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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Pedal box and pedal position

Has anyone modified a pedal box (late type) or pedal box position so as to move the pedal position foward relative to the driver?

Moving the pedals foward to the driver would allow the seat to go further back and thereby allow a straighter arm position.

So, anybody done this and how, preferably with photos.
Daniel Thirteen-Twelve

Think ours might be slightly nearer to us than previous, not so that the original builder of the car could have a straighter arm though, maybe cos he isn't as tall as us two!

Though Modified is a bit of a misnomer, it's a completely new manufactured one with two brake master cylinders and a bias bar included.

A.
Andrew McGee

With my tilton step up, its not possiable, (at least not without serious firewall modification) and I would doulbt it would be TO do-able even on a stock set up (at least not more then 1 inch or so) definatly not enough to make the amount of work in the modification worth while

the issue and problem area is the down ward slant of the top of the footwell box, by the time the brake lines come out the master clyinder your already scraping the back side of the slant and close to the fire wall...now moving forward is certianly a can do...maybe 3 inches or so

NOW THAT BEING SAID.....You could???

The only other way to do it and easily, would be to get the tilton/wilwood pedal assemblys that are floor mounted, those you can positon anywhere and have remote resevories for easier installation... just not as orginal looking as the Overhung/firewall/reverse mounted peddles

Prop


Prop

Daniel, my race car has had the column shortened a bit and the thin seat is hard against the rear bulkhead. My arms are still bent more than I would like but I'm getting used to it. At least now my right elbow doesn't need to sit between the instrusion bar and the door skin.
I can't see why you couldn't move the pedal box back a bit but this would also move the pedals upwards. Perhaps custom pedals would be an easier solution.
Mike Allen

Mike that is a great idea about the custome pedals

you could make them so they are (Notched/bended/reformed) sorry I cant find the correct word...but they could come down as normal then turn further back towards the balk wall from the pedal box.

Prop
Prop

You could have a problem with travel, given that my accelerator is normally pinned against the bulkhead, my brake pedal often goes to the floor with no effect on retardation and the clutch always hits.

Mike, I had a similar effect on arm length by reversing a dished steering wheel.
Max max-at-midgetmax-dot-com

As an aside, next time you watch F1, notice how bent the drivers arms are these days. i couldn't believe it.
Gary Lazarus

Presumably a greater recline on the seat gets your C of G lower and your arms straighter.
Guy Weller

Am I being a bit thick here.... but moving the pedals wouldn't allow a straighter arm position would it ?? ...a straighter leg position / more legroom yes.

As Gary says the straight arm driving is old hat these days, also take a look at the current rally drivers they tend to have the steering wheel closer than you might think......but it could be because rally & F1 cars have power steering these days.

Ian
Ian Webb '73 GAN5

WOW!!! I just turned my moto lite semi dished steering wheel round!! had to "re shape the indicator stalk a little. What a difference! nice tip
Nick Sayle

Ian - sorry to say Yes!

The pedals move nearer the driver the seat goes back by the same amount but the steering wheel is further away so the arm reach is straighter.

I already have a shortened steering column and a flat steering wheel.

Max - good point though it would be easy to bend the throttle to bring it nearer by the same amount though given I have a shorter throttle pedal so I can heel and toe (of sorts) I could just revert to an unmodified throttle pedal.

But, no-one seems to have done this so I'll probably go with what I have in mind and let the BBS know if it works and keep quiet if it fails?
Daniel Thirteen-Twelve

For those who have the seat as far back as it will go already this does not assist (ie Max when he is in a midget - also me)

However for the short @r$es out there Special Tuning used to put wooden blocks on the pedals of the rally Austin Healey 3000's so that Pat Moss could reach the pedals... might be a simpler solution than moving the seat back... :) Perhaps someone could craft some carbon fibre blocks if you want an update for 2010...
James Bilsland

I meant, of course, a simpler solution than moving the pedal box back...
James Bilsland

In the back of my mind is the thought of that non-collapsing steering column heading towards my chest in a heavy frontal shunt. Reversing a dished steering wheel would bring that thought to the front of my mind when I'm driving and that would slow me down. OTOH, if I put some uni joints into the column so it would divert sideways perhaps I'd go faster?

I like the simplicity of James' wooden blocks on the pedals.
Mike Allen

I was going to make the same suggestion as James.
I once saw a (human) midget who had long extensions on his pedals so that his feet could reach. I believe his upper body was normal dimensions, it's just that his legs were very short.
So a variation of that seems to be one way of dealing with the problem.
Gary Lazarus

Daniel
You changed the wording...."forward relative to the driver" meant forward in the car to me ....when you replied to me you said "nearer to the driver" which is clearer !
Ian
Ian Webb '73 GAN5

Back in the 60's I saw Ronnie Corbett arrive at a fete, driving an enormous Bentley. He had to jump down from the seat to get out. The pedals had HUGE wooden blocks fitted to them. No help to you whatsoever.....just thought I'd mention....
Geoff Mears

I now have the seat 1.75" further back which is absolutely as far back as it goes (it's a thin racing seat).

So I now have 1.75" more arm reach but not yet straight arms (even with a steering column already shortened by 1.0" and a flat steering wheel).

What I did in the end was increase the length of the clutch pedal (directly under the pad) though ideally it needs to be a bit longer still.

For the brake pedal I simply swapped the standard 1969 pedal for a 1500 Midget brake pedal which I already knew sat a lot higher.

For the throttle pedal I swapped back to my less shortened 1500 Midget pedal that I had in a few years ago.

I'm sure we'd all like an extra 1.75"(!) and certainly the car does feel a lot more comfortable and I even notice the difference when getting in and out.
Daniel Thirteen-Twelve

This thread was discussed between 25/04/2010 and 08/05/2010

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