i am building a 1930 modal a with a aba flat head .the body is off the chassis.it is std shift. can any one tell where to locate the pedals thank you
What pedals are you using? I located my F1 pedals and modified F1 crossmember after the engine was where it needed to be.
If you placed your engine slightly differently than the guy who gives you a measurement, it’s pretty likely you will be screwed. Pedal placement is a matter of 1/4 inches, not “close enough”. Your steering placement will play a major part in this too.
Where they need to be. Where they fit and clear everything. You work this out via mocking things up. Your seating and steering should be part of this mock up. We have no idea what pedals you are intending to use, but be prepared to modify them to get good ergonomics and functionality.
the body is off. i would like to locate them . i just need to know where the pads are when the pedals are up
When I bought my Model A, it had clutch and brake pedals, steering column, gas pedal, and shifter that made it all but impossible to get into the bugger, and even harder to drive. Being chopped didn't help any. This picture is a tad difficult to see, but the clutch and brake pedals are slightly higher than the new column position, and operate two hydraulic master cylinders. The floor shift was removed and it now uses a '53 Ford column and shifter. The gas pedal, from a modified Slingerland base drum, was moved to the right a little. All this made the cruizer much easier to enter and exit (remember, I'm 80), and actually quite comfy to drive.
Without at least the cowl (entire body would be better), sub-rails, toe board, body blocks, seat and steering column in place the chance that they will be placed wrong is high. There is no magic measurement here, you need to do a proper mock up with everything in place first. the thing about building cars like this is the amount of times that parts were never meant to go together are installed and and removed while fitting everything up in order for them to end up all working together in the end. You can do what you want but if this is your first hot rod then ignoring all of the mock up advice will make it take a lot longer before you're on the road because you will need to go back and fix things. The chance of it all falling into place the first time depends on how much luck you have.
When I built my 31 coupe I was using a different engine and transmission but wanted the pedals to swing in the same arc and position as the original pedals. In order to do that I actually put the four banger and original transmission with pedals back in place and did a LOT of measurements to determine the pivot point of the pedals as closely as possible. I then built a bracket to mount hydraulic brake and clutch master cylinders along with the pivot point for the pedals. To get the correct length on the pedals I cut the original pivots off and built the pivot portion using the original arms and pedal pads with appropriate linkage tabs for the master cylinders. That whole assembly was TIG welded and I was pleased when they fit beautifully. As alchemy said, there's not much room for error to get the pedals where you want them. Lynn
If you are using a hydraulic clutch or a cable clutch, mounted behind the dash, you should be able to set your seat inside the body and work out the mounting without having to set the body on the frame. You want it to be comfortable to your foot location. If you are using a mechanical linkage, then the body needs to be on the frame with the engine/trans mounted in place. Its an individual consideration in each build. Some people are taller/shorter than others, and there are often other things which affect best placement. The only way to get it right is to moch it up to suit your requirements.
I can measure mine for you one day this week. I have 32 pedals that have been shortened sitting in a 32 k-member, they have been tweaked also to be symmetrical with the steering column when its attached to the dash.
As far as I know — correct me if I'm wrong; I'd also like to know for sure — the steering column is 10" off the centreline of the car. If the column is in anything like the stock location, your feet would need to clear it on either side. If the steering setup raises the column above your toes, e.g. one of those chain-driven devices, cowl steering, etc., I'd be inclined to centre the brake pedal under the column, and determine spacing from there.
Sorry for the slight hi-Jack, if you cab is still off the chassis could I message you about a couple pictures I need of the cab quarters?
I'm running an 8BA with a 41 pickup transmission and using an adapter from a Model A vender to mount the stock pedals on a V8 transmission. they sell them so you can run a synchronized V8 trans with the four banger. This is the second V8 A I've done this way with no problems. This is the best pictures I could find, it puts the pedals in the stock position. I running a modified 56 F1 steering box which puts the steering column it the stock position.
I put the pedals in my 31, after the body was on the frame, the steering column was in place and the shifter through the floor. They are where they need to be to clear everything, where I can get to the brake pedal so it's safe and where it's comfortable for me. it also involved heating and bending. They came out perfect for me and the car, might not work for someone else. As already stated mock up is all a part of a proper build. Sometimes more times than you want to but part of the build process.
You need most of the Body, steering, seat etc. mocked up. The center of the pedal pad should be around 7" from the floor. Make sure your M/C bottoms out without fluid before pedal hits the floor!
One other thing to consider is making sure you can't hit the gas pedal when you apply the brake. Don't ask me how I know. The gas pedal should be placed lower than the brake pedal when the brake is applied.
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