Thanks for all the
pointers in my ’72 Dart (340,
904 Auto, 11.75 front rotors,
10.5 inch rear drums, manual
stock master cylinder, Firm Feel
level 2 power steering box, FFI
1.25˝ front swaybar, and spool
K-member.
I have done the big brake
conversion, as per your MA
guide. The Dart stops on a
dime. One question, I was
autocrossing the Dart a couple
of weeks ago and the height
of the brake pedal was driving
me crazy. I have manual
brakes and the pedal is so
high I have to drive with 2 feet.
Is there any way to get the
brake pedal on a closer level
to the gas pedal?
Sure, you can either buy an
adjustable pushrod, or cut the
stock pushrod, slide both ends
into a sleeve (drilled so it is a
very snug fit), and tack weld.
I should mention that I
always drive automatics with
two feet. When I took my NYS
licensing road test in late fall
of 1961, the inspector almost
blew a gasket when he saw me
driving my father’s ’62 Chrysler
that way. I whipped out a
booklet that had come with
the new car from the National
Safety Council, explaining how
this method reduced reaction
times. I passed.
I know opinions on this are
all over the map. A reasonably
unbiased discussion can be
found at: tinyurl.com/brake-
2feet. I have spent countless
hours probably in the hundreds
of thousands – driving aggressive
on the street, as well as
at road courses, where I have
also done a lot of instructing.
Other instructors have also
been, occasionally, appalled,
but really fast drivers use the
technique to set up the car for
specific corners and conditions.
If the engineers weren’t
planning on this back in the
day, why did they make A.T.
brake pedal extra-wide so the
left foot can apply the brakes?
Anyway, all I can say with certainty
is: “It has worked fine
for me for over half a century”,
and I split my drive time about
equally between automatic and
manual transmissions.
with lowbuck MA tricks