Frank hits the nail on the head...think VERY seriously about the wisdom of
raising your steering wheel. While I appreciate you have some access
problems, the steering wheel height/ angle is carefully designed to
minimize thoracic trauma in an accident. It is low, so as your body jerks
forward against the belt, you are less likely to hit the wheel.

Like on most animals, your belly is your soft spot, and is full of
bruisable/rupturable organs. By raising the wheel, instead of the closest
arc of the wheel facing your (semi-expendable) lower intestine/bladder, it
is up in the area of your spleen, gall bladder, liver, or kidneys.

Just a thought.

G. Matthew Bulley
Bulley-Hewlett
Corporate Communications Counselors
www.bulley-hewlett.com
Cary, NC USA
888.468.4880 tollfree

"I, the undersigned, shall forfeit all rights, privileges, and licenses
herein and herein contained, et cetera, et cetera . . . fax mentis
incendium gloria culpum, et cetera, et cetera . . . memo bis punitor del
icatum!" It's all there, black and white, clear as crystal!      -Wonka

-----Original Message-----
From:   Frank Grunthaner [SMTP:FrankGRUN@AOL.COM]
Sent:   Tuesday, January 11, 2000 7:40 PM
To:     vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject:        Re: 81 steering wheel height

I would think that the splined segment at the base of the column driving
the
steering box through the flexible rubber coupling could be lengthened with
some quality MIG welding. The rest of the holder supporting the ignition
switch bolts to the dash support, so again an adapter could be fabricated.
Because of liability issues you may have to do it all yourself.

Frank Grunthaner