Rudder Pedal and toe brakes.

[sdemeyer]

I'm having difficulty not keeping my feet off the brakes, especially when landing. I can't see any way to rotate the toe brakes farther forward to make it easier for me and sliding my toes between the rudder pedal and toe brakes is not working well.

I've attached a picture to help visualize what I'm referring to. Any suggestions on how I can remedy this?

This is on a model IV -1200

Thanks,
Scott

[Skybolt]

Scott I don't know / or I am not familier with your rudder pedals.
I am attaching a picture of my footwear. Notice the E weldment that the ball of the foot and the toe area can make contact. Yours is more of a C shape.

You must have an early Model 4, the later units went out with a beefed up weldment notice the gusset at the right angle. This was to prevent the tube from splitting.

Anyway, I have to stretch a little to get pressure on the brakes.
Can you adjust the master cylinder top bracket shortening the reach?

[SkyPirate]

if you look at the welded on tab for the brake cylinder location of the two different photo's,..they are in different places,..this might be an issue if you swapped them out,..but...if you removed the stock older model 4 actualtor pedal and added a similar lower piece ..amking it the same "E" config ..this might cure the problem

[Slyfox]

skypirate is right, if you go to the E type brake pedal, I think things would be better. If you have your foot on the bottom of the E it forces the brakes off.

[SkyPirate]

Brake-rudder pedal.jpg

a sketch of a possible fix

[sdemeyer]

Thanks a million. I will change to the "E" configuration.

Scott

[kszaronos]

Scott, I was having the same problem. I have size 12 feet and am a new sport pilot. I had some inital taxi's that I was riding the brakes and locked them up.

I just learned to taxi,take-off and land have only my toes on the lower pedals. I will adjust for more comfortable flying once up with my entire foot.

Good Luck!

[Lion8]

Nice photos Scott. I am bringing back a model IV. Currently fabricating the template for the new engine I got (thanks Doug). While I have nothing in front, I want to weld reenforcement plates on the torque tube and fab up the 'E' type rudder pedals. When I try to remove the bolts on either end of the torque tube, they just rotate and do not come out. Can anyone tell me how to remove these bolts?, or maybe a drawing of the torque tube assembly? Before I weld, I need to know what is inside these tubes. Thanks bunch, Tom, NJ

[napierm]

There is a plastic bushing in the tube and a locknut on the end of the bushing. You are turning the bolt and the locknut is turning too. The bracket has to be unscrewed from the floor and if you are lucky the rudder bars will just come off the bushings.

If the plastic bushings are stuck in the rudder bars (tubes) then you will have to get them out. If "none too gentle" methods don't work then to avoid damaging the rudder bar you will need the world's longest socket extension to reach the locknut (assuming the other end came off OK) so you can get the bolt off. Then the plastic bushing can be drilled out to avoid damaging the rudder bar.

On my III I turned my bushings down a little bit so they wouldn't stick again.

FWIW,

Mark Napier

[jtpitkin06]

I’m a little late joining this thread, but I do have a suggestion for modifying the rudder pedals.
Most builders have noted the pedals are at a very steep angle or in some cases reversed angle making it difficult to keep big feet off the brakes.
I fixed the problem by relocating the rudder and brake cylinder pivot mounts aft by 2 inches. This allows the entire rudder pedal assembly to rotate to a forward lean, yet keeps the pedals the same distance from the pilot. Now the pedals are at a natural angle. It takes a deliberate toe extension to apply the brakes.
John Pitkin
Greenville, TX
SS7