If you want it for printing, use Layout and there set up the paper size.
For drawing in model space a can't see the reason for limits setting up (command LIMITS isn't used a lot and it has scarcely any effect)... Why do you want to have such drawing area?

i need that screen size because i'm using this program for drafting cabinet components and a standard sheet of plywood is 48" x 96".  it's just odd that when you place the curser exactly on the ucs,  it's nowhere close to 0,0.  so the problem is that if i set drawing limts to 0,0 and 96,48,  i cant draw anything because my drawing limits are way off screen.  its as if the ucs has a default location that it won't move out of.  sooooooo frustrated!!

alright i found the solution!  once you specify the upper right corner,  the final step is to go file\zoom\all.