I replaced the driver’s seat from the OEM one to a RECARO RS-G, but when I reclined the seat to take advantage of its snug fit, the steering wheel became too far away. When I tried to get closer to the wheel, my legs felt cramped. After going through this counterproductive cycle twice—adjusting the bucket seat more upright to find a balance—I finally realized something.
Yeah, I need to replace the steering wheel too.
My ideal setup is a relaxed seating position where I could almost fall asleep, while having the steering wheel close enough that my wrists can rest on it with my shoulders still against the seat.
I basically prefer OEM parts, so I do like this steering wheel. It was rewrapped when the car was delivered, so it’s in great condition. However, unfortunately, it’s too far from my ideal position. When pulled all the way out, it sits about 11cm from the steering column.
- Disconnect the negative battery terminal and wait a few minutes.
- The airbag is secured with tamper-proof bolts on both sides of the steering wheel—remove these.
- Once the airbag is removed, disconnect the airbag and horn wiring.
- The airbag connector is a slide-type coupler—if you don’t notice this, you might break it. Slide the sides of the connector on the airbag side vertically to disconnect it.
- The nut is 19mm, so loosen it with a breaker bar or similar tool.
- At this point, marking the center position on the steering boss splines will make later adjustments easier.
- For the horn terminal, you can use the one that comes with the steering boss as-is.
- In my case, the airbag harness didn’t work properly, so I’m currently considering a solution (SRS warning light is on).
- Steering boss: Spoon 78512-DCA-001
- Works Bell RAPFIX 2
- Horn button: OEM NSX TYPE R part 78514-SL0-R01
- Torx bolt for securing the steering wheel: OEM NSX TYPE R part 78513-SL0-Z01
For the steering wheel, I chose the MOMO TUNER 35 (the OEM model used in the NSX TYPE R). The Torx bolt has engravings like this that give it a different vibe. It’s these little details that create a car’s atmosphere.
After all this work, I got 17cm—6cm more than the stock position.
After readjusting my position including the RECARO RS-G settings, I wanted the wheel a bit closer, so I added a Works Bell 3cm extension adapter. This brought it to 20cm.
While deciding to replace the steering wheel, I still wanted to maintain an OEM-like feel, so I used NSX TYPE R genuine parts. The whole setup ended up costing over 70,000 yen. That works out to about 9,000 yen for every centimeter the wheel moved closer.
On the other hand, I’ve achieved a positioning that I have no complaints about. I can sit with my thighs and back firmly pressed against the seat, yet my wrists still rest on the steering wheel. My legs can be extended while maintaining pedal control, making throttle modulation much easier. Heel-and-toe has become dramatically easier to execute. What used to feel like a nerve-wracking 3rd-to-2nd gear heel-and-toe now feels as mentally easy as a 4th-to-3rd.
I know it’s just local roads, but the speeds I used to associate with certain corners have smoothly moved up a level. That’s how much more confidence I have while driving—in other words, I can now receive much better feedback from the car.
“The things that bother you the most are exactly what you should do yourself.” A car enthusiast friend taught me this, and creating the ideal driving position feels exactly like that kind of work (and I’ll probably keep fine-tuning it).
It’s truly wonderful to have a car that lets you enjoy this kind of work yourself at your own pace.
