Opinions on universal or wilwood brake pedal conversion.

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Johnny Mac

www.blueprintengines.com
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Hey Guys,

I’m usually on here helping with engine, ignition, and fueling questions, so hopefully I can get the favor returned I’m Hoping someone that has used a wildwood or similar aftermarket pedal can help uncloud my thoughts.

For those of you that just want the short question, here we go: Has anyone removed the factory brake pedal, in favor of aftermarket, to correct bad pedal geometry?

The extended version;

To try and make this as short as possible. My dart started as a 4 wheel drum, power brake car. At some point, it was upgraded to a power front disc brake kit, which used challenger brake booster / MC, and challenger brake booster brackets. It retained the stock pedal, rod linkage, and used firewall brackets that came with the kit. They kicked the power booster higher in the engine bay. All of this surprisingly bolted on.

Well after a tubular front end conversion, yet another change came, and the power booster was removed, and replaced with a FWD 80’s aluminum master cylinder, but it was bolted directly to the old power booster brackets, and not to the firewall as I see many manual brake cars have.

My dilemma now, is that after 15 years of bracket racing, my factory pedal is bent, sticking, and the brake light switch is grounding out on the pedal arm. I’m chasing everything from blown fuses, to my wildwood front brakes sticking all because of this OE and aftermarket mashup of junk.

Much like my 40 year old gas pedal gave up after a decade of bracket racing, I figured I could toss it, and install a universal type brake pedal in place of the OE brake pedal. This would allow me to install a pressure brake light switch pretty easy, and un-clutter the mess of brackets and bent pedals I have under the dash.

After looking at the current setup today, I’m even more confused, as it appears the factory steering column will prevent me from installing the wildwood pedal below, as the factory pedal is actually bent around the steering column to fit.

On the engine side, It appears if I were to try and use the factory hole in the firewall for the pedal rod, and mount the MC there, while removing the firewall brackets, it’d be right in the way of my headers…
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Kinda at a loss for how to proceed. Did power and manual brake cars have different pedal arms? Seems any of these nice aftermarket pedals aren’t going to mount to the firewall around the column.

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Help from a fellow bracket racer or chassis fab member that ditched the OE pedal would be awesome!

Thanks all for hearing out my long winded pedal issue!

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Power and manual brake cars used the same pedals.

Personally before you do much of anything I would mount the master cylinder properly. What you've got there is a disaster. The master cylinder should be bolted straight to the firewall. You're using a 2 bolt master cylinder, which is fine, so I would get an adaptor bracket from DoctorDiff. Mopar Master Cylinder Adapter. Then you'd need a manual m/c pushrod, or just run an adjustable Mopar '62 -'70 Adjustable Master Cylinder Push Rod

From there I'd just replace the factory pedal. It doesn't have bad geometry if everything is mounted properly.

The problem with the aftermarket pedal set ups is that you have to re-engineer the whole mounting bracket, which also serves as the mounting bracket for the steering column. Either that or modify the new brake pedal bracket to fit inside the factory bracket. Either way you're in fabrication land. You could also hang an aftermarket pedal from the factory bracket, but then you may have geometry issues again.

If you need a factory brake pedal, I've got one for an automatic car. Probably have the whole bracket too.
 
As above, keep it simple. Remove that cluster of linkage crap, install master directly to firewall (with adapter as mentioned) and done.
 
I'm not so sure the MC will fit between the header and the firewall, but I'll tear it all off and see where it lands me.
 
Johnny Mac I agree with the people whom have commented. KEEP it simple and you should be fine been running stock pedals with an adjustable mopar master cylinder push rod. We have run that setup on cars for years and no problem.
 
Johnny where are you at in Ohio I have a complete pedal for an automatic car if you need parts I was saving it for my drag car but that car is not finished.
Let me know.
 
sounds good. With my career keeping me away from it, I drag it out a few times a year and only clean up whats necessary to click off some 10's at norwalk and national trains for their mopar events. Used to make a career of being at the track every single weekend. All the little hack jobs that i did back when i was 16 are catching up. I need a good week with the car of wiring and other cleanup.
 
Johnny where are you at in Ohio I have a complete pedal for an automatic car if you need parts I was saving it for my drag car but that car is not finished.
Let me know.
thank you Sir, I'm down in Salem. I'm going to pull everything off, and remove the mechanical brake switch, and see how bent/bound it actually is. I will be in touch if its jacked beyond repair!
 
You guys are great! thanks a bunch! I'll update some time this week once I get some wrenches turned.
 
Looks like that bracket lifts it up to clear his valve covers, I could be wrong but I think i can see a pinned lever in there that his push rod connects too.

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Looks like that bracket lifts it up to clear his valve covers, I could be wrong but I think i can see a pinned lever in there that his push rod connects too.

View attachment 1715181234

Right, that’s a stock bracket for a power booster. But it should be unnecessary with just a manual master cylinder.
 
Yeah this is my only a body...and it had power brakes when I got it. So it was never setup for manual. Hence the conglomeration it has now.
 
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