Illegal heal and toe
Discussion
I can't quite manage to heal and toe in my car die to the pedal layout. It's not a huge problem for the road but I have started doing some trackdays and I would be a lot happier if I could. However all the pedal sets I can find say they are strictly for off road and show use, despite the fact that they are a bolt on fitting and are clearly being sold for road use. Why is this? How do I get around it and how do rally teams etc. manage?
That's a little like me selling eggs with fine print on the box saying 'not for eating'. Not saying you're wrong it sounds completely plausible but somewhat underhand to say the least. Afterall these are from major players in the industry like Sparco and OMP. I can understand that the standards are probably there to help differentitate between a proper engineering company and the Hong Kong Plastic Replica Brake Pedal Company inc. but if nobody abides by them it is all a bit pointless really.
How do the BiB feel about them I wonder? Would they go scurrying about looking for appropriate CE / BSI markings or is it one of those things that only gets looked at if the attitude test has been failed and nothing else can be found?
How do the BiB feel about them I wonder? Would they go scurrying about looking for appropriate CE / BSI markings or is it one of those things that only gets looked at if the attitude test has been failed and nothing else can be found?
well yes... but thats generally why a lot of things you can buy from Asia/US can be illegal over here - not because theres anything wrong with them, but just because they havent passed EU standards.
It is very expensive to put things through these certifications - which is why companies like Sparco and OMP charge more for similar products to the 'bargin basement' solutions - the major difference being one has been tested and approved for use on the road, and the other hasnt...
you pays your money, you takes your chance.
On the BIB front, well the MoT would be the only sticking point - i did have JDM headlights on my old car that although from Lexus, did not have the BSI/CE stamp - it never failed a MoT with them, even though it is specified it should have, but then how many testers are going to look at every component to check for the stamp?
It is very expensive to put things through these certifications - which is why companies like Sparco and OMP charge more for similar products to the 'bargin basement' solutions - the major difference being one has been tested and approved for use on the road, and the other hasnt...
you pays your money, you takes your chance.
On the BIB front, well the MoT would be the only sticking point - i did have JDM headlights on my old car that although from Lexus, did not have the BSI/CE stamp - it never failed a MoT with them, even though it is specified it should have, but then how many testers are going to look at every component to check for the stamp?
My point though was that it is Sparco and OMP that are saying 'for show only'. I can't find a company that does sell road legal pedal sets. Thus the question how do rally teams deal with the problem as surely the car must be road legal but they are not going to live with the original pedal sets if the driver cannot use them properly.
My point though was that it is Sparco and OMP that are saying 'for show only'. I can't find a company that does sell road legal pedal sets. Thus the question how do rally teams deal with the problem as surely the car must be road legal but they are not going to live with the original pedal sets if the driver cannot use them properly.
Just because it says 'not for road use' may not mean that it is strictly illegal for road use. I think the construction/use regs say it has to be a rubber faced pedal - which rules out most of the aftermarket ones, but not all of them. Some makes have small rubber pads which can be pressed in to holes in the pedal to give a rubber grip surface. It may be open to interpretation (i.e. luck) whether a given MOT tester accepts that but I hink you have at least a chance.
So long as the pedals are 'fit for purpose' and the car is 'roadworthy', I would say it's completely legal.
We rally types fit all sorts of things to our cars in the interests of better 'driveability' and there has never been a problem.
Of course, if you had a bad accident on a public road due to the failure of your modification, that would be another matter.
It seems that we break some laws, in many different ways, every day now, so what would one more be if it related to 'Construction & Use' regs.
I'm off to do some re-wiring in my workshop now and will be installing two extra power sockets. That's illegal as well, but I don't intend to let it stop me!
We rally types fit all sorts of things to our cars in the interests of better 'driveability' and there has never been a problem.
Of course, if you had a bad accident on a public road due to the failure of your modification, that would be another matter.
It seems that we break some laws, in many different ways, every day now, so what would one more be if it related to 'Construction & Use' regs.
I'm off to do some re-wiring in my workshop now and will be installing two extra power sockets. That's illegal as well, but I don't intend to let it stop me!
deeps said:
vonhosen said:
Rubber present & not excessively worn is part of the MOT test.
What about if the vehicle wasn't fitted with rubber pedals by the manufacturer?
Then the anti slip provision that is fitted mustn't be missing, loose or worn smooth (it doesn't have to be rubber).
Edited by vonhosen on Friday 22 September 18:59
rustybin said:
deeps said:
vonhosen said:
Rubber present & not excessively worn is part of the MOT test.
What about if the vehicle wasn't fitted with rubber pedals by the manufacturer?
I checked the SVA guidance and there is no mention at all.
That's beacuse you only need the rubber on the brake and clutch pedals, NOT the accelerator pedal, for hopefully obvious reasons. If the brake / clutch pedal is designed only to have rubber studs and the studs aren't worn then there should be no reason for an MoT failure.
My old MGBGT had a smooth steel throttle pedal that MG had raised and moved to the left to make heel-and-toe easier - it was part of the 'rubber bumper' facelift.
If you are unsure of the legalities, try learning clutchless left-foot braking - a technique I used in my old rally Lancia Delta. Modern synchromesh is more than strong enough to absorb it. (But if Von's about, you ain't seen me...right!)
BT
If you are unsure of the legalities, try learning clutchless left-foot braking - a technique I used in my old rally Lancia Delta. Modern synchromesh is more than strong enough to absorb it. (But if Von's about, you ain't seen me...right!)
BT
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