Hey all,

Just had a quick question about something that pops up every so often for me. I was just wondering if there was a correct position for the seat to be in and your leg to be in when you depress the clutch to shift gears?

What brings this up is that some times i'll experience pain in the back of my knee after driving and shifting alot. its not noticible at first, but it sometimes comes at random times. I've attributed it to my clutch use because I remember reading somewhere that you shouldn't sit too far from the clutch because your leg gets hyperextended or something. I'm 6'2" and I have my seat relatively far back enough but its not at its full extent. I occasionally switch my distance from the wheel a few half inches back or forth because I can never feel like i'm in the right position.

Should my legs be bent more or straight more? It feels like when I'm closer to the wheel, I can more easily engage the clutch but my legs feel cramped. If i move the seat a tad bit back my legs are less cramped but sometimes I wonder if I'm too far?

Help?

 

I am 6'3 and my seat is all the way back. When I depress the clutch my leg is very extended. I would move the seat forward a bit but then my knees would hit the steering wheel and I can't have that. I have not really had any pain in my legs at all. Sometimes at the end of a day of driving in city traffic I am glad to be finished but there is no real pain.

 

Yeah after I posted this I did some further research, it could possibly be the fact that I drive with my wallet in my pocket. But I dont know yet...

 

Might I ask your age? Not to insult of course.

Im 6'4" thereabouts, 20 yr. old, and my seating position is dictaded by comfortable arm movement. My legs are not straight when im in my car, they are off to either side. Right leg is resting on the downtube, and left is either working the clutch or resting on the dead peddle. When depressing the clutch, my leg is not fully extended, if I had to guess it is about a 135degree angle. On a side note, my foot needs to be pointed to keep from getting stuck between the dash and floor.

 

Ok it's from the other side of the group but may help. I'm only 5'5" and have found fitting into cars can be a challenge. Your leg should not fully extend when the clutch is fully depressed, for me I use the seat back and hight adjust for final position. I have the seat fully forward and all the way down with 3 notches back on the seat back, for a check I put my arm straight out if my wrist is resting on the top of the steering wheel I know I'm good.

Hope this helps.

 

PERFECT! Most people sit either far too close or far too far from the wheel.

A critical lack in the Mini is no telescopic wheel, and no seat bottom angle adjustment. This tends to put the pedals too close when the wheel is adjusted correctly - for my body type.

One thing I've done that helped: I unbolted the front ends of the seat tracks and inserted two washers, then re-bolted and torqued to spec, making darned sure that there were enough threads in the bolts to keep that puppy secure. This lifted the front of the seat relative to the rear, so at my desired seat height (pretty low) my legs were not fully extended when clutch is in, and my arms were as above (wrist on top of wheel).

It's important to be close enough that you get full clutch pedal depression, but don't have to strain to do so.

With the WIDE variety of folks that drive Minis, and the relatively high ocst of the car, it's odd that there aren't more adjustments to the seat/wheel/pedals.

 

I don't know if this would help your knee at all, but correct driving position should allow your hands to break at the wrists when they are on the top of the steering wheel and your back is against the seat. This allows proper extension of your arms when steering.

Without a telescoping steering wheel, this could land your legs at various positions depending on your height, but normally they should be bent and not fully extended when depressing the pedals.

Of course this all could be a physical issue with your knee and have nothing to do with the MINI. Have you had it checked out?

 

Hi, thanks for the replys everyone. nabeshin I am 28. Yeah, I've tried the wrist test before. I honestly think it might be the seat being too far back. Granted I do work in a restaurant for my job right now, so I do a lot of walking. Intrestingly enough, I have found that in the past I tend to do turns alot on my left leg(pirouettish turns, 180 degrees without lifting it). I'm sure that it has something to do with it, I think it may be exacerbated by the clutch depressing when my seat is at a certain distance. Granted the clutch pain doesn't occur all the time, I just can't remember where and when it happens because I'm constantly readjusting my seat position, lol.

 

I thought, that if you were an older fellow, that might be the cause...
anyway
I have not moved my seat in a few years...i make a note of having service guys/mechanics not move it, or I pull the car into/out of the shop.

You might get that knee looked at, as 05DCMSC said above.

 

If the seat adjustments don't work, try taking a dietary supplement of Glucosamine. Supposed to be beneficial for joint health, and promoting mobility and flexibility. Glucosamine can help build healthy cartilage and provide lubrication in your joints.

 

It is called tendonitis and can occur at any age. Generally, the older you get, the more susceptible you are to tendonitis. Try the glucosamine & chondroitin supplements and see if that gives relief. You might try moving the seat closer to the front of the car to see if reducing the extension of your leg/knee when disengaging the clutch provides relief. If the knee pain continues, you are going to be looking at an automatic transmission as the pain will only get more intense and occur more frequently. I know from personal experience.

