949 Racing 50mm Steering Spacer 86 - GR86
 

Our 50mm billet aluminum steering wheel spacers are finally in. Just a few in stock for this first batch as of today. Bigger batch coming in a few weeks. Fit's all years including GR86

Steering Spacers BRZ/FRS/GT86/GR86

Specifically for the OEM wheel. Retains all airbag and additional circuitry. Black anodized aluminum blends in so most people won't even notice it.

Extension range, measured from dash to rim of wheel:
80-120mm OEM
130-170mm 949 Spacer

Even Sonny, who is 5'-7", extends the OEM wheel back when he drives on track. For taller drivers, the wheel is generally hitting your legs and simply too far away. Blub (our project car shown here) fits me like my race car now.

http://949racing.com/images/products..._Spacer_86.jpg

http://949racing.com/images/products...s_50mm_Max.jpg

http://949racing.com/images/products...s_50mm_Min.jpg

Is this a confirmed fit for 2017+ vehicles? I’m not sure if there are any differences but better safe than sorry.
Also does it come with an instruction manual? Is this something that can be accessible online. Wanted to see what exactly is involved before ordering it.
Thanks again for all your development on this platform!

Not tested on 2017 but splines are the same. Ports for wiring harness the same. Spacer itself requires no electronic connections. OEM connections just pass through. No instructions per se. Get a factory service manual or hire a pro. Steering wheel with airbag not something for the novice mechanic.

Get me one. damn be the SCCA sanctions. I take being tall as a handicap and this allows me to use alternate controls

Swapping our steering wheels is cake, so this should be pretty easy unless they did something bizarre with the design of the spacer. Here's a decent DIY on removing the airbag and steering wheel, with lots of pictures:

https://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35900

Just imagine doing that but installing 949's spacer before putting the wheel back on.

BTW, there's a very good bit of advice in there that a lot of people miss. The wheel may not want to come off at first, especially if it's never been taken off before. You will save yourself a painful blow to the face if you loosen the center nut almost to the end of the threads but don't remove it. Pull back on the wheel until it pops loose from the splines, THEN remove the nut. If you take the nut completely off, you'll yank and yank and yank and finally it will pop right off and break your nose.

Ive done this with the ND.

Keep the lug off and shimmy it left to right a bit and then go apesh!t on it and then go back to shimmy-ing it. remember to clock the steering shaft straight and Lay key marks on it and the wheel to align it straight. the wheel should match within a tooth of what it was on the ND the wheel was about a half tooth off, with how it was designed but with another alignment you wouldnt notice.

Ordered mine... First?!?

I don't think you win anything if you're first.

All i can say. Finally :thumbsup::).
(and no clue why no other vendor for all these years didn't made such in past).

:burnrubber:

I can paint an orange 1 in it and tout how I bought the first one (knowing full well people probably already have them due to prototyping and whatnot )

I figured it was easy, seems like any other wheel pull. I just like to over analyze every project before taking it on, no matter how small. In the end it's always some small stupid oversight that ends up making a 20min job into a 4 hour job.
:thumbsup:

I do the same thing. That's how I already knew that DIY was there, because I scrutinized it before swapping my steering wheel.

That driver comparison hits home for me. I use the same OMP HTR seat and I'm 6'3". Tired of the steering wheel resting on my knees. This will be great!

How many are in this first batch? Have they sold out yet?

Now I want to go home at lunch and see how i fit. I swear and one point I was like ugh wish my wheel was closer.

Two left at this writing. They've gone quick.

I figured they would. People have been discussing the need for this for years.

If we order today, when will you ship it? With people potentially traveling for the holidays, will you send out shipping notices with tracking numbers so we can plan around the arrival?

As a general practice, we don't actually conduct individual transactions on forums. Status today might not be the status tomorrow. Might sell out before you place your order. ETA for a customer 5 miles from us is different than one on the other side of the country.

Best to contact ED directly about your order. First question he will ask is:

"What date do you need it by?"

He will then work backward from that date to suggest the best shipping option to fit your needs.

Except I might not be the only one wondering. And since all the orders so far have happened either today or last night, the answers would apply to everyone who has ordered one so far. So it's not an "individual transaction."

Besides that, whether you send out shipping notices is a policy, not a transaction. Is that a policy you're not comfortable discussing for some reason?

Furthermore, I didn't ask "When will I get it?" So the blindingly obvious information that different distances have different shipping times was completely irrelevant to what I asked.

I'm looking forward to receiving my steering spacer. Thank you for identifying the need and making it happen for the community.

For items like this, the site has live inventory. If the site lets you add it to your cart, it's available and ready to ship. We always ship with tracking numbers which are sent as soon as the item ships so you can plan around it.

As Emilio said, if you are trying to hit a deadline, contact us first and we'll do our best to meet the timeline/recommend shipping options/set expectations as needed.

Emilio is very direct, and I know you're not a fan of his style, but we love him for it. If you have customer service questions/concerns, you can contact me directly at info@949racing.com - I watch that inbox very closely - or call us at 949-716-3111.

Cheers!

For one I am glad your site has live inventory. For two. glad we get multiple shop persons to represent 949 here for quick answers..

kind of a unique shop

Thanks for a more direct answer without the attitude from your colleague.

I'm curious, later on down the road if I were to buy the suspension kit he took such an attitude about (after he was the one who actually told us about it in the first place), who would field technical, installation or setup questions? I have a real interest in that kit, but not if I'm going to be treated like an idiot if I have a question.

Purchased mine today! Thank you for making this!

