Installed Sport Pedals
11-12-2010, 12:13 PM
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'11 E550 4MATIC, '07 Suzuki SV1000S
Installed Sport Pedals
Don't have pics yet but here goes:
So I received my pedals form JBSPEED the other day (on schedule as indicated).
First observation - the Pedals are very nice 10/10, the mounting hardware average 7/10, installation instructions non-existent 0/10.
The factory pedal covers are slip on rubber covers...these are bolt on covers that replace the existing...with the exception of the dead pedal which just covers the open carpeting space.
Before I go through the installation - that no one was able to provide inthe 2 days or so I waited between receiving and actually installing - I will say that while the pedals are nice if I had to do it over again I'd probably go with the real ones instead.
From an installation perspective it is not difficult to install but it is a royal pain in the a$$ to do and here's why.
The metal of the pedals is aluminum and thus very soft...you cannot use the pedal in place as a drilling template or the drill will either a) mar the surface of the pedal, or b) eat away at the countersunk mounting hole wich leaves you with no ability to mount the pedal.
On the E-brake pedal its not so much of an issue, although if you are "off" in your drilling by even the slightest bit - you will have a hell of a time holding the nut in palce or getting it on the bolt to clamp down the pedal.
Next on the Brake Pedal once you remove the rubber factory cover, you can see to indentataions long the width of the pedal top and bottom (think corrugated - like a highway guardrail). This is where the drill needs to go thru (the ebrake is composite material this is steel) If you use the sport pedal as a template - you will ruin it due to the rounded corrugated nature of the steel brake pedal...I'll take about installation tips later...so ultimately this goes on without too much trouble (didn't loctite anything although I will probably go back and do that.
Now for the GO Pedal this one is where the Royal Pain comment fits in... the rubber cover on the factory pedal needs to be cut off, second and more challenging is lining up the pedal properly so as not to drill into the honeycomb pattern on the back that will prevent you from getting the bolts threaded and locked in. The bottom bolt in this case took me over 1 hour to get lined up and on due to its near impossible mounting angle.
The dead pedal - again not knowing the makeup of the underlayment in the car - I assumed that given self tapping style screws that I would need to pre-drill - so apparently the existing dead pedal area is not steel buyt merely particle board or some other non-structural element and you do NOT need to do anything more than just align and screw in place with a manual screwdriver...would've been nice to know.
So my suggestions for installation...
1) get a roll of masking tape and after removing all of the rubber covers...place masking tape on all of the pedals to use as a marking area...you can also scratch the non masking tape pedals with an awl, but lighting is difficult so masking tape would be best.
2) drill the holes only as big as you need to get the bolt thru (sorry couldn't read my drill bit to get the size)
3) for the gas pedal - either remove it and do it on a bench so you can easily see the back of the pedal - if this is not possible - what I did was cover my finger with duct tape so that the nut would stick to it and I could manuever it into place - with the honeycomb reinforcing behind the gas pedal there are all sorts of nooks and crannies that can knock it off your bare finger and leave you cursing that "I almost had it". Had I been using Loctite it would almost certainly be all over my driver's side carpet. The washers that were provided...couldn't get a single one on there. except for the brake pedal.
4) the dead pedal just put in place and screw it in...no drilling or marking necessary.
Not trying to downplay the look or quality of the item because it is very nice...just not a fun product to install or thoroughly thought out in regards to providing that insight to customers.
So I received my pedals form JBSPEED the other day (on schedule as indicated).
First observation - the Pedals are very nice 10/10, the mounting hardware average 7/10, installation instructions non-existent 0/10.
The factory pedal covers are slip on rubber covers...these are bolt on covers that replace the existing...with the exception of the dead pedal which just covers the open carpeting space.
Before I go through the installation - that no one was able to provide inthe 2 days or so I waited between receiving and actually installing - I will say that while the pedals are nice if I had to do it over again I'd probably go with the real ones instead.
From an installation perspective it is not difficult to install but it is a royal pain in the a$$ to do and here's why.
The metal of the pedals is aluminum and thus very soft...you cannot use the pedal in place as a drilling template or the drill will either a) mar the surface of the pedal, or b) eat away at the countersunk mounting hole wich leaves you with no ability to mount the pedal.
On the E-brake pedal its not so much of an issue, although if you are "off" in your drilling by even the slightest bit - you will have a hell of a time holding the nut in palce or getting it on the bolt to clamp down the pedal.
Next on the Brake Pedal once you remove the rubber factory cover, you can see to indentataions long the width of the pedal top and bottom (think corrugated - like a highway guardrail). This is where the drill needs to go thru (the ebrake is composite material this is steel) If you use the sport pedal as a template - you will ruin it due to the rounded corrugated nature of the steel brake pedal...I'll take about installation tips later...so ultimately this goes on without too much trouble (didn't loctite anything although I will probably go back and do that.
Now for the GO Pedal this one is where the Royal Pain comment fits in... the rubber cover on the factory pedal needs to be cut off, second and more challenging is lining up the pedal properly so as not to drill into the honeycomb pattern on the back that will prevent you from getting the bolts threaded and locked in. The bottom bolt in this case took me over 1 hour to get lined up and on due to its near impossible mounting angle.
The dead pedal - again not knowing the makeup of the underlayment in the car - I assumed that given self tapping style screws that I would need to pre-drill - so apparently the existing dead pedal area is not steel buyt merely particle board or some other non-structural element and you do NOT need to do anything more than just align and screw in place with a manual screwdriver...would've been nice to know.
So my suggestions for installation...
1) get a roll of masking tape and after removing all of the rubber covers...place masking tape on all of the pedals to use as a marking area...you can also scratch the non masking tape pedals with an awl, but lighting is difficult so masking tape would be best.
2) drill the holes only as big as you need to get the bolt thru (sorry couldn't read my drill bit to get the size)
3) for the gas pedal - either remove it and do it on a bench so you can easily see the back of the pedal - if this is not possible - what I did was cover my finger with duct tape so that the nut would stick to it and I could manuever it into place - with the honeycomb reinforcing behind the gas pedal there are all sorts of nooks and crannies that can knock it off your bare finger and leave you cursing that "I almost had it". Had I been using Loctite it would almost certainly be all over my driver's side carpet. The washers that were provided...couldn't get a single one on there. except for the brake pedal.
4) the dead pedal just put in place and screw it in...no drilling or marking necessary.
Not trying to downplay the look or quality of the item because it is very nice...just not a fun product to install or thoroughly thought out in regards to providing that insight to customers.
