Cool-looking pedals to make heel and toe easier.
I bought these from Ken and Michele Frease at Team Miata which is located very close to where I live. I was trying to decide whether the get the Carbon Fiber pedals ($55) or the less expensive ones which they sell (about $24) and Michele suggested I stop by to take a look. Well, the cheaper pedals seemed just fine (Ken has them installed in his Miata) but I thought the carbon one's looked even better so I got those. Installation was very simple in my case because Ken offered to install them! I would normally insist on doing the installation myself but since another reviewer had found it difficult I decided to take Ken up on his offer. It took him about 20 minutes and the results are great! They seem very securely attached and their larger size makes heel and toe a lot easier. I have a long but narrow foot (12N) so I suppose someone with a really wide foot might find the larger pedals too close to each other.
Ken and Michele are complete Miata nuts and really nice to deal with. After I asked him about his Sebring supercharger, Ken actually let me drive his sunburst yellow Miata to experience it for myself!.
Under 5 minutes to remove
Carbon Fiber replacement pedals with colored inserts and metal wear pads. Team Miata Part Number TM-235. Received new Razo pads for my pedals in 2 days from Team Miata - $55. Here is my experience installing on my '99. Unfortunately the only instructions provided were in Japanese with pictures that looked like they came from a bad Manga comic book. I email'ed Team Miata and they sent an additional one-page PDF with more instructions that weren't any better than the first set. In the spirit of "how hard could this be", I went ahead with the installation, starting with the clutch and brake. First question: do you remove the existing rubber pads or not? Let's consult the instructions. Hmm ... not a clue.
These new Razo pads are thick, so let's remove the existing pads. Hmm ... the curvature on the pedal doesn't match the curvature on the Razo pad. That must be what the little double-stick tapes are for. I'll put a double stick tape at the top and bottom of each pedal to give the Razo a place to bed. OK that works. Now, how to align the Razo pads to the pedals -- the things are about twice the area of the stock pedal. Let's consult the instructions. Not a clue.
Let's see how they fit. The strap at the top has to seat behind the pedal surface, so the vertical choice is limited. The free-floating straps from top to bottom have to catch behind the pedal securely so the horizontal movement is also pretty limited. Now screw them down. They feel pretty secure. On to the gas pedal. Here we have two sets of instructions, the original Japanese and the Team Miata PDF. The pad is in two pieces: the pad itself and a bracket. Separate the two, screw the bracket to the pedal. Attach the pad. That seems simple!
Uh, oh. The bracket is flat and the pedal is curved with these perforated bumps. More double stick tape. Now attach the little wrap-around strap and screw it down. That doesn't work so well. The whole assembly is kind of loose. There is really no bearing surface on the back of the pedal for the strap to grip. It's far less secure than the other two pedals were. The bracket wobbles and you can move it with your hand. Let's try again, moving it to various positions. No better.
This isn't so good, but let's tighten them as much as possible and see how it works.
Results from test drive -- really great! I can heel and toe this thing without any leg pain for the first time! Will the Razo gas pedal fall off at the first opportunity? It sure looks like it. Maybe the '99 gas pedal is different than previous years, but the Razo pad does not fit securely! I will probably be fabricating a new strap to hold the bracket more securely. In the meantime, I will keep the little allen wrench in the glovebox along with the old rubber pads, just in case these things need to come off. Grades for this product experience:
Brushed aluminum pedals with red plastic insert. Clips onto existing pedal pads. Available for automatic or (what I got): manual shift.
Recieved pedals for my 20th birthday & installed them that evening. Hardest part to install procedure is getting situated to tighten these things from the back of the pedals. I sat on the ground with the door open & my legs on the ground behind the front wheel. Very easy to adjust!
GREAT ADD-ON!!!! The first time I backed out of my driveway with them, I heel-toed on accident! (This was very hard for me with the stock pedals) The insert is not rubber- it seems to be a plastic material. Grip is not bad- The metal part helps when your shoes are wet. I wear a size 10.5 sneaker, and my only proble with clearance is resting my left foot on the dead pedal- the inside of my shoe scrapes just a bit on the clutch pedal if I dont turn my insole down just a hair. Great product, great people (according to my girlfriend), and great gift!!!!
A very nicely appointed set of racing pedals, colored to blend with your car and making heel and toe braking very easy.
Team Miata also have some nice foot pedals that are a nice replacement for the steel ones that I got from Wiz Performance Products a few years ago. These racing pedals are a bit larger than the ones that I currently have and make heel and toe maneuvers easier. The surface has a rough surface that provides better resistance to slippage if wet. Even better, they can get them in colors to go with your car. The Yellow and Silver set really brighten up my Yellow's cockpit nicely. They run $24.00 and come in several colors.
They take about 10 minutes to install and really finish off the interior nicely.
Under 5 minutes to remove
| Back to Product Reviews | 15 August, 1999 |