Looking for guidance... moving to firewall mounted brake and clutch pedals with power brakes. 1952 Chevy 3100. Anyone care to share their experiences/cautions here, to save me from gross errors? Is there a well known set of C/B pedals that are a "best fit" for the cab? Any considerations for a extra tall driver? Many thanks for making me smarter on this issue.
We will see if anyone has experience with the AD option, but I recently did this on my 58 and have a couple lessons learned.
I went with the CPP pedal kit. It was about middle of the pack pricewise and looked like it was the best thought out.
Removing the original dash/column support was by far the worst part of the job. They recommend drilling out the spot welds, but at least on my truck the FAM said there were 27 of them. I spent hours trying to drill them, but the geometry under the dash just was not working for me. I ended up getting my angle grinder and roughly cutting out the big chunks, then coming back with a flap wheel to clean it up and grind out the welds to get the rest of the pieces out.
I recommend bolting the new mount to the column side, then putting shims or something under the firewall end to position it while testing the pedal travel. I didn't have a good bracing method and it is slightly lower than I would have liked.
Juggling to booster in the engine bay, the shims on both sides of the firewall, and the mount in the cab is a giant pain in the butt. Once you have the hole drilled and verify that the booster will fit in them, I would recommend slathering some silicone on the shims and bolting them into place on the firewall so they are affixed before trying to do the final assembly.
My last lesson was to spend some time tinkering with the pedal position and actually pretend to drive before finalizing it. I built the pedal, looked at it, moved it by hand to make sure it would clear everything, welded it up, and hated it. I ended up cutting it back off, moving it over about an inch, and putting it back together. I am *much* happier with it now.
I bought a brake light switch for an 80s C10 and it bolted right up.
I did a CPP brake only kit on my '51 Burb. I remember it being pretty painless. Trouble free since 2012. Did a Kugel C/B unit in a '40 Ford with booster and both masters under the dash.. Worked great, easy to install. Have a Kugel in my '30 Roadster, have yet to use it but easy to install. Planning on a Kugel C/B in my '28, since I'm now sold on them.
I would think for a tall driver, the pedals can almost stay where they normally would be. Steering column and seat adjustment would be more of a consideration. Standard engine placement would stifle a foot well move. Where tall would have you move back from the firewall.
I used a pedal and power brake booster/master cylinder from an S10 pickup for my '50 3600.
In my case the drivetrain was also changed so I needed a hydraulic clutch so I was not trying to adapt to the original clutch actuation mechanism.
I was able to leave the original dash brace in place and modify the S10 brace to adapt to the dash.
The clutch master was offset a fair amount from the original clutch pedal due to the master's location on the firewall being next to the brake booster. I modified the clutch pedal to be able to acuate the clutch master.
Depending on what your setup is I may be able to provide more insight but I need to admit that my truck is not road worthy yet so I have not actually driven it with this pedal setup.
Be sure to reinforce the firewall. Since the original sheet metal was not intended to carry the force of pushing the pedals (especially a panic stop) it will "oil can" flex eventually. You'll need to fabricate some angle braces from the firewall to behind the dash to reinforce the master cylinder mounting. Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
I ordered separate Brake and Clutch brackets from Kugel. I wanted to use the stock booster from my '88 donor and not the smaller aftermarket style. They had a dual pedal bracket for the smaller booster, but was happy to make separate units for me, quick turn around but pricey. I thought the available products from the typical vendors looked flimsy. The Kugel pedal arms are centered in the brackets. The '88 clutch and brake pushrod are solid with an eye on the end. I cut and threaded the pushrods. Put on clevis yokes to connect to the pedal arms. The only way to adjust pedal height here is to adjust the length of the pushrod. I found some short yokes and got the pedal at an acceptable position. The first time I stepped on the pedal, about halfway down, the firewall flexed. I added a plate of sheet metal maybe 1/8" thick. Now it is solid. The last issue is how the switches mount in a no interference way. The button has to be pushed at rest and releases when the pedal is moved, so normally closed. I found a dual action switch that has both N/O and N/C(normally open/normally closed) contacts. I use the N/C for the clutch, and the brake light uses the N/C and the N/O could be used if you have automatic, or in my case it's wired to the 4x4 I think as a disable. Here is a picture of my setup with the longer yokes, notice the stiffener plate. I also had to move the brake bracket over 1/2" to clear the cowl vent handle. Also make sure the clutch reservoir clears the inner fender and hood spring.
Looks good. I will be fabricating a similar setup on the replica dirt track race car I'm building, but the pedal brackets will be floor mounted with the pedal shafts pointing upward. That setup will use two brake master cylinders, one for each axle, with a pivoting link attached to the pedal. There will be a separate single master cylinder for the clutch. Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
There are several sources for kit the kit from, master cylinder for disc brakes or drum or disc frt/drum rear. You can buy parts salvage and modify to fit. There was a you tube titled Idaho Fabricator who has a detailed install for AD truck cab. I hope the video is still up he died some months ago but last time I checked his videos were still up. Well worth the time to check it out. LS motor swap, suspension swap, modifying all that was needed brakes etc....great videos.
