Brake Pedal Adjustment

[mnichols]

Does anyone know if the brake pedal can be adjusted to bottom out at a higher position. I end up below my gas pedal when in hard braking, and I find myself reving the engine when I don't want to!! Aside from putting a thicker pad on the brake pedal, does anyone know if it can be adjusted?? (95 E36)

[Yurick]

There is no adjustment for the pedal. Either your pads are worn out and or there is air in the brake lines. Check the pads thickness and bleed the brake system.

[Manolito]

First - if you press the brake several times while going in a straight line, does it engage at the same height every time?

If the pedal is lower after driving through curves, but pumps up on the second application while driving straight, you have something like a wheel bearing that is loose and letting your rotor press the pistons back too far into the calipers on turns. If this only happens on the track, it is normal and simply means that you are driving the car harder than it was intended to be driven. If it happens on the street, something is loose.

If curves don't affect it, but it pumps up with multiple applications, you probably need a new/rebuilt brake master cylinder.

If it feels spongy, you have air in the system. Bleed it with a pressure bleeder. You should change your brake fluid every two years anyway, so bleeding it will give you an excuse to get some fresh fluid in there.

If it feels not really spongy, but not particularly firm at the bottom of the stroke, you may have a soft spot in a brake hose at a wheel. The hose is expanding a little at the soft spot when you press the brakes hard. Good excuse to buy some snappy looking braided brake hoses. You might consider powder coating the calipers (for appearance only) while you are at it.

[mnichols]

Hum, I've been working on this car for some time, getting it track ready. It has new Hawk XP pads, new brake lines, fresh ATI brake fluid. I had an experienced racer help me, so the brake fluid replacement was thorough, and I'm convinced there is no air in the lines. The brake pedal travel is only about 1.5" total and its very solid when I hit the bottom. Pumping the brake does not change its travel or firmness.

The only problem is it ends up about 3/4" of an inch below the gas pedal at full hard braking. If my foot hangs over the side of the brake pedal the least bit, I end up reving the engine at full brake. This forces me to move my heal over to blib the acclerator, I can't simply roll my foot to the right.

Seems wrong to me, but if the pedal is not adjustable, then I don't know what else to do. Has anyone every built up the pedal pad to gain 1/2"?

[Jeron]

At FULL brake the brake pedal is below the accelerator. It does require you to "roll" your foot a bit to keep from pressing the gas too much. It takes practice but its should become easier. I wouldn't adjust it much, if any. Like you said the other option is a true "heal toe" but I have no problem with the ball of my foot on the brake and the side of my foot on the gas. AFAIK, most BMW drivers use that method.

Just FYI: Your pads are either Hawk HPS or Hawk HP+ pads. I've never heard of Hawk XP. The fluid is ATE brand probably Typ200 (gold) or Super Blue.

[mnichols]

Jeron, thanks you advice is welcome. Using the side of my foot to blip the gas pedal is what I've been practicing, and it works well in most cases. Knowing that others use the same technique is reassuring as I work out the bugs with the technique for myself. I will make a few hard stops on country roads, and see if I can limit my pressure on the gas pedal until I want it. Track day is coming up in early October, so I want to have at least the basic techniques mastered in rough form.

You are correct on the pads and fluids, I wasn't paying attention as I typed that info.

[Jeron]

Practice on the street is good but its hard to reproduce the braking intensity.

When heel-toeing I'm not so much try to rev match as get the revs off idle and into the RPM 'range'. It's more of a blip just before the clutch-pedal-release/clutch-engagement so that the tranny catches the engine at midrange RPM before it falls back to idle.

While your practicing, try practicing left foot braking. If you drive an automatic occasionally thats a good place to start. I left foot 100% of the time on the street (except while downshifting of course). Basically my feet move between brake/gas and clutch/brake I always have one foot on the brake except while up-shifting during acceleration.

[mnichols]

Well I took all the advice from the forum out on a country road this weekend, and worked on some fairly aggressive braking while trying to roll my foot over to blip the throttle. When I was braking hard from 80 to 40 for example, I was disappointed to find the gas pedal above my brake pedal. If I tried to roll my foot to the right, it hit the side of the gas pedal. So while my brakes seem to work great, the pedal position is too low.

So I decided to create a solution that I can use, until (if) I find a solution to the low brake pedal. I used a block of hardwood and sanded the front and back contours to match the brake pedal shape. Then formed a piece of aluminum with the same contour for the top of the pad. This forms the base for the stock rubber brake pedal cover to attach. Two small bolts go through the whole assembly and then re-install the stock pedal cover. Looks stock when I was done, but it raised the pedal by 1/2''.

I then took the car out to the same country road (the farmers are getting to know me!) and tried again. This time it works great. When I am braking hard, the gas pedal is directly across from the brake pedal. It makes heel toe in town a little harder, but with any modest to aggressive braking it works perfect. The other good thing about the idea, is if I find a way to raise the pedal, the shim comes off easily, and the rubber cover goes back on.

[Jeron]

Looks good.

I'm glad you found something that works for you.