Tall drivers who have driven all four generations of the Mazda MX-5 would probably agree on which cars they fit into best.
The most accommodating model from the factory is the newest model, the ND. With a standard tilt-and-telescoping steering column, the ND lets long-legged drivers perform heel-toe downshifts without their thigh hitting the bottom of the steering wheel. No other MX-5 does that in factory form.
The third-generation NC has a tilt wheel, but no telescoping feature, so heel-toe downshifts are not possible without interference with the steering wheel. Because it is the largest of all generations, it has the most room overall, but the lack of tilt hampers the heel-toe.
If you are working on a track-only car, you can install an aftermarket steering wheel with a dish, which brings the wheel closer to the driver. However, this is a street car, one on which I wanted to retain the airbag, so that was not an option.
Of the first two generations, the NA is a bit more roomy than the NB, but the steering wheel still gets in the way of the legs of drivers over 6 feet tall. Believe it or not, the NB is the tightest squeeze of all of them, and it too can be fitted with the steering wheel spacer we are going to be installing in the NC.
I bought the steering wheel spacer from Supermiata, which fits the NC and the NB. It’s a nice kit with everything you need, with high-quality hardware and good fit and finish. one drawback is that you have to take your hand off the wheel and reach forward to operate the turn signal and the windshield wiper control levers.
“While I was in there,” I also replaced the windshield wiper control lever with one from an RX-8, which has more intermittent settings than the factory lever on the MX-5. It’s a direct plug and play, so it’s an easy swap with the wheel off. You just have remove the covers around steering column.
With this one simple modification, the car becomes far more accommodating to tall drivers. The steering wheel spacer and wiper switch should take you no more than an hour. Here’s how it comes apart and goes together.
Whenever you are messing with the airbags in a car, the first thing you must do is disconnect the battery.The airbag/horn pad is held in place with two bolts on the 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock spokes on the steering wheel. Remove the black rubber plugs to expose the 10 bolts. Once you remove the bolts, the assembly can be pulled away to expose the wiring connections.The airbag connections have black plastic locking tabs that you can lift with a pick tool or small screwdriver. Remove the black locking tabs and set them aside.Once you have removed the locking tabs, you can gently pry the connectors from the airbag assembly.The nut behind the wheel is a 21 mm lock nut. It is easiest to remove it with an impact driver. Note the connectors for the steering wheel controls under the mounting nut. Disconnect those, too.The kit from SuperMiata features the spacer and the new center mounting hub to attach the steering wheel. It’s pretty simple stuff.While we are in there, we are going to add the RX-8 windshield wiper lever, which has a lot more settings in the intermittent range. You can still buy these new from Mazda or find one used.The winshield wiper switch is retained with two screws. Remove them and the lever, connector and module assembly pull right out.Remove the connector from the old switch and reinstall it on the new one.Here you can see how the Supermiata steering wheel spacer works. First, you use the factory Nylock nut to fasten the spacer to the column.The second part of the spacer is the hub that fastens to the spacer and gives you a new extended attachment point for the steering wheel. When you reattach the steering wheel, remember to reconnect the wiring for the steering wheel controls. In this shot, you can see the connectors just under the center hub.Reconnect the airbag and reinsert the black locking tabs. Put the airbag/horn pad back in place and bolt it back on the 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock spokes on the steering wheel. At this point, the spacer job is done.Here you can see the backspacing the spacer kit offers and the new wiper switch with the additional settings for intermittent operation.With the wheel backspaced 55 mm (2.16 inches), the tall driver can keep the heel of his foot on the floor while braking with the left ball of the foot, and blipping the throttle with the right ball of the foot without his thigh hitting the steering wheel.
