the top of the steering wheel ... just the way the german engineers designed it! :biggrin: maybe you other guys need to have your bodies properly sized ;)

[amd2132]

how do you know your seat is in the right position that the german engineers want you in? why couldnt they make a tilt wheel to go with the "adjustable" seats uhem multiple positions acceptable ..... if they REALLY want you at the specific position where you can "precisely" see the gauges then why make an adjustable seat at all .... maybe they should have just put in racing buckets .... just a thought. :wink:

[AlaskaBlue]

the stock steering wheel is to promote proper driver positioning (if you're within a certain height range) and not the ghetto style crap i see most people doing.

ideally, you should be sitting fairly upright. with your arm level, the bottom of your wrist should be able to sit at the 12:00 on the steering wheel.

even the offest of the steering wheel (note that it is a shorter reach on the right at 3:00 than on the left at 9:00) is supposed to contribute to proper driving technique, not to mention solve a problem with balance and feedback.


remember that these cars are engineered, not just built.
x 3

Top of the head should be about 3-4 fingers from the roof in order to allow the driver to see further down the road. Seat should be far enough forward so that when the driver is pushing on the steering wheel hard their arms don't lock. Sitting this way it is easy to have a great view of the road and see all of the gauges just fine.

Oh yeah you would also have a much better chance of avoiding an accident in the proper driving position because.

A. Driver is sitting higher up and if trained right and looks further down the road they will see further and have more time to react.

B. If something does happen all of a sudden the driver will be in the correct position to get best reaction time.

C. If you do wreck your elbows won't lock out and arms won't get broken from the steering wheel.
:wink:

[amd2132]

i think you could get the same results with the wheel tilted down.

[96cali]

even the offest of the steering wheel (note that it is a shorter reach on the right at 3:00 than on the left at 9:00) is supposed to contribute to proper driving technique, not to mention solve a problem with balance and feedback.

I am skeptical of this. I don't think the other e36's have this offset. Can anyone verify?

[amd2132]

ill second that ...

[aceyx]

if they REALLY want you at the specific position where you can "precisely" see the gauges then why make an adjustable seat at all .... maybe they should have just put in racing buckets .... just a thought. :wink:
not everybody's eyes are the same distance from their tailbone (up/down, headrest), and some people (like myself) have monkey arms (forward/back). the tilt adjustment is for folk whose arms aren't in normal proportion with their legs.

on sport models, the thigh bolster is to maintain blood circulation (the "sharp" corner can cut it off after a while).

ever notice that racing buckets are pretty upright? there's a rhyme and reason to it, and it's nothing to do with racers not listening to rap/hip-hop.

an additional thing about the driving position is that the pillars aren't obstructing your field of view greatly when in a turn (save for the C pillar, but you should be ahead of everybody, right?)


and the final reason we don't have adjustable steering columns is because it's a budget car. BMW built this model specifically so we would fall in love, then buy up.


postscript: i have noticed the offset on all E36s, and this has been verified by other people. however, it's entirely possible that the lot of us have slightly longer left arms.

[GREX1969]

and the final reason we don't have adjustable steering columns is because it's a budget car. BMW built this model specifically so we would fall in love, then buy up.

20,000+ pounds for a brand new one (at time of) doesn't fall into the budget car club in this country. I just think it's a real shame, they've included lights that come on when you open the vanity mirror, but forgot about a simple steering wheel tilt.
Every modern car I have every owned or drove has had steering wheel tilt even the missus little Citreon (which is a budget car) has it.
Yes its great that the seat can move in a million positions, but it takes about 2 weeks to find the best driving position and then someone else drives my car and put the seat in his/her fav position. Need one of those elec seats that has memory I think.

[amd2132]

i agree w/GREX1969

[cali-ti]

20,000+ pounds for a brand new one (at time of) doesn't fall into the budget car club in this country. I just think it's a real shame, they've included lights that come on when you open the vanity mirror, but forgot about a simple steering wheel tilt.
it's cheap for a bmw. from what i heard, it was produced to lure younger buyers who would then move up as they also moved up the income ladder. previous e30 325is doesn't even have the lighted vanity mirror ;) i'm still not sure how much of it is the german "this is the way it should be" mentality (remember how long it was before they put cupholders in?) and how much of it is economics (multiply the cost of the tilt steering wheel parts by 10s of thousands of units, it adds up).
Every modern car I have every owned or drove has had steering wheel tilt even the missus little Citreon (which is a budget car) has it.
does the citreon have all the seat adjustments the bmw does? just one reason it might have the tilt feature while our ti does not. i'd never seen the up/down adjustment on a seat before i got my bmw. my previous cars had front/back and rear seatback tilt adjustment, but no up/down and those cars did have a tilt steering wheel.
Yes its great that the seat can move in a million positions, but it takes about 2 weeks to find the best driving position and then someone else drives my car and put the seat in his/her fav position. Need one of those elec seats that has memory I think.
a tilt wheel wouldn't solve the problem of someone else messing up your seating position when they drive your car, just add one more variable. the memory certainly would be a nice feature for getting it back into the right spot though! :)

at least with the parts list, you can go about adding the tilt feature if you wish.

