[DIY] Clutch Pedal Spring Removal MOD

[tracer bullet]

I had my 135i for ~ 13 years and always liked the clutch. I bought the car 6mo old though and the previous owner had removed the CDV, so I didn't experience it with it in place. I opened it up to do the CDV restrictor removal myself only to find it already hollowed out LOL. The car had the short shifter too, also rpeferred, but the clutch pedal always seemed great.

I'd think a spring would be needed in the clutch pedal for the return of it. I could see a linear rate spring being better instead of the one shown here but can't say for sure. Sometimes things are better just because they are different and aren't actually better. What pushes the pedal back, the clutch fluid pressure? If so, it seems you're better off letting the fluid pressure just do its job and nothing extra. It seems... having it also have to push the pedal back might be something like having the CDV restrictor in place, meaning both things are effectively slowing down the actual clutch engagement when you want it.

I changed to a Rogue Engineering pedal in my Z4 and what a difference. It put the clutch pedal in line with the brake pedal, meaning about 1 - 1.5" lower than factory, and that was wonderful to have both my legs stretched about the same amount again / feet in the same location. That and CDV removal and all my complaints went away. Complaints which basically were "it doesn't feel like my 135i".

[demas]

[QUOTE=cjb762;32917298]I don't think any of the 1 series cars got the two piece spring. Mine is a 2013, so if it was on any 1 series, it should have been on mine.


Ok makes sense - I didn’t see it in realoem and my picture does look more like the single type.

[demas]

Originally Posted by tracer bullet

I had my 135i for ~ 13 years and always liked the clutch. I bought the car 6mo old though and the previous owner had removed the CDV, so I didn't experience it with it in place. I opened it up to do the CDV restrictor removal myself only to find it already hollowed out LOL. The car had the short shifter too, also rpeferred, but the clutch pedal always seemed great.

I'd think a spring would be needed in the clutch pedal for the return of it. I could see a linear rate spring being better instead of the one shown here but can't say for sure. Sometimes things are better just because they are different and aren't actually better. What pushes the pedal back, the clutch fluid pressure? If so, it seems you're better off letting the fluid pressure just do its job and nothing extra. It seems... having it also have to push the pedal back might be something like having the CDV restrictor in place, meaning both things are effectively slowing down the actual clutch engagement when you want it.

I changed to a Rogue Engineering pedal in my Z4 and what a difference. It put the clutch pedal in line with the brake pedal, meaning about 1 - 1.5" lower than factory, and that was wonderful to have both my legs stretched about the same amount again / feet in the same location. That and CDV removal and all my complaints went away. Complaints which basically were "it doesn't feel like my 135i".

The way I understand it is the spring only assists in pushing/holding the pedal down after or around the disengagement point and doesn’t affect the total return travel. I think there is another spring for that which stays intact.

[tracer bullet]

I'm not sure exactly either, but yeah, it does seem to do some counterintuitive geometry tricks over the length of its travel.

[cjb762]

Originally Posted by demas

The way I understand it is the spring only assists in pushing/holding the pedal down after or around the disengagement point and doesn’t affect the total return travel. I think there is another spring for that which stays intact.

That's my understanding from everything I have read as well.

The problem I was having was that the clutch felt light at the bottom of the travel due to the spring, then on some point on the way back up, the spring tension would change, and the clutch felt like it was popping back up against my foot, which threw everything off. My other car has a super linear clutch, and the 135 just was not at all. Maybe I just have a wuss of a left foot though...

tracer bullet - do you think there is any chance the previous owner of your car removed the spring too? :P

[cjb762]

Just installed the Ultimate Clutch Pedal this morning and took it for a quick drive. What a great piece of kit! The travel is significantly reduced, the clutch pedal is now in line with the brake pedal, and it feels even better than just removing the spring alone. I could not be happier with the way this has all turned out.