Thoughts Welcome on some aluminium pedals for a car??

a friend has asked if I can make some aluminium pedals for his car.

the car seem to have aluminium pedals pressed onto the steel frame with little tabs or held on with rubber as shown in the photos below

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x...pskbs51v5j.jpg

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x...psxr66zo3g.jpg

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x...psxxwykx2w.jpg

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x...pstvrxmazw.jpg

these are just some test pedals ive been sent, obviously his are in his car.

now the not so simple answer would be just drill some holes well... there is very limited room in the foot well of a car and the pedals move up and down which makes drilling holes bloody hard. also getting the holes in the perfect position to make the pedal straight is a challenge.

I could make a little jigs with just the mounting holes in that people can clamp to the pedal frame to drill but drilling is not a good option.

how the pedals are pressed on requires more than just a cnc machine to make the pedals.

so the question is, does anyone have any ideas to simply secure a new aluminium cover (pedal) to the frame?

all sensible thoughts welcome

Glue. I am not joking, I think that would be the best, but it would be hard to replace the pedals if he wanted to. Also it requires precision milling for the curve, so it may be hard to do unless you have a rubber sheet in between the aluminium and the steel.

Don't drill holes, but if you decide to do that you could fix the pedals so that they are prevented from moving. Just jam a piece of wood between the pedal and the floor. If you drill then you must tap and glue the screws, DON'T use bolts or nuts from the other side. But... before you do any modification of the car, find out what is allowed and what not. I don't know the UK regulations, and in this respect I have no idea about the Swedish ones either, but here a car is inspected every two years and certain modifications may result in prohibition from driving. I don't know if drilling into the pedals is a critical one, but find out before you do it.

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Originally Posted by A_Camera

. But... before you do any modification of the car, find out what is allowed and what not. I don't know the UK regulations, and in this respect I have no idea about the Swedish ones either, but here a car is inspected every two years and certain modifications may result in prohibition from driving. I don't know if drilling into the pedals is a critical one, but find out before you do it.

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In the UK the MOT test is fairly basic and I don't think modified foot pedals would compromise the integrity of the pedal if, say, 4 holes were drilled and tapped M4. You could then attach the pedal covers with countersunk hex socket screws in stainless steel or black would look good.

The real think to look out for is the insurance company, as nowadays they are looking for ANY reason to refuse or reduce payout in the event of a claim. Young drivers seem to be unaware of this.

I am in my seventies now and have reverted to a standard off the production line car, but thirty years ago I had a heavily modified Audi 80 Sport and paid the inflated premiums because of it. The same with a couple of subsequent cars.

Nowadays, I wouldn't be able to afford the premium for a modified car and TBH I am just getting to be a grumpy old fart anyway.

Harrumph,

Rob

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The real think to look out for is the insurance company, as nowadays they are looking for ANY reason to refuse or reduce payout in the event of a claim. Young drivers seem to be unaware of this.

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I think Rob is correct and you would have to be very careful if you was the guy that fitted them and something went wrong like the foot slipping off the pedal etc.

I forgot about insurance... Yes, that's the same in Sweden. Insurance companies also make their best to avoid payments, and I can guess that a modified car can be a problem if they find that out, especially after an accident.

Pedals must be non-slip for the MOT test (I can't remember the exact wording).

Personally, I wouldn't touch anything to do with pedals, purely due to liability. I've seen the result of a pedal failure (the weld failed due to a manufacturing defect), and no stone gets left unturned in establishing if anybody had tampered with it.

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Originally Posted by m_c

Pedals must be non-slip for the MOT test (I can't remember the exact wording).

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'The anti-slip provision on the brake pedal pad is missing, incomplete, loose or worn smooth'

https://www.mot-testing.service.gov....4s03000301.htm

Rob

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Originally Posted by cropwell

'The anti-slip provision on the brake pedal pad is missing, incomplete, loose or worn smooth'

https://www.mot-testing.service.gov....4s03000301.htm

Rob

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Well, I did suspect from the start that pedals are critical and may result in rejection and prohibition from driving if it is noticed during a regular inspection and if the modification is not done right. You found the right document and the correct wording. I think there are other issues as well, the height of the pedal may be critical also because when you make it higher the angle of the foot changes also. I don't know if this is critical, but it definitely effects the driving comfort, so I would not add anything which significantly changes the angle. A thin sheet may be OK, but nothing thicker. The other thing is that if there is a screw going through than in case your foot is under the brake pedal than it can get stuck and you may not be able to brake in time in case something happens. Too long screws may also prevent the pedals to be pushed deep enough for an OK. Modifying cars is a tricky business, not everyone cares but if it is found out it can be expensive for the owner.