Ladies...help my wife get comfortable driving stick-shift

[chuyler1]

I'm thinking of cutting a block of wood when I get home just to see if it makes her feel better...as long as she knows that moving the pedal up means moving your knee up higher to get your foot on it.

She is a south-paw and normally drives with just the left hand. P/S on the protege5 is not as powerful as the corolla (mainly so you can feel the road) but she isn't complaining of any arm fatigue...just her leg and knee and back somewhat.

She called earlier and said removing her jacket helped a little with her back.

I think it's just a matter of time and practice now. I told her to keep moving the seat around and she'll figure it out.

 

[bazooka joe]

Ever used one of these?

i had them on my go cart when i was a kid!!

 

[chuyler1]

LOL...I sent the guy an email (pedalextenders.com) to see if it would fit a Protege. I'll start with a block of wood and if that makes her feel better I'll get her one of these. She's got a friend that is like 5'1" and she uses them...won't drive anything but stick.

Funny part is that Amanda keeps bringing up the "how am I supposed to drive stick with a screaming kid in the back?" My response is that whether you are driving an automatic or stick you shouldn't be turning around to care for the baby when you are on the road. A stick shift would keep your mind on the road and not on the baby...which is actually better for the baby statistically.

 

[gapeachsp5]

she shouldn't need to push the clutch to the floor except to start.

Most important thing in a stick shift aside from being comfortable is you have to be relaxed.

These are good observations. I am a female, and alhough my p5 is automatic, I can drive stick shifts. I'm short...pushing 5'2" to be exact...and I didn't have a problem driving an MP3 or MSP. The toughest part is getting comfortable. The hardest thing for me was getting used to sitting so close to the steering wheel. I do have to have the seat practically all the way forward to be able to push the clutch in enough to start the car.

Like purrfectangel said, though, you only need to push in the clutch that far when you're starting. Maybe your wife could learn to "inch forward" in the seat so she could press the clutch in far enough, but then move back in her seat once the car is started.

 

[hoindawall]

The toughest part is getting comfortable. The hardest thing for me was getting used to sitting so close to the steering wheel.

weird. i have the hardest time sitting so far away driving automatic. well i'm male and 5'5. i set my seat up so that my heel touches the floor when i push the clutch in (leg fully extended). i don't really recline the seat either, the only way i can lock my elbows is to push myself into the seat as far as i can. i find it keeps my lower back from hurting.

 

[Rush]

*paging Cindy/aka Rush*

i think she's shorter than your wife

LOL, how did I know that was coming the second I saw this thread?

Anyhoo! I didn't read through all the posts, but I'll just tell you how I have things set up in my MSP.

Oh, and for the record, I'm only about 5'1" .. but with my shoes, I'd give myself 5'3" or so. Yes, I cheat like that.

In my MSP, I always base the position of my seat on one thing -- where the front edge of the seat lines up against the cupholders in the center console. Yeah, kinda stupid, but it's how I know my seat's in the right place for my height. I can go check tomorrow to make sure, but off the top of my head, I believe the front edge of the seat is pretty much even with the middle of the cupholders -- maybe a little further back. I think it's about two 'clicks' back from the furthest forward position.

I understand your wife's complaint of having the steering wheel jabbing her in the chest. But guess what -- until she gets used to driving the car, that's just how it's gonna be. I drove with my seat BARELY reclined for the first few months I owned my MSP, because I was learning where the edges of the car are and so on. But then I got comfortable .. and I now have my seat reclined back a pretty good distance -- the steering wheel's a fair distance away from my chest.

I don't know if it makes a difference, but I also drive with that kinda 'gansta stance'. I tend to lean my weight to the passenger side, right hand on the shifter knob, left hand on the top of the steering wheel. Just for reference.

High heels? NO. I have NEVER been able to drive like a normal human being with high heels on. My advice? Throw a pair of flip-flops or sandals in the car, or even a pair of sneakers, to wear while driving. You CANNOT be comfortable driving manual in high heels.

As far as the pain she's experiencing .. It sounds like she's hurting because she doesn't have her seat as far forward as it should be, because she doesn't want the steering wheel in her chest. She should be able to completely push in the clutch without straining herself -- we all know that.

