If you own or lease a car, it’s important that you take the time to learn as much about it as you can. The more you know about the individual components, the better you are at detecting faults and when it’s time to seek the help of a mechanic or technician. That’s actually a great way to save money on repairs and maintenance in the long term because your knowledge of individual components allows you to detect problems before they turn into expensive catastrophes.

One component on the car’s interior that most drivers know is there but perhaps don’t know what it’s called is the dead pedal. In today’s blog, we’re taking a closer look at the dead pedal, what it is, what it does, and whether or not you can make changes to it via the aftermarket.

What is a Dead Pedal? What is Its Main Purpose?

Whether you drive a manual or an automatic transmission car, you’re most likely very familiar with the pedals and what they do. The term “dead pedal” might have you thinking “is there a pedal I missed before?” Despite its name, the dead pedal is not a real physical pedal in the same sense that the gas pedal and brake pedal are. The dead pedal is that pedal-like structure that sits on the left side of the footwell, and it’s where you rest your left foot when you’re not using it.

The dead pedal might be made from metal, but it is also quite common to see them made from hard plastics, depending on the brand and style. It typically features a large flat surface laid out at an angle so that when your foot is resting on it, it’s roughly at the same angle as your foot would be were you moving it to depress one of the other pedals.

Dead Pedal Function

The dead pedal’s primary function is to serve as a footrest for your left foot. That comfort element is the main reason that it’s placed there, but there’s a little more to it depending on whether your car is a manual or automatic transmission.

Not many Americans drive a stick shift these days, and have long preferred the comfortable convenience of an automatic. In a manual car, the position and design of the dead pedal is crucial because it guides at what height and angle the driver’s foot will be when it transfers from there to the clutch pedal. In doing so, it makes the shift from dead pedal to clutch more seamless and more comfortable.

In an automatic transmission, the clutch function is automatic, so that means no clutch pedal. In this kind of car, being able to comfortably and stably rest your unused left foot is important. It helps reduce the temptation some drivers may have to use the left foot on the brake. With a place to “stow away” the left foot, the dead pedal helps make automatic driving more comfortable. For this reason, most people know the dead pedal simply as “the footrest.”

Do All Cars Have a Dead Pedal?

The vast majority of cars on the road have the dead pedal. If it’s a manual transmission vehicle, then the chances of there being no dead pedal are very slim indeed. There have been some automatic cars in the past, as well as some race cars that don’t feature the dead pedal. For OEMs, there are simply too many reasons to put the dead pedal there and not enough to justify taking it away. This is in spite of dead pedals not being required by law.

It’s a safety measure, a comfort measure, an aesthetic choice…the list goes on. Therefore, you’d be hard pressed to find a car that didn’t have one. Some notable examples of vehicles that may not have a dead pedal are the Ford Focus, which in the late 1990s didn’t have one, and also the Jeep Wrangler. That doesn’t mean, however, that all dead pedals are the same, which we will explore more in the next section.

What are the Different Types of Dead Pedals?

Broadly speaking, there are two types of dead pedals that exist in the marketplace. They are:

• Footrests
• Dummy pedals

The first type, footrests, are by far the most commonly available. Within the footrest category there are also some sub-categories which can divide up based on materials such as different metals and rubber. At the high end you’ll get the premium brushed-aluminum look that matches the metal-look pedals. More common is cheaper but still durable and functional rubber.

Dummy pedals are often found in race cars or track-ready cars. As the name suggests, they are built just like a regular pedal but don’t serve any mechanical function in the vehicle. They are simply an aesthetic choice.

Can You Add an Aftermarket Dead Pedal?

What if your car has a dead pedal but you don’t like the way it looks? Perhaps you’d like to give it that premium metallic look, or perhaps you want a different color altogether, or perhaps something more subtle that blends into the floor. It might also be a question of physical size if you’re someone with big feet and need a dead pedal equal to the task.

Whatever your reasons, you can find a rich aftermarket of dead pedals in different styles and materials, with most costing about $30-60 for the parts. That makes it a fairly cheap and straightforward modification.

Where to Buy an Aftermarket Dead Pedal

You can find various different options for makes and models here

How to Fit a Dead Pedal to Your Car

The procedure may not be exactly the same in every car, but the following includes the main steps that you’re likely to have to take when installing a new dead pedal from scratch. For tools, you’ll need an electric drill, screwdriver, allen key/wrench, etc but many tools should be provided as part of a kit. Most kits come with the dead pedal, a bracket and mounting plate, as well as a number of nuts, bolts, washers, etc. The pedal attaches to the mounting plate, and typically you can choose from a few different positions depending on how big the plate is.

Step 1: You should first spend a moment assembling the pedal separately. The footwell of your car is an awkward space to work in so you don’t want to be trying to put that together down in the footwell. The kit likely comes with instructions but there aren’t too many parts and often the kits are well made and any modder with some experience won’t have trouble putting it together. Assemble the pedal onto the mounting bracket/plate in a position that will be comfortable.

Step 2: Test the positioning of the pedal. You should find on the lower left side of the footwell a space that is ideal for the mounting plate. Clamp it in place so it will hold position and test it while sitting in your usual driving position. Ensure that it’s not too far back or too far forward, and adjust as needed.

Step 3: Bolt the pedal in place. This is fiddly and you’ll likely have to make judicious use of a ratcheting wrench to ensure all the bolts are securely in place.

Step 4: Test the pedal by resting your foot on it and applying pressure to it. You don’t want it to break while you’re out on the road, since that could be dangerous. It should stand up to any pressure you put on it within reason.

Extra steps may come from different brands and styles of pedal, but it is essentially just another bolt-on modification that you can easily add. If you’re removing an existing one and replacing it, you’ll get an advance look at how it all fits together.

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