Nightrain

Am I the only guy asking about this? I want to move the steering wheel a couple of inches closer to me, so that when the seat is all the way back, I can have a hand on the wheel and still have the elbow on the arm rest. What can I say, I have long legs.
Sorta like a spacing ring. We did this all the time in the old days, just threw a slab of 6061-T6 on the drillpress and hacked away at it till it fit...but that was in a pre-airbag world. Oh, and while I'm talking about the wheel, how big a deal is it to add the sound system buttons to the right side of it. I have the upgraded stereo from '07 with the I-pod input and the sub woofer.
Thanks guys, I'll be interested to see the responses to this...

jx3

Don't know about extending the steering wheel, but adding the radio buttons isn't that difficult to do.

A whole thread devoted to doing just that.......

https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/how-tutorial-library-21/adding-radio-buttons-steering-wheel-1912/

catdaddy137

i have also noticed the steering wheel seems to have lack of adjustment...i'm 5ft 8in , so it seems to be an issue for all size people...i like my steering wheel low and close to me -nascar style- , it causes less fatigue.....if i put the seat close enough so that the wheel is comfortable then my legs are all cramped up and my knee hits the console...if there is no way , yet , to make the steering wheel closer , the only sugestion i have is one of those knobs that are made to bolt on the steering wheel.

HHorange

I hate to say this but the steering wheel on most new cars is intentionally moved farther away than in older cars. In fact if you do any reading on the subject it is recommended that your arms be mostly straight out while driving. This has nothing to do with performance or comfort, it simply helps reduce injuries if the air bag deploys. Just like they are teaching, in Drivers Ed classes, to hold the steering wheel at 4 and 8 instead of 10 and 2. Air bag deploys it forces your hands down not up.

I guess we just have to live with "progress"..........

Czechman

They still have Drivers Ed classes in Maryland? Budget cuts are forcing schools to drop those in many places.

BTW, I grew up in Essex... Upperlanding Rd. off Mace Ave.

Old Lar

I had asked if the HHR had a "telescopic" steering wheel just to bring it closer to me. Since it isn't available, I have readjusted the seat every which way to get the right position, which I haven't yet found in three years.

Smoke Wagon

I am in the same boat. In fact, it has become so bothersome, I decided to get out of the HHR, and back in to a car that has more modern conveniences (adjustable pedal positions, telescoping steering column, better/more seating positions)

Unfortunately, the HHR has lost so much of its value, that I cant even sell it for 1/2 what I owe on it.

I I am stuck driving with my knees against the door panel and the console with my arms stretched out and my elbow barely touching the arm rest.

the car just doesnt have the necessary amount of ergonomics built in for a 6'00" tall driver.

I am more comfortable in a waiting room chair.
Yes...it's that bad.

The day someone finds a way to move the steering wheel back about 3" so that the average height driver can sit comfortably for hours behind the wheel without arm fatigue, back problems, leg cramps, or frustration, I will buy whatever it is they have designed.

The car is everything it was built to be. I am just too tall to ever get comfortable behind the wheel. This isnt the car's fault-it's the buyer's. I dont blame the car one bit. I felt it on the test drive, but throught "I'll get used to it".

45k miles later, I haven't.

catdaddy137

i really can't imagine how anyone larger than me can really be comfortable in the hhr...i think it rides very good for the class of vehicle it is...i'm a kinda small frame guy...one think that hepls is i fold up the drivers arm rest and use the passengers arm rest....but also to consider i drive 275 miles a day , so it is hard to really be comfy in any vehicle on a 5-6 hr ride.

Smoke Wagon

I drive 140mi/day.
The two cars I had prior were a Lincoln Mark VIII, and before that a Mercury Grand Marquis.

both cars are designed to 'drive', not just 'ride in' like the HHR.

I agree, the HHR does well considering what class of vehicle it is.
But the seating rake, seat cushion firmness, arm rest length, non-adjustable steering column, and seat-to-floor height is what throws me off.

again, not the car's fault. I bought it knowing all this ahead of time. I figured I'd get used to it. I was wrong.

I have been trying very hard to trade it in on a Grand Marquis/Crown Victoria. I am willing to sacrifice some MPG for a ton of comfort. But the HHR's have dropped in value so much, that I am in way more upside down than I have ever been in my life. Dealers dont want them. KBB proves this. It is hard to take a $5000-$7000 hit on a car at trade in...so hard, that I refuse to do it.

I'd just assume keep my HHR if I could find a way to either modify the steering wheel position to allow me to move the seat farther back, and still be able to reach the steering wheel without arm fatigue. I am planning on buying a Crown Vic for commuting, and keeping the HHR for weekends/non-commute use.

My other thought was to replace the 3 spoke steering wheel with a 4 spoke design. This allows one to use the 6 o'clock position during long, straight drives. The standard 3 spoke design doesn't work well in a FWD car that requires more arm effort to steer.

prod

Try sitting in an SS with performance drivers seat. That is the only way I have found to help the seating comfort. If I find one for a reasonable price, Im swapping.
For me, just swapping the leather wheel in also seemed to help.