Basically, go in steps. Get the seat in the right place first off, EVEN IF she feels like she's eating the steering wheel. Then get her DRIVING the P5. Even if it's just for a lil' bit every day -- she HAS to get used to it. And then once she's used to it and comfortable with the car, she can recline her seat .. and voila! No more steering wheel in the chest, but she can still reach the pedals and not wind up with leg cramps.

Oh, and one more thing -- I have both settings on the seats as high as they can go.

 

[ZoomZoomH]

Oh, and one more thing -- I have both settings on the seats as high as they can go.

should probably throw away my advice and use hers regarding seat height then, since she actually knows what she's talking about lol

 

[TheMAN]

you need to have the back side of the seat cushion tilted slightly backwards, and the front a bit up... this is to force her into the seat back... having her lower back forced towards the seat back will move the stress from her left leg to the seat back (which will act as a support)... the seat back shouldn't be straight but tilted slightly backwards for good posture

doing this should be better for driving for a long time (like in traffic)

 

[smo0f]

jeez. chris, i think she's just gonna have to find the sweet spot herself. she needs to actually want to drive the car to care enough to find a comfortable position. maybe she doesn't really want to drive it at all but is doing this to make you happy. just let the week go by and see what she says at the end. this is like sharing settings for an ebc, it's gonna be different for everyone.

 

[Olestra]

Starting with the seat forward to get used to the clutch and driving the car seems to make sense. I did this with my old car b/c the clutch was extremely stiff and hard to push in. I remember getting pain in my foot sometimes using that clutch. Once I got used to it, I was able to move back.
In my 3, the clutch is very easy to use, so it didn't require much effort. Again, when I first got the 3, I was a little bit forward and now I'm pretty far back.

 

[kudakev615]

I don't know if it makes a difference, but I also drive with that kinda 'gansta stance'.

dont it feel to be a gangsta(lol)

 

[JOS3]

2 words: booster seat

 

[chuyler1]

Just got off the phone with her. She has spoken to several co-workers, some short, some tall, who all drive stick. I think peer pressure on their part will win her over...except the one stalewart that was saying the corolla will last longer because its a toyota (more on that later).

So she's starting to think that her marathon hill-starting escapade yesterday just did her in. She was determined to do it right and I think the 45 minutes or so we were working at it was just too much...especially where she didn't have the seat in the right place. Now her pain is probably just residual from that....I hope....or we hope...since basing our decision on that could end up in some painful months ahead until she builds up the strength to drive stick. I doubt the MS6 would be any easier on her leg and knee...but who knows.

So back to the reliablity thing. I've been driving her car for 24 hours now. It's no Mazda for sure. The steering is a bit sloppy and there is a bit of a shimmy from the front above 65mph...if I can get to 65 that is. Merging on the highway requires patience. The transmission shifts smooth but the engine just doesn't feel like it has only 10hp less than the P5. Even if I shifted at 3K I could get up to speed faster in my car. Amanda commented on this too..."I noticed merging on the highway was less stressfull". So although the Toyota looks good on paper....and will prolly drive sloppy for another 250 thousand miles...it just isn't as fun to drive. Did I mention I don't really fit in the car? So that's that. If I were out to buy both cars, I'd certainly pay more for the P5 and I mean that in the most un-biased way seeing as the P5 is mine.

 

[Lani]

This is a helpful site that I used to visit while I was learning how to drive a standard (there is even a section on proper seating position)-- http://www.standardshift.com/videos.html

I'm sure the more experience Amanda gets behind the wheel of the Protege, the more comfortable she will get.

 

[DeadGeneration]

Practice driving with 1 finger, so that 1 hand will feel like more than plenty to control with. In fact, drive with 1 hand on the stick and the other hand holding a big drink and using the knuckles to drive with.

 

[chuyler1]

Open hand works too. I told her that the only gear she can't get into using her palm is reverse and sometimes 1st. 1-2 use your fingers, 2-3 push with your palm, 3-4 use your fingers again. 4-5 use the inside of your thumb an palm. She needs practice shifting down through the gears. 5-4-3-2. She kept looking for 2nd instead of easing into 4th when coming from 5th and she'll go to 4th from 3rd instead of to 2nd. Its all practice though... However, knee and back pain is something that may not go away with practice. Stick-shift is one of the most common causes of back pain.

