powerlabs
10-05-2009, 06:11 PM
So... I was cleaning my car's interior after owning it for over 2 months, when I finally noticed THIS:
The problem:
http://www.powerlabs.org/images/pedals.JPG
Does GM really think THAT is what the gas pedal in a $40000+ dollar car should look like? Is THAT what I need to push down on when I want to unleash 400horsepower?
Seriously, that has got to be the CHEAPEST, gas pedal in ANY vehicle, ever.
Plus it doesn't even match the other pedals. Which is probably a good thing, because if my life depended on actuating the brakes through a similarly flimsy, cheap, injection molded polyethylene piece of plastic, I think I would rather walk.
The solution:
http://www.powerlabs.org/images/pedals4.JPG
Got it for $55 on Ebay. It is made of die cast aluminum and ULTRA light. The weight difference is less than my scale can detect (weight is a big thing for me). Matches the other pedals and feels very high quality. Also, unlike the stock pedal there is very little play in it at all.
Before I got this I read some complaints that these were hard to install. Here is how I did it:
First look at the back of the stock pedal. There are 2 things there: A spring, which keeps the pedal tilted forward, and a pin. The pin is pressed in from the drivers side of the car to the passenger side, protruding about 1/2" into the driver side. It engages the drivers side only. It takes a LOT of force to remove it; far more than you can hope to do by hand.
http://www.powerlabs.org/images/pedals1.JPG
For this install I needed only 2 tools: A "Husky" brand 3" "C" clamp, and a 12mm socket.
By placing the socket over the head of the pin and tightening against the protrusion on the other end the pin backs out. Once it is off the gas pedal drops to the floor. Don't lose the spring.
To install the new pedal, the reverse procedure is used, except this time you need the socket on the drivers side so that the pin can protrude into that side:
http://www.powerlabs.org/images/pedals2.JPG
Note that the new pedal has a notch cut into it for the spring arm to slot into, and also a nylon washer to hold the spring in place and prevent side-to-side play:
http://www.powerlabs.org/images/pedals3.JPG
That's it! Quick, cheap, and it makes the car's interior look a lot better :thumbsup:
The problem:
http://www.powerlabs.org/images/pedals.JPG
Does GM really think THAT is what the gas pedal in a $40000+ dollar car should look like? Is THAT what I need to push down on when I want to unleash 400horsepower?
Seriously, that has got to be the CHEAPEST, gas pedal in ANY vehicle, ever.
Plus it doesn't even match the other pedals. Which is probably a good thing, because if my life depended on actuating the brakes through a similarly flimsy, cheap, injection molded polyethylene piece of plastic, I think I would rather walk.
The solution:
http://www.powerlabs.org/images/pedals4.JPG
Got it for $55 on Ebay. It is made of die cast aluminum and ULTRA light. The weight difference is less than my scale can detect (weight is a big thing for me). Matches the other pedals and feels very high quality. Also, unlike the stock pedal there is very little play in it at all.
Before I got this I read some complaints that these were hard to install. Here is how I did it:
First look at the back of the stock pedal. There are 2 things there: A spring, which keeps the pedal tilted forward, and a pin. The pin is pressed in from the drivers side of the car to the passenger side, protruding about 1/2" into the driver side. It engages the drivers side only. It takes a LOT of force to remove it; far more than you can hope to do by hand.
http://www.powerlabs.org/images/pedals1.JPG
For this install I needed only 2 tools: A "Husky" brand 3" "C" clamp, and a 12mm socket.
By placing the socket over the head of the pin and tightening against the protrusion on the other end the pin backs out. Once it is off the gas pedal drops to the floor. Don't lose the spring.
To install the new pedal, the reverse procedure is used, except this time you need the socket on the drivers side so that the pin can protrude into that side:
http://www.powerlabs.org/images/pedals2.JPG
Note that the new pedal has a notch cut into it for the spring arm to slot into, and also a nylon washer to hold the spring in place and prevent side-to-side play:
http://www.powerlabs.org/images/pedals3.JPG
That's it! Quick, cheap, and it makes the car's interior look a lot better :thumbsup: