DIY DIY Accelerator pedal 'clip-on' for easier Heel & Toe

A

Adam

Well-Known Member
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Just in case there is anyone else that has problems with heel & toe double d-clutch downshifts on the 2012 Si.

(I am a little annoyed that a sporting car like the Si has pedals that are impossible to heel & toe - the Japanese test drivers must have tripple jointed feet or something!)

Heel_Toe_pedal.sized.jpg


I had a look at the pedals and they seem very difficult to move - so after a while I decided to cut and bend an 1/8" aluminum plate to clip over the pedal. Best part is that there was no modification to the standard pedal and it removes easily with 2 screws.

O.K. so it may not look so good - (kind of stupid looking actually) - but it's left edge is a good 1 inch closer to the brake pedal and at least 2/3 inch lower and this makes all the difference in the world.

It was quite easy to make (and I am no handyman's backside - as you can tell by the finish) - if you look at the "Pedal rear" photo (with the pedal on its side) you can see the top 2 bent tabs that hook over the top of the standard pedal and the small metal strap that secures it firmly in place behind the rear of the standard pedal. I cut up an old biciyle tube for a rubber liner to ensure that I do not scratch the original pedal. (The 2 screws straddle either side of the standard pedal - which explains why this clip-on is so wide.)

So now all I have to do is get my downchanges right......... I manage a good 1 in about 4 downshifts, but still the other three, even if they half match the correct speeds, the will then half save on synchro cone wear........

Pedal_back.sized.jpg
 
even if you don't like the look of it, no one is going to see it while your feet are on it. If it helps get the shifts down, I say use it!
 
Thanks for the idea! I'm gonna see if my step dad will make me one, I have no skills with metal work :(

You don't have any extra you'd wanna sell would ya?!
 
Cool. This version might be a little troublesome if your shoes are wet. I hope to see a final version soon! :thumb:
 
Dar-Dar said:
Cool. This version might be a little troublesome if your shoes are wet. I hope to see a final version soon! :thumb:
Click to expand...

I have not yet tried it with wet shoes - but so far slippage on the pedal has definitely NOT been an issue, the Aluminum plate actually feels quite grippy - the original Honda accelerator pedal is also only an aluminum plate covering a plastic pedal - have a close look and you will see that its only the clutch and brake pedals that have little rubber pads - the gas pedal is just made to look as if it has rubber pads!
 
I find that my car loves a heel and toe double de-clutches on down shifts - the gear just slots in to the lower gear so creamily smooth - no matter how well or poorly I manage to do blip the revs. My gear lever seems to bulk quite a lot without it - but still goes in - just does not do so smoothly.

A small possible tip for those that are not practised with this old fashioned double de-clutch business - I find that just pausing the gear lever in neutral for just one half second, most times seems to help quite a bit. S,o say you are in fourth gear and tearing into a tight second gear corner while under brakes instead of keeping it in forth till just before needing to whip it to second to power out of the corner, about one second before that, dip the clutch, take it out o fourth and deliberately pause it for just a moment in neutral before hooking second. (I cannot technically figure why this should help - I understnd the rev blip to help match the synchro cone dogs - but this pause in neutral? Anyway it seems to help a little bit on my car - but 99% of the time I will double de-clutch - besides its fun and sounds great if I get it close to right!)
 
Haven't seen anyone post it up if they have. I've pointed a number of people here.
 
Awesome job Adam! :thumb:

I know this is an older thread, but it looks like it would be a little easier to heel/toe on the 9th gen Civic since the gas pedal it once again mounted from the top, vs the 8th gen's floor mounted pedal. This thread also reminded me of a post from the Ocho for a company that makes aftermarket gas pedals with heel/toe extensions built into the pedal.

Scroll towards the bottom of the page...

http://www.ultimatepedals.com/pedal.htm
 
Since i did not know about this ultimate pedals site I recently developed a new heel and toe technique, new for me but I see racers use this as well for quite a while. I use running shoes and I work the brake with the left side of the shoe and blip the gas with the right by tilting the foot to the right. Not as elegant as classic heel and toe technique but just as effective.

I am curios Adam how did you go about making it? Most curious about bending the aluminum? I have zero experience in working with metal myself.
 
I'll admit freely that I've not practiced heel/toe driving very much, the few times I have tried it I completely sucked balls at it. Dragos I've tried the method you described as well, and sucked at that too. I figure for me to really get better at it I'd have to cheat and buy one of those Ultimatepedals (assuming I had any money). :pat:
 
mattsbobo said:
I'll admit freely that I've not practiced heel/toe driving very much, the few times I have tried it I completely sucked balls at it. Dragos I've tried the method you described as well, and sucked at that too. I figure for me to really get better at it I'd have to cheat and buy one of those Ultimatepedals (assuming I had any money). :pat:
Click to expand...
That would make it much easier for sure. I would investigate and try to make one myself, DIY fan here :) If i find i need to many tools I may give and buy. Checked the site and they seem to have sets, I really only need the gas extension though. As time passes I get used to it without any special pedal so I go at it on the stock setup already.

The pedals are not layed out for that though so it fits for some not so much for others, heights are ok though which is the most important.
 
mattsbobo said:
That's a pretty sweet find. :thumb:

I may just be a moron, but are the pedals on the 9th wider apart than on the 8th? It seems that way when I look at your pic, but I'm old and can't trust what my brain tells me is true most of the time. :spazface:
Click to expand...


I haven't been on the driver seat of an 8th. But I can tell you that without this add on the pedals on the 9th do seem very far from each other. The new attached pedal helps a lot :) No drilling required.
 
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