Shorter brake pedal?

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  • AzDon
    Van Addict
    • Feb 2002
    • 143
    #1

    Shorter brake pedal?

    So be honest......
    When you stand on the brake pedal, how close is it to the floor?
    I'm considering cutting three or four inches from the height of the pedal so I don't have to lift my foot so far from the throttle......I use a powerbleed hat to bleed the brakes, so I don't believe I need the full throw of the master cylinder for bleeding or to stop.....
    Thoughts?
    Tags: None
  • panelmanrd
    VCVC Member
    • Oct 2009
    • 2022
    #2
    when you loose one half of your brake system, you will wished you never did that,
    you won`t be able to stop your van.
    54 chevy panel truck 355 tpi 700r4 325/9in
    64 chevy 90 5.7 tpi 700r4 336 8.2
    69 chevy panel van 5.7 tbi 700r4 336 8.2

    Comment

    • 108VanGuy
      VCVC Member
      • Jul 2004
      • 3226
      #3
      Agreed

      I also would not advise shortening the pedal. Unsafe IMHO.
      108VanGuy...
      1969 Chevy Panel, 250 CID, 3 ring 4 Spd. with OD, 2.73 "WedgieVan" Daily Driver
      1967 Chevy Panel, 230 CID, 3 Spd. 3.36 "UtiliVan Owned since 76
      1964 GMC Panel, 194 CID, 3 Spd. "CrunchoVan"
      1965 Chevy Panel 350 CID, 3 Spd. "RustoRoof" Runs but wiring bad
      1969 Chevy 108 Display 307 CID THM 350 Power Brakes 3.73 Posi
      1965 Chevy Panel, V8, 3 Spd. "Gold Hills Van"
      1965 CamperVan, V8, 3 Spd.
      1969 G20 Shell

      Comment

      • van-itti
        VCVC Member
        • Jan 2008
        • 1550
        #4
        If that was fondue....

        Its a fonDONT.
        Mike

        Comment

        • AzDon
          Van Addict
          • Feb 2002
          • 143
          #5
          The stock available pedal travel is 8 inches, yet it only uses the top two to fully compressed....
          My daily-driven vehicles only have 3-4 inches between the pedal and the floor while at rest......
          So how much reserve travel does a brake pedal need to be considered "safe"?

          I've already cut three inches out, so the pedal now has 5" of total travel and uses 1.5" of that to compress......The pedal is now positioned so that I can "toe" the brake with my heel still on the throttle (like a normal vehicle)

          I've also re-purposed the clutch pedal to pull the e-brake cable, since this van will not be stick shift and I have the bigger brakes of a 91 Caprice wagon on the posi rear I pirated from the wagon, so I don't expect to ever be without stopping power of some kind....
          I'm actually more frightened about my front springs being below the "scrub line"....
          Brakes are over-rated anyway!

          Comment

          • panelmanrd
            VCVC Member
            • Oct 2009
            • 2022
            #6
            now that you have done that, go to the rear and open a bleeder screw on a wheel cyl,
            now step on the pedal very hard, does it go all the way to the floor?
            now go close that one and then open one of the front and step on the pedal the same
            way, again does the pedal reach the floor?
            this is exactly the way your pedal is going to react when one half of the braking sys fails
            this will tell you will you have enough travel to get your van stopped before it runs into what ever
            is in front of it.
            54 chevy panel truck 355 tpi 700r4 325/9in
            64 chevy 90 5.7 tpi 700r4 336 8.2
            69 chevy panel van 5.7 tbi 700r4 336 8.2

            Comment

            • AzDon
              Van Addict
              • Feb 2002
              • 143
              #7
              I'll give that a try!

              Comment

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