Adjusting Brake Pedal Height in Your Car: Why and How
Brake pedal height adjustment in a car may seem like a daunting task, but with the right tools and a little know-how, it’s a breeze. We will walk you through how to adjust the height and why it is necessary to correct it. We’ll also provide some helpful tips to make the process go as smoothly as possible. So whether you’re experienced with technical know-how or just doing this for the first time, read on.
Why Is Brake Pedal Height Adjustment Necessary?
Isn’t it quite obvious? Without a fully functional brake pedal, driving a car is highly risky. A brake pedal with incorrect height will produce a quicker or slower response, which is quite dangerous.
As the driver, you should have complete control over the brake pedal. Otherwise, the car doesn’t stop as quickly as you’d like it to. When the brakes are adjusted too high, they drag on the ground when you press down hard enough. Adjusting the height lower than the correct level will make the pedal feel mushy.
Incorrect adjustments can cause accidents because drivers aren’t anticipating that their brakes won’t work as quickly. It’s also possible that your car will skid out of control when coming around corners at high speeds due to this lack of responsiveness from their brakes.
How to Adjust the Brake Pedal Height in a Car
If you’re not sure how much play there should be in the brake pedal or what the maximum height should be, it’s best to leave this job to a professional. That said, here are general steps on how to adjust brake pedal height:
- Park your car on a level surface and make sure that it’s in neutral.
- Locate the brake pedal pushrod. It’s a threaded rod that connects to the brake pedal arm. You will see it coming out of a casing on the car’s front wall.
- Loosen up (but don’t remove) the lock nuts by using a wrench or socket wrench set. These should be located at both ends of the pushrod. Make sure that the pushrod does not turn or move when doing this. If it does, you should always return it to its primary position.
- Twist the pushrod with pliers clockwise or counterclockwise to increase or decrease the brake pedal height. Then, tighten the bolts back up. You should now have a bit of play in your brake pedal.
- If the adjustment is too high or low, loosen up the bolts and move the pushrod up or down as needed before retightening them.
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What to look for:
- The pushrod should be parallel to the ground – if it’s not, you’ll need to adjust it accordingly.
- Make sure that there’s a slight amount of play in the brake pedal so that you can apply pressure without having to slam on the brakes.
Conclusion
Adjusting brake pedal height is not as difficult as it may seem. But amateurs may still feel overwhelmed. If you’re unsure, consult with a professional mechanic before attempting this on your own. Good luck!