[Phil Marx]

Actually, none of the later 3 Series (E36) models have the tilt wheel. There was a problem with a crash test that caused a recall on the steering column, to essentially weaken some reinforcement of the column to soften impact. Subsequent to that recall (sometime around '95 IRC), the tilt option (325is and M3 coupe) went away in production so it's hard to say if it was intended for the ti or not. Since the 4-drs never had it (in the U.S. at least) maybe the ti was never to get it. Suppose it had something to do with the lower coupe seating compared to the sedans.

[John Firestone]

The German price lists for 1996 and 1997 list a tilt steering wheel option for the regular/longer body E36 3ers but not the E36 compacts.

[nick_hegel]

My brother has an E36 M3/4 and he makes fun of me for not having tilt. I'm pretty sure he has it on his car.

[Phil Marx]

My brother has an E36 M3/4 and he makes fun of me for not having tilt. I'm pretty sure he has it on his car.
You'd better check again with him and see. I'll bet he doesn't if it's a U.S. specification car. BMW showed the height-adjustable steering wheel as standard only on the 325is coupe and 325i convertible in 1994. At the beginning of 1995 MY it was listed as an option included only with the Premium Package in the 318i sedan, 318is coupe, and 325i sedan. It was also optional included with the sport package in the 318is coupe, and it was standard in all convertibles, the 325is coupes, and the M3 coupe. By mid '95 it was only available on the 325i convertible where it was standard. For '96, '97, and '98 it wasn't listed for any 3 Series model or M3—4dr or coupe.

Just reading the factory propaganda.

-Phil

[nick_hegel]

You'd better check again with him and see. I'll bet he doesn't if it's a U.S. specification car. BMW showed the height-adjustable steering wheel as standard only on the 325is coupe and 325i convertible in 1994. At the beginning of 1995 MY it was listed as an option included only with the Premium Package in the 318i sedan, 318is coupe, and 325i sedan. It was also optional included with the sport package in the 318is coupe, and it was standard in all convertibles, the 325is coupes, and the M3 coupe. By mid '95 it was only available on the 325i convertible where it was standard. For '96, '97, and '98 it wasn't listed for any 3 Series model or M3—4dr or coupe.

Just reading the factory propaganda.

-Phil I will check when I get a chance. I probably am totally wrong, but he always tease me about my ti compared to his M. And I thought that was one of the things.

[aceyx]

another thing i remembered:

proper driving position also lets the seatbelt do its work. it should be low on the hips to prevent submarining (sliding under the belt). i actually tug on it to get it set sometimes.

[takeoner]

hey guys on my ti i dont have the tilt but with a little 4 hours of thinking and do it right i found a way to drop it if u whant but u have to modify a lil bit send me pm and i check how can i say to u now ist 1¾ inch drop

[Mallard]

i went swimming once in the same shorts i drove to the beach in (not smart if you forget to take your keys out also..) but anyway..

i drove home sitting on a folded towl, and now i want a booster cusion :lol:

seriously, if i could get the seat to raise that high i would :)

[thesk8nmidget]

i like the way the seat adjusts but i do wish the wheel would drop at least an inch. im 5'7 and can see fine but my arm has to go up to be comfortable

[mohaughn]

My 1997 328i does not have a tilt steering... I've never seen it as an issue... Of course, I sit in the car properly and drive with my hands on the steering wheel properly. You shouldn't drive with one hand on the wheel at 12 o'clock anyway. So I'm not sure why you have to reach "up." I also don't agree with some other comments that the seat should be up as high as possible. That promotes looking down over the hood. If you want to look out farther while driving, put the seat down lower, then it is impossible to look at the front of the hood, which you shouldn't do.

The other major complaint by US drivers about BMW's is the lack of, or crappy cup holders, drive an e39. But handling/holding/drinking a drink while driving isn't something that is considered proper in Germany... In the US most driving schools, as in beginner driver programs in high school, don't teach proper seating position.

I absolutely love watching people drive auto-x, or even seeing inside car video's of people doing time trials and they never take their hand off of the gear shifter. Bad form.

[applecrisp]

Hey so I have been trying to figure out how to do this for quite some time But this thread didn't really get what I wanted... Does anyone know if you can buy a steering column from like 325 or something or like get a custom Nordi torino wheel with custom hub or something? just a thought..

[Stratacos]

ideally, you should be sitting fairly upright. with your arm level, the bottom of your wrist should be able to sit at the 12:00 on the steering wheel.

even the offest of the steering wheel (note that it is a shorter reach on the right at 3:00 than on the left at 9:00) is supposed to contribute to proper driving technique, not to mention solve a problem with balance and feedback.

fascinating.

[HuGo]

Old thread. LoL

Lets put it this way. From the aftermarket seats i installed, I can't even see the hood of my car. Lucky I'm tall that im barely able to see over the steering wheel.