Is the new LS steering wheel smaller than the GS?

 

Saying it doesn't make it true, only an opinion.

The fact is, a smaller wheel has less leverage than a larger wheel, thereby REDUCING potential control of input. With a smaller wheel you have to make smaller movements which can be exaggerated that wouldn't be with a larger wheel. If your hands are at 10-2, you have less separation with a small wheel and less leverage. A large wheel gives finer control than a smaller wheel. Most full-sized race cars that have to turn have fairly large wheels. The Winston Cup car I drove had a large padded wheel so you could get a good grip on it

Unless the steering rack ratio is changed, the size of the wheel has no impact on turns lock to lock. The smaller wheel will require more torque for the same movement, making the power assist seem less.

 

Ok now we can go to, hand size, arm length, seat position, shoulder width, wrist and elbow extension, and so on, joint lateral limitations and more. The Wheel 4th Gen GS wheel dose not turn its self. There is a preference in most cars for Tilt and in/out positions. I like the GSF wheel. I have driven them many times. Its not like Winton Cup. You don't make U turns, left and right degree turns and turn in parking spaces in and out on a Oval track. They also don't have power steering do they?

Its not just opinion, its personal preference. No two MLB hitters really use the same exact Bat nowadays, even though a Bat is a Bat for the same purpose when they come to the plate. Golfers Clubs the same. Saving Razors, and the list goes on and on. I have no problem with anyone who likes the GS big wheel. I would prefer as I said, 1/2 - 3/4 smaller diameter. That decreased size requires slightly more effort but rewards with more feel. There is a reason Semi Trucks have such large wheels. Most have not driven other cars in the GS class to know that 99% of them also have a smaller diameter wheel that the GS has.

I would love to have this wheel in matching my interior Black with the Dark Linear Expresso Wood in my cars interior colors. No way I would pay close to $2k to have it made.

 

NASCAR Cup cars are tube chassis race cars designed on a set of rules primarily focused on oval track racing. Even on short tracks they don't go past 90* of steering input, and on road courses, drivers who use larger wheels end up shuffle steering in tight corners, which is definitely not good for car control.

Meanwhile, actual production based "full size" race cars that are designed for racing on road courses have much smaller steering yokes, which force you to hold them at 9-3, because that is the appropriate grip for car control. These drivers go beyond 90* of steering input every lap for hours. These are custom pieces that could have been designed for grip at 10-2 if that were better, but it is not.

Bentley Continental GT3

C7.R

911 RSR

Huracan EVO GT3

No bus steering wheels here.

Meanwhile, back at the Halls of Justice...

 

Its all preference. No right or wrong.
Im 5’9 and 200 lbs. This car just feels right on so many levels.
vs. my wifes 2018 premium plus A4 allroad it is more plush, softer sides, quieter and while visually not as exciting as her LED dash clluster and interior LED light show, the Lexus feels very “right”. My 2013 535I with MT was similar drive and feel.
My main point is this car is very comfortable and the wheel situates just right were the Audi does not similarly. Perhaps if I did not have the Lexus I would not think about it.

 

When driving I like my eyesight to have the top of my steering wheel aligned almost at the same height (or level) as the top of the rounded or curved dash directly above the instrument cluster. When the steering wheel is turned a significant amount (e.g. ½ turn or more) I've noticed that it appears the outside diameter of the steering wheel is not perfectly round though slightly oval in shape; slightly wider than it is tall. The visual aspect may be more of an illusion and could be caused by the sides of the steering wheel being more heavily bolstered compared to the top of the wheel.

However, it could very-well be a deliberate Lexus design characteristic by which the steering wheel is intentionally designed not to be perfectly aligned center-to-center to the rounded or curved dash directly above the instrument cluster - not by much but enough to be noticed by the eye of a very observant car owner/driver. If this is the reason, it would be interesting to learn why Lexus engineers designed the mounting of the steering wheel to be slightly offset, off-center to the rounded or curved dash directly above the instrument cluster as opposed to it being mounted directly in-line with it.

Anyone else notice this visual aspect when turning the steering wheel?


Ah, the little things some of us notice!

 

Yes I have. The top part is likely what I would actually want reduced down. Again it's a matter of preference.

This is a great point you made. It would take someone like you to observe it.

My other though is why they decided to do a smaller wheel on the GSF?

 

Yes, it's off-center and the top part sometimes hit my thighs when it's upside down.

 

@ItzFilyO - Are your thighs all bulked up?



Or, do you have your seat jacked up as high as it'll go so you can see over the steering wheel?

 

Nah.. I replaced my seat with a dining chair that's why.

 

Compared to most cars steering wheel is great i can feel the quality there......... it have some little leather and some bamboo i like it i dont plan to replace it my classical cars steering wheel is full leather + carbon but i dont like it much.

 

Thanks, jgscott

 

For those of you that think the 4GS steering wheel is too big, let me show you the steering wheel from my 1992 Seville:

 

JGSCOTT needs a leather wrapped 80s special....

Try driving after eating some pork ribs.....

 

Forget the wheel. I would love to have that SS.