360/430 DIY guide:install an aluminium dead pedal

This is a very easy DIY guide, something everyone can do. That's why I thought it was worth sharing some details on how to install the aluminium dead pedal. It has already been covered some time ago in some older threads.

The dead pedal on the 360 and F430 is identical so this DIY can be done for both cars. Both cars have this horrible looking rubber which is simply glued on a metallic support. With time, the rubber starts looking even worst and will start ungluing in some areas or will start deforming with the foot pressure.

Such cars deserve a much better looking pedal and a good dead petal is essential in driving your car in a spirited way. Grace to this rest surface, you can press hard your left leg which will block your back into the seat, keeping your arms flexible enough to steer efficiently. It's essential not to hold your body in the seat with the steering wheel

I bought my dead pedal from Hill Engineering (UK). For the USA, this product is distributed by Ricambi. Make sure you order the right pedal depending on the driver side (LHS or RHS). The dead pedal is made of aluminium and is very well manufactured. It's very light but feel really strong. It comes with 2 x 6 screws and a short instruction guide. All you need is a drill (cordless is better, 25-30 Nm is large enough) with a 4.5 mm drill and a cruciform screwdriver.

 

The kit is delivered with 2x6 screws as you can see in the picture below. These screws are M5 Taptite 4.5 mm screws. As indicated in the short instruction guide, these Self-tapping screws are thread forming screws having a tri-lobular cross-section which enables them to roll a thread in a prepared hole. Make sure you use only a 4.5mm drill as using any other size will affect the way that the Taptite screw will work. You have the choice between 2 types of screws. I used those on the left as they allow a stronger fix.
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The first step is to remove the rubber part. Push the driver seat entirely backwards and remove the carpets.
Just pull off the rubber dead pedal by grabbing it on the lower part. I should come off very easily as it is just glued in some areas.

Picture 1 : the rubber dead pedal
Picture 2 : the metallic support rubber once the dead pedal has been removed
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Use some dissolvent to remove the traces of glue left on the metallic support. Take the chance to clean up this area

On the picture below, you can see the cleaned metallic support. I indicated in red the areas you should avoid when drilling the holes. DO NOT DRILL the rivets of the metallic plate!
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Position the new dead pedal which should fit easily on the metallic support. It's not a 100% exact fit though. The lower part has a slight different shape but it doesn't not affect the positioning.

Before drilling the first hole have a look at the picture below where I indicated the location of the screws. You can use any hole of the dead pedal but remember to avoid the rivets.

It's a good idea to put a couple of screws also on the side part of the pedal.

When you're happy with the position, drill one hole. It's better to start with the lower part.

Before drilling the next holes, fix the pedal with one screw in the first hole, then drill any other fixing holes.

Don't over tight the screws as they can get loose after.
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Now here's the result. A 15 minute job and you'll get a great looking foot well. Great things don't need to be always complicated or expensive Enjoy.

Stef
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That's very true Anders. When I stepped in the car this morning at 6am, it was a pleasure to see the fading foot well lights shining on the new dead pedal Just this put me in a great mood before even pressing the start button