can the pedals be adjusted further away
 

at 6'1" with long legs I cannot get the steering wheel close to my chest if I`m comfortable on the pedals. now, I assume there is some sort of a safe minimum distance away from the airbags, so my question is: would it be safer to retain the airbag and just install adjustable pedal box, or keep the pedals but get an aftermarket steering wheel with no airbags but use an extender to get the wheel closer to my chest? I had never been in an accident that deployed the airbags so I have no idea which is best...

adjust seat so you can brace yourself w/ dead pedal w/o overextending legs, then adjust seat back and/or wheel so that wrist can rest on top of steering wheel with minimal reaching and head on headrest. Use that as a starting point.

Otherwise, both your options are quite costly, and I would not remove the airbag.

I have the same problem.
^that works if you put the seat at a upright position, but it is not exactly comfortable.
About 10inches is the minimum distance to the airbags.
Not sure how much a pedal box is or how to install it, but it won't work.
You are trying to get the steering wheel closer to driver and the pedal box is pretty much bottomed out. So the only solution is moving the steering wheel closer or getting another seat or adjust the stock seat to be completely vertical(not comfortable).

For me, on one car getting a aftermarket seat helped because it sat lower and it let my knees bend more thus allowing me to sit closer and making the steering wheel higher/closer to shoulder height rather than lower.

On two cars I ran an aftermarket steering wheel with a 50mm spacer and quick release.

Compromise/temporary solution is to have seat 1 click forward from ideal(less comfy legs but good for arms), one click forward for seat back from ideal(less comfy back but good for arms), and slightly higher steering wheels so 9/3 hand positions are in front of shoulders instead of below(less distance).

1. aftermarket wheel/hub/spacer.
2. find a way to space the stock wheel to retain airbags.
3. seat can help, but depends on position/angles.

Or get used to sitting upright. Gives you so much more control too. =p

trust me, I`m sitting upright as much as possible.

In your seat sitting back place your wrists ontop of the steering wheel. Where is the wheel hitting? (Where a watch would rest on your wrist?) IMO the telescoping wheel goes pretty far back in these cars. I think I have mine set on 1/3rd the way back.

I'm 6'4" for what it's worth... though fitting in with a helmet can be a bitch. Can't really look up without hitting the roof :D.

Sadly, car isn't really built for tall people... =/

Definitely an issue for tall people. I have a rotator cuff injury on my shifting arm, and that damn shift knob is all the way forward. So i have to tradeoff between seat forward and cramped legs, or seat back and stretching arms. I end up having the recline pretty far upright, and bending my legs alot.

This is an interesting thread. I am 6'3" and have often had to make similar compromises, eventually settling on sitting one notch more vertically inclined than I would like. Eventually, I got used to it and you do have more authority when making steering inputs. My legs are long and the seat doesn't really offer great thigh support - I've often thought that aftermarket seat rails that would raise just the front of the seat would kill two birds with one stone, effectively shortening my legs by having them bent and increasing thigh support. Does anyone know of a product like this that will work with the stock seats? I don't mind replacing the seat rails, but replacing the seats are out of the question for me.