 

I am 8' 4 and removed my front seat and sit in the back and can rach everything fine.

Sorry, had to say that I am just a 5'10 mini guy. (he he he)

It looks like you need an Automatic or Advil. Take the Advil because stick is just to much fun to drive.

 

If you are sitting too far back and have to over extend your knee or are pointing your toe maybe to depress the clutch for an extended period of time (in stop and go traffic) you may be putting more strain on your calf muscle or your hamstrings, which would explain some pain in the back of the knee. Both the calf (or gastroc) and your three hamstring muscles cross the knee joint from both directions (top to bottom and bottom to top). So if these muscles are being "overworked" and is something that those muscles aren't used to doing, then it could result in that pain or maybe tightness in the back of the knee.

My suggestions would be try sitting a little closer if you can manage to not knock your knees and although maybe a hassle, just stretch out your calf and/or hamstring for a minute or so when you get home, should help relieve it.

....hope this didn't sound crazy...

 

yeah i never know proper positioning either. i knew the wrist/ wheel thing, which I'm fine on...but being 5'2" has its set of challenges. my leg is never fully extended, but i'm always pressing the clutch with the ball of my foot. if i scoot closer, my knee hits the bottom of the steering wheel column.

i recommend getting a Cho-Pat knee strap- they're awesome! they provide compression to the muscles surrounding the knee cap, and the ones behind the knee. it feels amazing! and they're cheap! mine was $12 from the chiropractor.

 

With prolonged use, Advil causes serious kidney problems.

 

I combat that by drinking enough that my liver will be trashed long before I have to worry about my kidney...

Seriously, though, it's good to know what long term effects that sustained use (or over use) of some products might cause your body.

 

polepino-

Try getting the knee pad from Moss Motors to protect the right knee from discomfort and keeping the seat just far enough forward to keep your legs flexed a bit when operating the clutch, brake, and accelerator. Having the knee straight does put strain on it when holding the clutch depressed.

 

The wrist knee thing is to esablish the correct distance for arm reach. I suspect pedal distance is not related due to different inseams. In cycling and in my car I'm set so my leg does not fully extend. What about seat height? The height you have the seat set for changes the angle of your leg, knee etc. When I adjust my seat height that also changes the angle it feels like. But that may ony be on the sport seats?

 

I have had two knee operations on my left knee and so I feel your pain. I have adjusted the seat different ways and just depends on if I am in traffic or on the open road. I usually move the seat forward a couple of notches for city/traffic and on the open road I can have it back a bit where its more comfortable for my arms.....to each their own but if the pains continue its worth having it looked at for sure. I had to get rid of my 5 speed a few years back due to my knee's but as soon as I got it fixed....I got my MINI and never looked back! Good luck

 

Sterfsky, no it doesnt at all. It actually sounds spot on and was along the lines of what I had read about which brought me to this topic of discussion. The whole thing about pointing my toe to depress the clutch and sitting too far back, exactly what I think my problem is.

Sure does!


Thanks everyone for your replies. I really think it has been my distance from the clutch. I have made a concentrated effort within the past few days to sit a tad bit closer so that I am not extending my leg to press the clutch and what do you know? I honestly feel no discomfort in my leg! WOOT!

 

Glad to see you don't have to get rid of your manual transmission.

 

Think of how a "race car driver" sits. Very close to the wheel and pedals. Seat up straight and neck and spine straight. They don't do the gangster lean or anything like that.

So I would say try moving the seat forward more.

By any chance, is this your first manual transmission car? (if it is MT)
If so, I experienced the same thing with this. I'm 19 and have always owned AT vehicles, so when I got into this puppy, it was a little overwhelming at first, and I got a LOT of tendon pains in my left ankle, even to the point where it interfered with work. I had to get an ankle wrap and get two facilitative massages on it per week, for about 6 weeks.

 

I do not understand how people can drive with that gangster lean, one hand on the top of the wheel/barely able to see out.

facilitative, eh? i believe you...

 

I'm oddly shaped with rather short legs but an average sized Torso so I have to get a bit of a gangster lean to keep from sitting right up on the steering wheel. My legs are not fully extended when I drive but I still do the wrist-wheel thing which means I have to recline the seat a few degrees to be positioned right. I think the wrist-wheel measurement is even more important in newer cars because of airbags, if you're too close or too far from the airbag in an accident it may not properly protect you.

 

You short people have it easy, i'm 6'8 and have the seat all the way back. the wrist thing doesn't apply to me, my perportions are too extreme. but good job fixing your knee problem.