Foot rest

[P G Warren]

Probably been asked before....but....

 

I'm finding it difficult to get my clutch foot comfortable without anywhere to rest it ☹️. I cant put it flat on the floor or my knees hit the wheel. On any decent length of journey this gets a bit tiresome.

 

Any ideas? What do others do?

 

1999 VX1600

[Alex Wong1697456877]

I usually rest it behind the pedal on Motorway runs, at least until my ankle aches, then I go back to holding it lightly on the clutch, but when I do that, my mind always imagines the release bearing wearing, so I keep that to a minimum. I suspect when I drive on a circuit, I ride the clutch. Apparently Jim Clark always rode the clutch in the Lotus 25 so I guess it's an acceptable technique. I have wondered about fitting a foot rest - just about 2-3cm of angled metal a foots width above the pedal so that it wouldn't interfere with normal use, but would be there if needed. Not sure it would work though.

[GTD]

When my car was built, Gerard (of Virtual 7) ran a small 'L' shaped section of aluminium across in front of the pedals just as a heel rest.

 

Poly means more than one, and ticks are bloodsucking parasites C7GTD here

[Jason Plato]

I fitted a small rest on the tranny tunnel just to the left of the clutch pedal and 5mm above it. The rest is only about 10mm x 30mm but it certainly helps as a brace when on track and a rest when on the road.

 

You also need an ankle brace to control the movment of your feet - I wonder if this is part of the reason for folk complaining about jerky / kangeroo throttle . When in actual fact its there lack of pedal control.

 

Dave

[GTD]

Yes, I think that was Gerard's intention. I lost the brace when I had the lowered floor fitted and I do miss it...

 

Poly means more than one, and ticks are bloodsucking parasites C7GTD here

[Peter Carmichael]

When in actual fact its there lack of pedal control.

 

I'm pretty certain kangeroo antics are cause by lean mixtures where the acceleration fuelling isn't quite sufficient. I can certainly make a minor mapping adjustment (2% reduction in acceleration fuelling) and the car will kangeroo uncontrollably.

 

I agree that a heel rest is vital for proper pedal control. The chassis cross-member is perfect for me. I've driven cars with the floor reinforcement and no heel rest and they are more difficult to drive.

[irrotational]

My caterham seems to have a small chassis rail that runs parrallel to the pedals and is just where i need it to rest my heel...

 

no-one else seems to mention this - am i an odd shape or is my car unusual?

 

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this is a local sig for local people!

[GTD]

You've not got honeycomb on the flooring? Editted to say that is mandatory in certain classes for racing (and a good safety addition too).

 

Poly means more than one, and ticks are bloodsucking parasites C7GTD here

 

Edited by - GTD on 18 Jul 2007 10:19:59

[Jason Plato]

B&Q do a nice line in small ally angle which would make a great heel rest if bonded to the floor

[Jason Plato]

your heel may rest on the chassis x member if the pedals are mounted to suit. But short 🙆🏻 members tend to have the pedals further forward, or the lowered floor fitted or in GTD's case honeycombe floor - as it is / was a race car .

 

Edited by - Dave Jackson on 18 Jul 2007 10:21:30

[andy_h]

I've a race chassis with honeycomb floor and the cross/diagonal rails works ok (also not a short ar$e so that helps too 😬).

 

Rather than add weight/brackets why not cut a hole in the trannie tunnel leaving the cutout section attached and fold back to form a rest. Poke your toe in to use . Will also provide cooling to drivers footwell *cool*. Granted bit more difficult for those with carpet.

 

 

White road legal 2.0 HPC VX race car 😬

[GTD]

Poke your toe in to use

Ouch!! 😬

 

Poly means more than one, and ticks are bloodsucking parasites C7GTD here

 

Edited by - GTD on 18 Jul 2007 14:05:47

[andy_h]

*arrowup*why 🤔 or am I missing something?

 

If you don't fancy a 'toe hole' what about a 'side slot' (rest the outer edge of your foot on it).

 

 

White road legal 2.0 HPC VX race car 😬

[Martin Erhard]

Peter – I have size 11’s and frankly there just isn’t enough room down there to put my clutch foot anywhere else but on the pedal, even a side support/rest is not an option as I have investigated.

I have this problem in most ‘normal’ cars also and lightly ride the clutch. In years and thousands of miles of driving I have never knowingly damaged a clutch in this way. People with smaller feet may scoff but in a seven it is a concerted effort to tuck a size 11 boot under the clutch pedal and a potentially dangerous struggle to extract it in an emergency situation. The heel rest is a good idea as the straight leg driving position means you are operating the pedal by more of a leg/thigh movement rather than a more controlled ankle movement in a normal car. The rest (or step in the floor) helps convert this to more of an ankle movement as the heel has something to brace on.

This doesn't really solve your problem but you are not alone...

 

[Colin Mill]

I think the riding of the clutch should not be much of an issue. The bearing needs a pre-load and there is some suggestion that the lack of enough pre-load was a possible cause of the CRB failures from the fingers skidding over the face of the bearing rather than the bearing turning properly. Anyway, I modified the springs on the clutch pedal to get the pre-load right but am aware that if I catch my toe under the pedal and lift it slightly I am removing the pre-load (it really should be arranged at the other end of the cable but its not 🙆🏻). Anyway, I'm more inclined to rest my foot lightly on the pedal rather than risk lifting the pedal while retrieving the foot from under it. I think the only danger would be in pressing hard enough to make the clutch slip so perhaps just holding the foot off the pedal while giving it full loud would be sensible.

 

Colin

 

Edited by - Colin Mill on 18 Jul 2007 18:50:38

[GTD]

The New York Times article, written by journalist Gardiner Harris, describes how "with vanity always in fashion and shoes reaching iconic cultural status, women are having parts of their toes lopped off to fit into the latest Manolo Blahniks or Jimmy Choos."

Perhaps a new bulk buy for those size 11 wearers is needed?

 

Poly means more than one, and ticks are bloodsucking parasites C7GTD here

[Martin Erhard]

Even more drastic than resorting to major surgery there is one final option almost too scary to contemplate........buy an SV 😳.

 

[Colin Mill]

"Now let me see... self-mutilation or being seen in an SV?... Honey, where is the axe?" 😬

[Bilbo]

Well my feet are not that long, hairy yes but they are a bit err wide.... foot rest I wished

 

Having whinged 😬

 

I have never bu**ered an old style CRB or the pressure plate fingers. Declutched a few times with at bit of cramp on mptorways but that after a say 150 mile run. Having said that its not a constant thing on a long run... think its relative to motorway driving use the A and B roads and it does not happen.

 

Yep a rest would be nice.

 

 

'Can you hear me running' ......... OH YES and its music to my ears 😬 😬 😬

1988 200 bhp, 146 ft lbs, 1700cc Cosworth BD? engineered by Roger King, on Weber's with Brooklands and Clamshell wings, Freestyle Motorsport suspension.

[Setok]

irrotational, I have that railing too on my '89 car. I guess if the pedals are brought towards the driver then one might not be able to use that luxury, but for me it's perfect. I do suffer from needing some place to rest my clutch foot and, as Martin said, with big feet it's a squeeze to get it behind the clutch pedal, and not a position you'll get out of in a hurry (at least without some practise). I still do it now and then, though, just to get a bit of rest.

 

I also noticed that there is less of a problem when driving on spirited roads at a good pace! I guess I'm more focused on the driving then and I don't notice my left foot. It's the long, straight roads which are a problem..

 

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Kristoffer Lawson