The brake pedal and clutch pedal share a common pivot shaft that runs across the car beneath the toolbox lids, supported in two bushes mounted in the chassis. Each pedal pivots independently on its own bush, with spacing washers and circlips locating it on the shaft. The pedal shaft also carries an integral lever that connects to the master cylinder push rod on the LHD car, while the RHD layout uses a separate linkage arrangement. A grease nipple lubricates the shaft in its chassis bushes and forms part of the chassis lubrication schedule.
RHD and LHD Pedal Specifications
The brake pedal casting itself is specific to right-hand and left-hand drive, the RHD and LHD pedals are not interchangeable. The RHD pedal is a single-piece lever taking the rubber pad over an alloy backing plate, retained by a single bolt and nut. The LHD pedal is fitted with a separate extension piece that repositions the pad rearwards for the left-side driving position, and uses two bolts and nuts to retain both the extension and the alloy pad. The same rubber pad and alloy backing plate are used on both pedals and are also shared with the clutch pedal, a single rubber pad part covers brake and clutch on either drive layout.
Pedal Shaft and Bushes
Two distinct bushes support the pedal assembly. The pedal shaft itself runs in two bushes located in the chassis brackets, while each individual pedal pivots on its own brake pedal bush fitted into the pedal eye. Pedal spacing washers locate the pedals laterally on the shaft, with circlips holding the assembly in place. The pedal shafts differ between RHD and LHD: the RHD shaft is a plain shaft, while the LHD shaft is supplied with the master cylinder operating lever already fitted, since the LHD layout pushes the master cylinder directly from the pedal shaft.
Return Spring
The brake pedal return spring ensures positive pedal return after each application. A weak or broken spring will allow the pedal to feel sluggish and may prevent it from fully releasing the master cylinder, causing residual pressure in the brake lines and dragging brakes that overheat at speed, a fault often misdiagnosed as a sticking master cylinder or seized wheel cylinder.
Fume Excluder
A rubber fume excluder with its retainer plate seals the floor opening through which the pedals enter the cockpit, preventing engine bay fumes, water and road dirt from entering the footwell. This is the rubber pedal-area fume excluder and should not be confused with the leather steering column fume excluder, which is a separate item sealing the column where it passes through the bulkhead. The pedal fume excluder is a single rubber moulding common to both RHD and LHD cars and to both the brake and clutch pedal openings.