Heel toe in a Miata
 

Alright, I finally can't take it any more. I've been searching over at m.net and can't find anything useful.

Basically, when I'm braking, and the brake is in the friction zone, the gas pedal is too high, by about two inches. I can't make contact when rolling my foot.

I'd like to adjust the brake up, or gas down (while still having full throttle travel)

Did anyone else have this problem? Any solutions? Bend something, adjust some screws and stoppers?

I will go out and look at the assemblies later to see if there is some :idea: easy fix.

Racing pedals??

I have a bolt-on gas pedal extender from Rennen Metal, and I adjusted the brake pedal higher. That solved the distance and height issues pretty well. You can also bend the gas pedal, though I didn't find that necessary.

Brake pedal IS adjustable for height.

Here's a possibly helpful thread at mnet you missed.

Heel/toe & brake/gas pedal suggestions - MX-5 Miata Forum

Had the same issue, a gas pedal extension that I cut ~.75 inches off and real pads (stiffer) plus a good bleed of the brake fluid made it possible. Still isn't easy though. My bone stock '08 Lancer is great for heel toe. The race car? Not so much. Figures.

Try that gas pedal extension.

I just removed the covers and put some grip tape on the pedals. Its perfect, even barefoot. I think I want a heel toe hero shirt.

The Rennen metal gas pedal absolutly rocks! I drove a miata at PCA today with it installed and was blipping like Montoya...

lengthen the master cylinder rod thingie. It worked for me.

This.

You god damn cock gobbler, you could be slightly less specific if you tried, but only if you tried.

Where is my thingie I need to lengthen? Apparently it's so small I need a microscope to find it on my own.

You know, on both our Miatas it's not a problem as is. I do have wide feet, and end up having to do a very exaggerated technique where I end up using the upper/lace part of my shoe for blipping the gas. I don't bother with racing shoes any more, the extra width of a running shoe helps.

Its right between "you're a fucking retard" and "talk shit to me again and I'll crush your fucking skull."




Unbolt the master cylinder, twist the rod, stfu.

Maybe there's something wrong with me, but this made me laugh on several levels.

Grow some MAN feet. I, like webby, use the ball of my big toe for braking and the ball of my pinky toe for hitting the throttle....no need to twist my ankle to make it work either.

Oh... and if you get really good...like me... you can "heel toe" without using the clutch pedal.

I started racing in a Miata and showroom stock- any pedal shenanigans were strictly forbidden. So I learned how to heel-toe by blipping the throttle with outside of my foot. Just roll your ankle and the right side of your foot will eventually hit the gas pedal. Still allows consistent/controlled braking.

I can heel toe just fine in size 11 shoes.

You're doing it wrong?

Try heel-toeing in a late '70s Porsche and you'll realize heel-toeing in a Miata is a piece of cake.

Compared to any other car I have driven heel-toeing in the miata is cake.. Of course I do wear a size 11 shoe.

this is what i do. the outside edge of my right shoe always gets worn.

+1 on the grip tape

:facepalm:

Did anyone read the original post? My foot is plenty wide enough, but when I get to the friction zone of the brake the gas pedal is about two inches too high. If I covered the gas with my pinkie toe, I'd get the engine reving to about 4k every time I hit the brake.

I can blip now by covering the gas with my pinkie toe, IF I contort my foot to try to raise my pinkie toe high enough. But to do that, I really have to jack my ankle and slide my knee to the left to get a high enough angle. OR, if I don't cover the gas, but come close, I can roll my ankle so far to the right that eventually the top of my foot will catch the side of the gas pedal but that sucks just as bad.

My old integra had the gas low enough/ brake high enough that when I was on the brakes, the gas was still even, and I could rock my foot to the right to rev.

I'll try to get out to the garage tonight to see what's up with the assembly to get less dead play before the brakes start to grab.

This was my car, and yes the pedal fucking rocks my cock, heal toe is easy as pie.

ive got the same problem as OP in my 350z. took some practice but i learned to blip the throttle just enough. man up and start practicing.

Or fix the problem and keep the ingrained skills muscle memory?

OP. Are you brakes stock? Maybe try some SS lines and fluid?

Do your brakes need bleeding?

Good pad life left, good pedal feel at engagement. Not stock pads, but nothing awesome/shitty, all other brake system components are stock.

Brakes bled last weekend, no noticeable difference (except my reservoir no longer looks like hersheys). Brake engagement point is in the same place as my 95 and in my friends 94.

I just need to customize it a bit.

One good inch would make all the difference in the world, but would love an inch and a half. I'll try Hustler's suggestion if I can't find a solution in the linkage n stuff.

I was able to raise the brake pedal about an inch using the adjusters in the linkage.

All that it takes is a 17 mm and a 14 mm box wrench and the pain of trying to stand on your head under the brake assembly. I found that laying across the door sill was quite painful, I recommend using some padding or something to protect your ribs.

Anyway, just break the 17 lock nut loose, there's a captive one too, but you can ignore that. Unclip the small wire harness for the brake light switch and spin the threaded rod back to where only a little protrudes. Don't back it off so much that the pole switch doesn't protrude or your brake lights will be on until they blow out.

Now get even further under there, and notice the threaded rod that goes through the firewall. There is a 14mm lock nut jammed up against the bracket, loosen it. Now, you can adjust the brake pedal height to take up the slack you created moving the first rod. Make sure you still have about a quarter of an inch of play at the top, you don't want your breaks dragging.

Extract yourself from the footwell, sit in the seat, and give it a try. If-a you like-a, then tighten everything down, if not, then continue adjusting.

While this change made the pedal a much better height for me, my knee is fully embedded in the steering wheel now, so I'll be doing a foamectomy (which I've been meaning to do anyway) to get some room.

I did. And I gave you my solution- no pedal modifications. Just roll your ankle over while keeping focused on your braking and you'll blip the throttle. The side (not the bottom) of your foot will hit the gas pedal. I've been doing this for fifteen years of racing Miatas.

What he said, stop being a :noob: learn how to drive.

I'm glad you figured it out. I was going to suggest duct taping a 1" piece of wood to the top of your brake pedal...waala... now their even.:idea: