Proper pedal box?
- Thread starter Magura
- Start date
ratrog64
Well-known member
I have always just cut and angled my stock pedals. Has always worked well for me. Size 10 also.
Only improvement I'd like to do in the future is to make the entire pedal box adjustable since my seats are always fixed position. That opens up a new can of worms for the master cylinder.
ratrog64
Well-known member
You can easily space over the clutch and brake pedal if you feel it necessary.
I added an extra brake pedal return spring since the old one was shot and i didn't have another one in stock at the time. I also seem to remember I couldn't get the pedals apart.
I always use a roller pedal for the accelerator. I have just gotten use to them over the years and seem to put one on everything I drive.
letterman7
Honorary Admin
Size 12's here... and had little problem with the pedals when wearing the proper footwear. And often I used to drive barefoot.. but don't tell the PD that. That said, there are a couple companies that make "Bigfoot" pedal clusters which essentially move the pedals further apart. Look on the Samba classifieds for those. I've bent mine (well, the clutch pedal anyway) outwards a time or two and, like Roger, tend to use the roller pedal for the accelerator since it takes up slightly less width. That said, Acme Car Co. came up with a dune buggy a couple years ago that used overhead hydraulic pedals from Neal for one build. They fastened them to an internal frame welded to the pan rails - no reason it can't be done in a Sterling as well.Thanks guys!
I just had a look, and my pedals are just stock VW. To cut and angle them forward, will sort the issue.
I have no problems with the width, but rather that I can't stretch my left ankle enough to comfotably press the clutch all the way, and operating the brake is also rather uncomfortable.
I'll give cutting and welding the levers a shot.
I just had a look, and my pedals are just stock VW. To cut and angle them forward, will sort the issue.
I have no problems with the width, but rather that I can't stretch my left ankle enough to comfotably press the clutch all the way, and operating the brake is also rather uncomfortable.
I'll give cutting and welding the levers a shot.
letterman7
Honorary Admin
If the width isn't the issue, but the "push" is, cutting and angling won't help. The pedals shouldn't go to the firewall - there is only so much play in each. The brake pedal should only move about an inch and a half at most before all four wheels lock up; the clutch should be about the same for full unlock. Simple solution... move the seat up. If that puts your head to close to the windshield, recline it a bit if you can.
letterman7
Honorary Admin
Could certainly be more, shouldn't be any less than that. There is inherent slop in the clutch cable that's taken in by the adjustment screw on the transmission. There's a fine line between 'too tight' and 'just right' and there is some experimenting to find that. I tightened up a clutch to the point that, a half hour into my drive, I couldn't push the pedal - the heat from the transmission expanded enough I had no throw from the pedal. Cracked the locking screw off a couple turns and all was good. When everything cooled down, the pedal appeared "sloppy" and that's where I left it.
letterman7
Honorary Admin
Take a photo of the pedal cluster. Might be something simple that needs adjusted. Throttle pedals tend to stand "proud" of the rest of the pedals - more upright. You can swap that for a roller pedal as mentioned earlier for a more linear feel.
Hmm, after another 100 mile drive today, I may have at least an idea what the actual issue is.
Taking a photo was indeed a great idea. Now at least I know that the pedals are not out of spec.
I like to have the pedals touch the foot about 1/4 from the tip of my toes. With a size 10 shoe the pedal arms are about half the length of the foot, so I bend the ankle and pull the leg towards me, in order to place the front of the foot on the pedal.
Thus it feels like the clutch and the brake pedal are way off.
I think I simply need those pedals higher up ???
Anyhow, here are the photos (that were surprisingly difficult to take), showing everything is perfectly normal.
Yes I know, it needs to be vacuumed, but in my defense, it does see a lot of use.
Taking a photo was indeed a great idea. Now at least I know that the pedals are not out of spec.
I like to have the pedals touch the foot about 1/4 from the tip of my toes. With a size 10 shoe the pedal arms are about half the length of the foot, so I bend the ankle and pull the leg towards me, in order to place the front of the foot on the pedal.
Thus it feels like the clutch and the brake pedal are way off.
I think I simply need those pedals higher up ???
Anyhow, here are the photos (that were surprisingly difficult to take), showing everything is perfectly normal.
Yes I know, it needs to be vacuumed, but in my defense, it does see a lot of use.
Attachments
letterman7
Honorary Admin
Well.. not much you can do except adjust your driving style or drop the floor at your heel. I've always driven the clutch from my knee, not my ankle/heel. That just isn't comfortable. The brake... your foot should be simply pivoting off the accelerator, putting that pedal at the ball of your foot. That said, anything to lengthen the actual pedal in height is going to impact the pivot, making the throw actually longer. The other option is to install hanging hydraulic pedals, but that is much more work.
Helpful Sterling pedal hack 101: Because the stock pedal pads are steel, it is very easy to drill four holes into a given pedal pad and then fabricate various add-on pads to try different configurations (and secure them with countersunk machine screws or whatever.) I did this on one car before committing to a new pedal position. Want it taller? Just use flat stock and make a taller pad. Want your foot to contact it differently? Bend that pad adapter forward or backward a little or add different shims or surfaces to it. Want it a little to one side? Just unbolt it and fabricate a pad that is indexed a little off to one side. It's great because you can infinitely experiment with it and it's totally reversible. Heck, if you put the rubber pad back on, you can't even see the holes.
First measure the stock pad and/or make a paper template of it. Next, get a scrap piece of flat stock and drill four holes in it which will fall at good places on the stock pad. Now use this flat stock as the guide to drill into the pedal pad and as an index to drill the pattern on any new pad adapter you come up with.
In the end, I welded my final piece. Looking back, I could've just used locking fasteners and stayed with the countersunk machine screws.
Sure, you have to stand on your head and slither into the foot-well but that's why we love Sterlings. But it works like a charm.
First measure the stock pad and/or make a paper template of it. Next, get a scrap piece of flat stock and drill four holes in it which will fall at good places on the stock pad. Now use this flat stock as the guide to drill into the pedal pad and as an index to drill the pattern on any new pad adapter you come up with.
In the end, I welded my final piece. Looking back, I could've just used locking fasteners and stayed with the countersunk machine screws.
Sure, you have to stand on your head and slither into the foot-well but that's why we love Sterlings. But it works like a charm.
Oh, I've already been on my back in the foot-well a couple of days ago, to have a look at how the indicator relay has to be mounted (just pulled it out of the socket, thinking it would be easy to put it back). It was a sight to behold, with both feet sticking out through the top. 
Making some bolt on adapters is a great idea. To be honest I'm not sure what makes it work so poorly for me. I have a few other sports cars, with narrow pedals and so forth, but none of them causes me any trouble.
I guess the main issue is the throttle pedal, being about an inch behind the brake pedal at the top, so I can't just pivot my foot from the throttle to the brake, without lifting the foot completely off.
It also makes it very difficult to rev the engine up for down shifting while braking, as my foot needs to be bent much more than I find comfortable, to press the throttle while on the brake.
I'll make some nice adapters, and see if I possess the capacity to figure this one by trial and error.
Making some bolt on adapters is a great idea. To be honest I'm not sure what makes it work so poorly for me. I have a few other sports cars, with narrow pedals and so forth, but none of them causes me any trouble.
I guess the main issue is the throttle pedal, being about an inch behind the brake pedal at the top, so I can't just pivot my foot from the throttle to the brake, without lifting the foot completely off.
It also makes it very difficult to rev the engine up for down shifting while braking, as my foot needs to be bent much more than I find comfortable, to press the throttle while on the brake.
I'll make some nice adapters, and see if I possess the capacity to figure this one by trial and error.
Yes! I had almost the exact same problem on my red car (rotary turbo.) I felt that, when going from accelerator to brake, I could almost get my toe stuck BEHIND the brake. But then if I overcompensated with my foot movement, my toe almost got stuck on the steering column (or other random crap under there with the spiders.) You aren't crazy.
I never really dialed it in perfectly on that car but I made it better by shortening the linkage on my accelerator pedal -- which is a roller pedal -- so that it sat closer to being in-plane with the brake. I know exactly what you're noticing.
Looking at your photos, and I know this sounds really kludge-y, but just duct tape a 3/4 inch rectangle of wood onto the accelerator pedal and see if you like it. Then commit to it with a real fix. Like Gorilla tape.
I never really dialed it in perfectly on that car but I made it better by shortening the linkage on my accelerator pedal -- which is a roller pedal -- so that it sat closer to being in-plane with the brake. I know exactly what you're noticing.
Looking at your photos, and I know this sounds really kludge-y, but just duct tape a 3/4 inch rectangle of wood onto the accelerator pedal and see if you like it. Then commit to it with a real fix. Like Gorilla tape.
Don't jump to conclusions.....
That aside, what you describe is exactly what I can't seem to come to terms with.
Making just a wooden block and see what happens is a great idea!
It's time for duct tape and zipties.
Peter
Active member
I used a Locost assembly with triple cylinders that just poke over the chassis cross membeer and a roller peddel made from a skateboard wheel as it's wider than te one normally used. I did open up the distancees a bit but alll fit.
In hindelsight, wonderful thing, I would have used pedalum pedals with over foot rear facing cylinders as there is plenty of room on a Sebring/cimpria bulkhead.
https://i.vgy.me/iO5JbF.jpg
In hindelsight, wonderful thing, I would have used pedalum pedals with over foot rear facing cylinders as there is plenty of room on a Sebring/cimpria bulkhead.
https://i.vgy.me/iO5JbF.jpg