I am the primary point of contact for all customer-related inquiries at 949Racing.

turbofan: btw, can you or Emilio comment something on reach of steering column control stalks with this spacer installed?
From own experience i could operate them with last joint or almost middle of fingers on 100% stock, and with fingertips on 20mm offset (J-Luth steering wheel). I guess, that with 50mm, that will place steering in even better position for, well, steering, which matters a lot on track .. but imho with such it's possible that one will need to take hands off steering wheel to operate lights/turn signal/windwipers at daily driving, no?
By chance, have you guys inspected how control stalks are made/mounted, and if it's possible to mod/move/bend(?)/replace with longer analogues them back closer to relocated steering wheel? If not spacing for same amount, then maybe at angle, so that tips are closer?
I had seen DIY mods to relocate cruise control stalk (that turns with wheel) for aftermarket quickmount hub steering wheels .. but how it's with lights and turn signal control/windscreen wiper stalks mounted on column?
If you had some extra parts/spacers for that, i'd be interested in getting such too. Of course it's not killing flaw, but for ones that dual-use car with most mileage daily driven imho that would be nice convenience extra (especially for me, if i don't want to put back stock steering wheel or buy 3rd w/o own offset unlike current one, which would result in 70mm total offset).

Tape measure really. Obviously everyone's fingers and hands are different sizes. Tape measure in your car, take a look at the distance and see if it will work for you. I have spacers in other cars with race wheels, stalks far away. For me at least, the benefits of not getting my legs trapped by the wheel and being able to reach it comfortably outweigh a little finger stretch,

The miata forum guys use a motorcycle extender for the turn signal. For my hands I don't actually have to remove them from the wheel completely.

https://www.falconpev.com.sg/product...extender-mount

Yep, exactly as Emilio says. Most of our cars have either a similar style spacer with OE wheels, or aftermarket wheels with quick release hubs which effectively do the same thing. I've been reaching for turn signals in my Miata for years now and I'm just used to it. That being said, the reach isn't bad to me and I quickly became accustomed to it.

If you're benefitting from the wheel further out, well worth a slight reach to the stalks.

That benefit was needed for me too :), especially when wearing helmet, which required lean further from steering wheel back of seat to gain extra head clearance on relatively high stock seats. Hitting steering wheel with legs when heal&toe-ing was not fun either :(

want. WANT.

Whens the first sale? :) I want that but not for the current price!

We generally don't have sales. In our 15 year history I think we have had maybe two and they were for free shipping around Black Friday or something. Additionally we are selling the spacers at quite a fast rate so realistically, we don't have a lot of incentive to reduce the price. Sorry.

I had not even looked at the link until this comment, looks like I'll just wait until I add an aftermarket steering wheel combo at this point.

Fair enough. I just wont be buying one. There are a lot of people that have a lot more money than I do, so not surprised :burnrubber:

This is probably why they refuse to discuss expected price ranges for products in development, the fear that if people actually know what they're planning to charge, too many people will lose interest and stop following their development thread.

It's an old, well-established tactic for door-to-door vacuum cleaner or encyclopedia salesmen. The longer the salesman can keep the mark engaged, the more time and enthusiasm she has invested. The more time and emotional investment she makes, the less likely she is to say no when the final price is revealed.

The salesman wants her thinking only about how much she wants it first. Then, when finally faced with the reality that she might have just wasted all that time and gotten interested for no reason, confirmation bias jumps in and convinces her that it wasn't a waste after all because the product is actually worth it. She'll reinforce her confidence in her decision by telling other people about the product and even bragging about how much it cost.

She might even turn into a total sycophant and attack anybody who says anything negative about the product.

:)

This is warming apply to ALL.

I don’t care discussing product, cuz that’s what technical section of the forum should be... Now, with that said, making pointless feed to jab or start a jab at each other to argue, I’ll temp ban (minimum of 1 month to maximum of 6 months) anyone and everyone.

Warning is made and set. From this post on, I won’t have mercy nor care to give any mercy.

Pretty low blow to compare us to door-to-door vacuum salespeople.

When you don't have everything finalized for a product, it's unwise to even ballpark at pricing beyond what we've said - we will be market competitive. The right way to do it is wait til the product is ready to be announced with all final specs and options, then announce availability date and pricing at the same time. Look at all major product releases - cars, iPhones, etc - you might get snippets of information, but pricing comes virtually at the point they're available for purchase, because that's when it's finalized. It's not sneaky, it's good business.

and their product was truly not worth it then why did it get sold out within the first 48 hours?

I have a question but this might be knowledge not privy between buyers.

who bought these spacers? Budding enthusiasts? people who want more leg room, even for daily cruises? Guys who track/compete with their vehicles?

No doubt if you are saying " I like it but for not that price"
You aren't trying to win races, push records, or giving everything you have for the sport and the thrill. The car is a convenience for you. And as I am not a shop owner nor offer products, I can be so arrogant to say, your opinion doesn't matter because you are not 949s target audience.

To be clear, I didn't say the product wasn't worth it. On the contrary, I ordered one. I may end up being their biggest cheerleader.

None of the above for me.

I ordered it because I travel 20K to 30K miles per year in my BRZ and am willing to spend money on making it more comfortable for me during those long drives. Even with an ATC wheel that is 20mm deeper than stock, I find the steering wheel to be ever so slightly beyond comfortable reach of either hand when I sit in a relaxed position with my elbow on the center armrest or the door. I have long had my eye open for a solution that would eliminate that very minor inconvenience and still retain the airbag.

If it does that without causing new annoyances, it will probably be worth the price.