Pedal Setup - Heal / Toe

[Scott in Houston]

I am relatively new around here. I have a GT with PP, Recaros and all the goodies set to be built at the end of January. It's a gift from my wife! :eyebulge: She wants me to get back to my hobby of 'road racing' and getting on the track. She chose the Mustang for sentimental reasons… (long story, but I had an '89 GT when we started dating)

Honestly, it's not the first car I would have chosen for a track car, even with the new IRS, but now, after reading and doing more research, I'm very excited about it. My previous track cars have been Euros (996 Turbo & Elise), so the Mustang is going to be quite an experience relatively speaking. I'm looking forward to tossing it around!

In my few test drives, I really like it. The long hood will take some getting used to, but I love the over all feel considering the car's weight. The interior is fantastic. It's on par with much more expensive cars. Ford hit a home run with this Mustang!

My concern is the pedal setup. I know there has been discussion of the accelerator not coming from the floor, and that is a small concern, but my bigger concern is in regards to their reachability for heel-toe shifting.
With my foot on the brake, it's tough to roll and blip the accelerator unless I'm under very hard braking. I'd like the accelerator to be a bit higher because the Brembos really grab and to get a proper throttle blip, I have to brake hard enough to make it slightly uncomfortable my passengers or enough to sling the coffee from its mug! :lol:
Do you guys have this same issue?

I've had other cars where I actually blipped with the bottom of my ankle or the full side of my foot towards the top of my shoe. I can't figure out how this will work. I'm sure I can adjust to learn it, but wondering if there is any experience out there with adjusting the pedals at all to help this?

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[TNcoupe]

I too have issues with the PP brakes and being able to heel toe cause the gas pedal is about an inch too low. I PMed Steeda about making a gas pedal extension like their clutch pedal to bring it about 3/4" higher cause I use the inner and outer balls of my feet to heel toe instead of the traditional foot sideways deal. Steeda said they would send it to the product developement dept and see what they could come up with.

 

[Scott in Houston]

I too have issues with the PP brakes and being able to heel toe cause the gas pedal is about an inch too low. I PMed Steeda about making a gas pedal extension like their clutch pedal to bring it about 3/4" higher cause I use the inner and outer balls of my feet to heel toe instead of the traditional foot sideways deal. Steeda said they would send it to the product developement dept and see what they could come up with.

Cool… hope they do it. If not, maybe we should! :cheers:

I also roll my foot. I blip with the top or side of my foot, not my actual heel.

 

[Scott in Houston]

Yea distance wise doesn't seem bad, just pedal height/length of accelerator since its top mount.

Exactly. I'm surprised more people haven't chimed in on this.
It seems like a pretty big issue to me.

 

[IndustryLeech]

I'm almost afraid to try this in the new GT because the PP Brembos bite so damn hard.

 

[TNcoupe]

I'm almost afraid to try this in the new GT because the PP Brembos bite so damn hard.

Its damn near impossible with the stock setup. The Brembos bite so hard at the very top of the pedal travel that it makes very difficult to toe the gas pedal without coming to a complete stop becuase of the pedal pressure.

Come on Steeda....hook us up.

 

[Butter77]

I was starting to wonder if it was just me. The Wife yelled at me the other night about jabbing the brakes too hard when I was downshifting trying to take a turn easy. She told me just to hammer down if that'd be easier.....:love:

I'll be on a preorder list if someone would come up with a spacer!!

 

[fionic]

what's wrong with your toe? Why do you need to heal it?

also, matt farah seems fine with the pedal setup.

[ame]

 

[David@Steeda]

Its damn near impossible with the stock setup. The Brembos bite so hard at the very top of the pedal travel that it makes very difficult to toe the gas pedal without coming to a complete stop becuase of the pedal pressure.

Come on Steeda....hook us up.

We will keep you updated!

 

[Highwayman]

Nice!

 

[erne75]

I have no problem rev matching my down shifts (ball of foot on the brake while the heel blips the accelerator) but the setup on my old 350Z was definitively better.

 

[Scott in Houston]

I'm sure I'll be fine when I get my car and get used to it, but it's definitely not an ideal pedal setup. Nice to see Steeda chime in!

 

[OppoLock]

After a week and a half of trying to do this under moderate braking, I've found it physically impossible. I'm 6', normally proportioned with a size 12 shoe. In a normal driving position with my feet just close enough to the pedals that I can depress the clutch fully, and with the steering wheel all the way out pointed at my upper chest, it's impossible. I'd need an extra joint in my knee and ankle. I couldn't even practice a stab with the car off. The steering column is too obstructive and the pedals are too staggered with the throttle pedal being too short/high.

Unless my ankle literally pivots at 90° or unless my knee can detach and float underneath this chunky column, it's not happening. I'd also most likely need a pair of stilettos.

If they make an extension for the throttle pedal I'm totally in. I really miss floors mounted pedals.

 

[OppoLock]

I think people with longer legs would fair better since they could sit further away from the steering wheel and allow their knees to get at least slightly under that column.

 

[Boff]

It is true that heel-toe in this car is easier under harder braking. But at the track obviously this would be a non-issue.

There are two ways to heel-toe: (i) have the left side of the ball of your foot on the brake and roll your foot on an axis parallel with the long axis of your foot to blip the throttle with the right side of the ball of your foot (or just below). Your heel may or may not rest on the floor. This works if your feet/shoes are wide enough, but won't work if you have narrow shoes (like Piloti's, Sparco's, or Puma driving shoes) or if the pedals are too far apart (either width or depth). (ii) the second method, which seems to work better in cars with top-hinged accelerators, is to plant the ball of your foot square on the brake pedal, then swing your ankle on an axis parallel to your shin and centred on the ball of your foot, and blip the throttle with the side of your foot or even down closer to the heel. I find this second method works great on the Mustang, and I find I can have better control of throttle blipping and a lot more stable connection between my foot and the brake pedal (which is the most important thing, street or track). I will use both methods in my Mustang, depending on how hard I am braking and what shoes/boots I am wearing (real Canadians can heel-toe in mukluks).

Here is a vid of a fine driver in an RX-8, which I was driving at the time I found the vid and learned the technique.

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