Pedal re-engineering discussion

Lane, your link didn't work.

Well, my first thought might not be applicable to a Beck, but on pan-based cars the fore-aft rest position of the brake and clutch pedal is adjustable.  

 

At the bottom of the pedal, below the pivot point, is a nub that catches on a tab bolted to the floor.  As the tab is moved fore and aft (it is slotted) the pedal pads will move forward and aft accordingly.  You can probably get 3"-4" of travel at the top of the pedals this way.  If you carefully tighten the tab down, both pedals (clutch/brake) will line up straight.  If you angle the tab slightly you can get them to be slightly different.

 

After pedal adjustment, you'll probably have to adjust the pushrod on the brake pedal as well as adjust the clutch cable.  If you get that far, you'll have to report back to get the procedure for adjusting that brake pushrod - it's more difficult than it looks.  Make SURE that you measure the pushrod free-play BEFORE you do any adjustments.

 

The accelerator pedal angle when at rest is also adjustable by messing with the length of the throttle cable.  Longer cable = pedal farther down (forward) and vice versa.

 

So, if you were to play with settings of the pedals you should be theoretically able to get your pedal surfaces to line up approximately the same as your BMW.

 

Just don't try to do any of this before Carlisle.  I'm jus' saying.......

Here's the pedals he's talking about: http://www.wilwood.com/Pedals/...spx?itemno=340-12411

 

Getting the cluster mounted with those extra MC's may be kind of a pain because if it gets too far left, instead of simply drilling a hole through the napoleon hat for the MC, you may have to notch out the top of the napoleon hat and the bottom of the body subframe. That could be a real pain in the ass.

 

The throttle pedal could be as simple as just a hole drilled in the side of it. Assuming the pedal is far enough right so the cable will go into the chassis tube straight. If not, you might need to make a standoff from the pedal to mount the cable to.

Thanks for fixing the link, Justin.  The Beck frame does not have a Napoleon hat, but has a flat piece of thick steel running across the front of the passenger compartment as sort of a low firewall.  The configuration up there is very different from a Beetle pan.  The thickness of the metal is what would make the task difficult, along with having to remove carpet and cut through fiberglass.

 

Gordon, I've adjusted the pedal stop before and think it has come loose again ad the brake pedal seems to come further back than I remember.  I've had the pedal cluster out several times and am now fairly proficient with it, but I think the brake pedal return spring was designed by Satan himself.

 

Here's a larger picture of the pedal cluster I'm talking about: http://www.wilwood.com/Images/...rge/340-12411-lg.jpg

Lane,

 

We run those exact pedals in our track cars.  Usually Spyders but about the same amount of room up front as a Speedster.  I have 2 sets going in at the moment.

They use dual masters for the brakes, with a bias bar.  Single master for the hydraulic clutch. The throttle isn't that difficult to adapt but does require a custom cable or the use of a Morse type cable.

 

You can adjust how far back your stock pedals "fall".  There is a tab under the carpet with an 8mm bolt (13mm wrench) and this tab is slotted, allowing you to set how far the pedals fall.  Not a TON of adjustment, but some... You'll have to reset the depth of your brake master push rod and readjust the clutch cable.

Been there, done that, and need to do it again as a final adjustment.  You still wind up with quite a gap between the gas and brake pedals.  Maybe I'm the only one it bothers.

 

Carey, do you find that the Wilwood gas and brake are far enough apart?  They do look almost too close together.

I should really stop visiting this site.  I see no use for pretty pedals, but I could get into these!

Although they look like a pedal cluster, they are individual pedals, so you space them as you see fit.

Have you driven one of the cars with the Wilwood pedals and if so, what did you think of them?

Lane,

 

Correction to above, that particular set IS a cluster (I just looked in one of the Spyders).  We have also ordered/installed individual pedals from Wilwood and done our own spacing.  I have driven (and like) the individual pedals.  The 2 track cars that are here now, with the exact cluster linked, have not been driven.  They feel good and I like the spacing, but that is only with them sitting in the shop.

It'll be June before I am driving either of those cars, as they still get full cages and such before I even attempt to put them on the road (300+hp!!)

You could just screw a block of wood to the pedal.

My wife wants me to do that on the clutch because she has trouble pushing it down far enough.  I want to keep as much leg room as possible for me.  I'm not tall (5' 11") but feel right at the limit on the gas and feel like I have to pull my knees quite a way up to work the clutch and brake - and that's with the seat moved an inch or so farther back than Carey normally does it.  I like tyne idea of having them all at the same position as long as it's far enough away for me to be comfortable on a like drive like, say, to Carlisle.

Lane, you have driven my car and I have a Wilwood pedal cluster.  Want to try it again in a couple of weeks?  

I will, John.  Thanks!

I modified my clutch  pedal by forming and shaping a heavy piece of aluminum and  bolting it to the stock pedal using washers as shims. The rubber snaps right over it. I probably added  about 3/4 of an inch-it is adjustable. It does make the car easier to drive. Still no room for my left leg!

 

Joel