 

[Bebe3]

Damn. I was in Boston a little while back... I woulda' been up for helpin' her.

If you guys ever come out to WI...I'd be happy to help her ;p

I can drive everything from my Mazda3 to 65 Shelby Cobra in any shoe ( I mean any.. I used to model and wear 3 inch PLATFORMS), or sans shoes...and I'm only 5'3 (with shoes on) hehe

And I can drive it well...As long as you know where your clutch engages--- shoes don't matter. BUT you do have to be comfortable with your car.

As far as seat position...I sit with my seat all the way up (vertical direction) and close enough forward to use the gas and brake effectively and engage the clutch enough. (When I start my car I move up on the seat) The back of my seat is pretty far back..and that's to balance out the fact the seat is moved forward more than most would have it.

Ask her to do leg lifts (stand flat then lift up on the balls of her feet...like she's wearing invisible high heels) Does that hurt her? That's essentially where her foot should be on the pedals.

My legs are forward and don't bow outward (she's too close if she has to bow out her feet)

Don't let her wear heels until she's comfortable driving. As far as stalling-- teach her wear the engage point is. Have her sloooowly release the clutch until she feels it rumble...

Teach her to be keen to that feeling.. so if she feels it when she's about to move from a stop..she needs to either feather in more gas or push the clutch back in a little.

Teach her exactly how to start from a stop-- the rest is easy. Also.. tell her.. as long as there is enough gas from a stop she can't kill it.

She might burn the clutch hardcore or chirp the s*** outta the tires...but she'll go. lol

Take her to a parking lot and have her try a bunch of different seat postions and starting and stopping until she finds what feels perfect.

 

[MyZmZm]

i'm going to chime in on this too...

like rush, i'm only 5'1", so the first concerns that always come up with a new vehicle are "can i reach the pedals?" and "can i see over the dash?" LOL obviously, there's no problem with either in the P5, so your wife - being a little taller than i - should have no issues either. however, since she's never really driven stick before, it will take time to adjust to the very different way of driving.

with the pain in her leg, i would suggest two things. first, she's not used to the clutch, so constantly using it like she will have to in order to drive the car will cause her leg (and foot and back) to fatigue easily and be sore until she builds up the extra strength and stamina. i'm positive this is why even though i'm right handed (ie, my right arm is stronger and more dextrous), my left leg is definitely stronger than my right; it just gets used more often. secondly, the seat is obviously not in the right position for her and as a result, her sciatic nerve is likely being pinched and/or strained. unfortunately, this again will get better over time and as she gets more used to driving stick - and above all, more comfortable with it - she won't know what her optimal driving position is.

the first car i ever drove was a 1986 manual Ford Escort (my parents'). because the clutch was so old in that car, you had to completely depress it to do any sort of shifting. because i was so short, i couldn't properly depress the clutch so my dad put either rubber or wood blocks on the clutch pedal so that i could shift gears. once that was done, i had no problems whatsoever.

in the P5, i have no issues reaching or fully depressing the clutch; i do have the seat quite far forward, but i don't have it all the way, and i also prefer sitting more upright vs. leaning back when i drive. you definitely don't want to tilt the seat bottom up in the front and down in the back;
doing so will only amplify the pain she feels in her leg. with the front of the seat tilted up, it will press even more so into the back of her leg, pinching the nerves even more, and so on and so forth.

i think your wife simply has to put aside the pain and fatigue she's feeling right now (unless of course it's excruciating) and concentrate on learning how to properly drive a manual, and above all, feel comfortable doing so. because she's so tense right now, that's probably the largest factor to her leg and/or back pain. once she's got those hurdles behind her, she'll be more relaxed and that's when she'll be able to figure out what seating position(s) work for her and are the most comfortable.


hope this helps, and good luck to your wife! i'd hate to find that you traded in the P5 and kept the (ugh) crapolla.