I'm trying to lay out the pedal arrangement on my '46 Chevrolet half-ton, and I'd love to see some examples of what you guys have done on your builds. Stock cab/frame and a set of Chassis Engineering(?) clutch/brake pedals and frame brackets. I also have an early-'60's steering column that mounts in the same basic location as the original column. (Please forgive/ignore any OT components...not an apology for my selection, just a warning of OT content!) Here's the rub.... If I mount the bracket to the frame as intended, the brake pedal splits the steering column. TO remedy this, I can slide the bracket toward the transmission (away from the frame) and get brake clearance, but then the clutch arm splits the column. Adding a spacer between the pedal bushings gets my pedals to clear the column, but the clutch arm is rather close to the frame ahead of the firewall. This is where I am at the moment.... In pic 1, the left bushing will be welded to the bracket to provide a wide shoulder to support the through-bolt. The center bushing is required to give proper column clearance. As you can see, to mount everything just where it is, I'll have to extend the bracket to meet the frame ( a little at the top in pic 2, more at the bottom in pic 3). In pic 4, you can just see the clutch/brake arms and the column, and how close the clutch arm is to the frame. I think that, once I mount everything solid, I will have and maintain just enough clearance to live with. Now, where you guys come it... Please post your footboard/firewall photos demonstrating the relationship between your clutch/brake arms and your columns, and any descriptions you may have of what and how you arrived at your design. Thanks ahead of time for any help!
Not sure if this is any help or not as my pedals are under dash mount but here is a picture of them in relation to the column. It runs centered between the clutch and brake pedals. Hard to tell from this picture but I would say there is about an inch on either side of the column to each pedal.
^^^^That is a luxurious amount of real estate in that footwell. Nice pedal placement. Master cylinders on the working side of the firewall?
Under dash. I access the brake one through the cowl vent. Clutch I have to remove the dash but I have it all wired with one plug so I can unplug the whole thing and just take it out as a single unit.
^^^^Good info, thanks! Sometimes you have no option other than drop pedals. Sure looks right in your truck.
I don't know your particular pedals...but a friend of mine also using aftermarket pedals ( I think Pete and Jake) was going through ridiculous thrash to fit his pedals into a Model A. He would test them, write up a description of the fit problem, and ship them back to P&J for more twisting. As he got ready for a third try I noticed that the industrial space he worked in had a huge vise...turned out the things bent easily with just the vise and our rather unimpressive muscle. Not at all like forged early Ford pedals requiring torch! Yours seem from pic to be flame cut bar (??) and might well be something willing to bend without drama. Find a serious vise, or Vise Grip them to the nearest railroad track or sewer grating and give'em a try...bend them both outward til they clear well enough, then re-clamp them and bend below that bend to parallel.
Can you mount the bracket where it needs to be to get the clutch and master in the correct place, and then bend the pedals around the steering column?
Correct as always Bruce, my P&J pedals in the 34 bent with nothing more than a small vice (no, not bourbon), a crescent wrench and a butane torch. I was able to manipulate them several times until I got the clearance and fit I required...then I chromed them.
Afraid my pictures won't help as I have an automatic in so only one pedal to worry about. It's mounted on the firewall so it can go thru and activate the power brakes. Good luck on your truck.
Thanks all for the replies! @DDDenny and @K13 Nice projects there!! Doubt mine will match you work, but I'll try! @Bruce Lancaster Yes, my pedal arms are plasma-cut and I have considered (and may still) bend them for clearances. Thanks for the reminder. Forgot to mention, I don't think I'll need a clutch master cylinder as I will be attempting to copy @D-Russ and use a cable-actuated clutch. I am trying to keep my firewall clean AND not blow my whole truck fund on an under-dash system. I'll figure it out, but it may take some time. ANY MORE EXAMPLES?
You did get the right advice above. Set the pedal cluster "body" in the best spot to clear stuff, and get the right location for clutch...then you simply must bend the pedals. Ok, I had to ID a few pedal setups from 1950 to 58 Olds standard shift cars. Each main "body" of the cluster with the same master cylinder, sat in the same place on the frame rail even though Olds made changes in the body styling, but the pedal arms were all slightly bent differently on each body style change. .
Thanks @F&J ! I accept that this is what I need to do, I was just looking for some visual examples (photos) of what others have done. Hope to start this install next week...wish me luck!!
I cut my brake pedal and welded it back on offset to get around steering column as I had eliminated the "through the floor pedals"
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