Ok, I'm starting to get picky about the little things.

The one thing that is on my mind after this last trip is the angle of the throttle pedal.

I was getting some cramping in my right leg from my foot being nearly straight up in the air for hours on end. Has anyone cut the arm and re-welded the pedal in a more ergomonic position?

I think I know what I'm going to do, but I thought I'd ask others.

Also, I'm wondering if stiffer springs in the throttle will allow my foot to really rest on the pedal rather than me having to try to always lift it (if you catch my drift).

hope you dont turn this into a pissing contest:rolleyes: but what did you do about it on the serious one? i know that 80"s are really bad for this, i drove a '52 for an hour on the trail and by the time i got out i could barely walk my right foot was cramped so bad.

so im sure you remedied in on the SO, maybe you could implement a similar design on the 145?

Maybe the best way to not egg on a pissing contest is to NOT say "I hope you don't turn this into a pissing contest".

That said, no I don't have to pee......yet (just finished Double Gulp).

I hadn't thought about the Serious One at all actually, which is weird. Now that you've brought it up and I've thought about it for a minute it is an interesting question.

The '49-53 80-inch trucks had brake/clutch pedals that went down *through* the floor (you might remember from driving the '52). The throttle pedal actually moves straight down rather than away from you. I wonder if it's the Holley setup or the throttle spring on that might be a little stiffer or something, but for me the S1 doesn't make my foot cramp.

Maybe what you were suffering from was the stock seating position in conjuction with the throttle. I can see how the two would compound the problem.

On the S1 we moved the seats backward about 6 inches, so that helped a LOT.

That's actually kind of funny that you pointed out the S1 and here I have driven both trucks today and didn't even give the throttle pedal a second thought.

Have you heard of anyone changing the angle? I'm considering a hand throttle bike cable setup for my cruise control, but mainly I get cramped from the slow speed gentle throttle stuff where I can't just mash my foot to the floor.

Originally posted by Serious One
The '49-53 80-inch trucks had brake/clutch pedals that went down *through* the floor (you might remember from driving the '52). The throttle pedal actually moves straight down rather than away from you. I wonder if it's the Holley setup or the throttle spring on that might be a little stiffer or something, but for me the S1 doesn't make my foot cramp.

Maybe what you were suffering from was the stock seating position in conjuction with the throttle. I can see how the two would compound the problem.

On the S1 we moved the seats backward about 6 inches, so that helped a LOT.

That's actually kind of funny that you pointed out the S1 and here I have driven both trucks today and didn't even give the throttle pedal a second thought.

Have you heard of anyone changing the angle? I'm considering a hand throttle bike cable setup for my cruise control, but mainly I get cramped from the slow speed gentle throttle stuff where I can't just mash my foot to the floor.

yes, i remember from driving the '52, sucked since when you are on a dirt mound under the drivers floor you cant push the clutch in! i dont know why such a design was ever considered for a vehicle to be used in wet/rough conditions.

do you still have the through the floor pedals on the S1?

and yes, the stock seating position is also ridiculous. i am a large framed guy and about 6' tall with size 11 shoes so it was quite cramped.

i have not heard of anyone changing the angle although im sure its been done somewhere in the world. a hand throttle i could see helping a lot for cruise control on long trips (which is what the truck was built for i assume), i am a fan of the II/IIA style with the horizontal lever and little slots to set it in different places.

the first thing i would do is try adding a stiffer spring to the return assembly, its the cheapest and easiest thing to try first! if it doesnt work then maybe rewelding the pedal would work, but you would have to be careful about keeping the correct "geometry" so that you are pushing in the right direction on the pedal.

btw, while we are having a civil conversation:D i figured i would ask you if you knew what was involved in fitting a later steering setup (from a II/IIA/III) to a '52 80"? my friend wants to ditch the stock setup that has a half turn of play for a more tight setup. you seem to know your stuff about series ones, so i thought i would ask.

"just mash my foot to the floor"

I think you answered your own question mike:flipoff2: :flipoff2: I don't think that there would be any problem with doing what you are suggesting I don't know of anyone who has done it I think most people just live with it:flipoff2: :flipoff2: After several 20+ hr trips in my truck I can tell you the two ways that I alleviate cramps in my truck are to one: Stick my left leg out the window I know this doesn't sound like it would do anything but it really changes the angle of your leg on the pedal. Second thing is to actually push the accellerator down with my left leg for awhile and strech my leg across the console. Granted that is only temporary relief but it works. i think your best bet would probably get the hand throttle and use it as your cruise that is the only way to truly get rid of the cramps. And you might as well since you have every other gadget known to man on that wonderful truck.

-ben

I have a bit of info that may help. In Tom B's series I 86 he chopped off the end of the pedal so it is just a little tab of sorts. Quite nice to drive (of course I still can't push the clutch in with the seat back in place unless the door is open).

What I do in the 88 is drive with the hand throttle. A proper lever style hand throttle (like on a series) allows you to drive it like a boat, and has the added bonus of allowing you two free feet for clutch and brake. The down side is that you need a strong left arm, but this is a small price to pay as when you are 6'1" 280 in an 88 PU you can spare some arm strength for leg room.

9V the conversion is pretty easy. There was an article in one of the mags. Basically line it up and cut the supporting bracket to conform to the shape of the bulkhead, You remove approx. 1/3 of it at the base.

Mike, any thought to real cruise control?

Ron