11 replies to this topic

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On the ITV-F1 show, whilst doing their laymans guide to traction control, they showed Mike Gascoigne of Benetton with an accelerator pedal explaining about drive-by-wire.

But what caught my attention was the pedal. It appeared to be hinged at the bottom. To the best of my knowledge, every road car since the 60's has been hinged at the top, I believe because it gives the driver more control/feel over the pedal.

Can anyone confirm whether F1 car pedals are hinged at the bottom (or was MG holding it upside-down), and/or what are the benefit of top hinged pedals?

[desmo]

I think all F1 pedal sets- and indeed all pure racing car's- are bottom hinged. It allows the master cylinders to be mounted lower.

[SalutGilles]

Porsche has used floor-hinged pedals as late as 1989, to my knowlege, perhaps even more recently.

I suppose, however, that if you drive-by-wired everything, you could mount them however you liked, but, then again, I'm not sure what advantage that would be. it's only wierd for a little while, and it wouldn't be wierd to those guys at all.

[scarbs]

All pure racecars use a bottom hinged (floor mounted) pedals, also some production based saloon racecars prefer to use floor mounted set ups wehre the regs allow. The lower hinge produces a more natural arc for the foot to follow, also packaging, installation, access and adjustment "fore and aft" is easier. The lowering the CofG is also a benefit.
Prost ran a floormounted set up with the pedals extending below the hinge and the Master cylinders mounted beneath the drivers legs (i.e. behind the pedal setrather than ahead of it) this made the CofG even lower and and put the weight further rearwards, maintenance might have a been a bit tougher though..

Scarbs...


PS Useful Links

Heres a rough sketch of the pedal you described in my Spanish article in TechnicalF1.com TechnicalF1 - Spanish Tech update article




AP Racing sell a (Non F1) set up

AP Racing floor pedal set up

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So why do standard road cars have top mounted hinges on their pedals?

[random]

Just a guess, but it may have something to do with crash-safety worthiness.

[desmo]

That apparent coil-over damper unit on the Benetton pedal set is interesting. The spring isn't surprising, the fact that there appears to be a damper mounted is. Drivers must like to have something that can replicate the friction in a mechanical linkage setup. I wonder if the damper is adjustable.

[scarbs]

I'm not sure if the coil return spring contains a damper, but the theory holds water. The feel of the pdeal must be very important to the driver and the damper would require different rates for bump (accelleration) and rebound (lifting off), in order to replicate the effect of operating throttle directly via cable...

[355 boy]

Porsche used floor mounted pedals until the introduction of the boxster and the latest 911. They feel slightly un-natural at first if you're used to conventional pedals but you soon get used to them.

[Ross Stonefeld]

sometimes you lengthen the throttle cable (I think?) in the wet to get more throttle control. Basically it means you have to push the pedal further to get as much throttle. So intead of an inch for 25%, it takes 2 inches. Maybe they can adjust the damper to require more force to move the pedal. Would it be beneficial say in low grip to have a pedal thats harder to push so you dont 'accidentally' use too much loud pedal?

[scarbs]

Perhps, but with a fly by wire throttle I'd have thought the lengthening of the pdeal travel would be in the software...?

[Ross Stonefeld]

I think the pedal still physically moves though. Like Fly by wire joysticks in a fighter jet hardy moves at all and at first it was almost impossible for pilots to control. Its going to have a potentiometer or something like a video game steering wheel wont it?