**1/13/2018 update – The clutch pedal extender is rock solid and still working great a year and a half after this DIY. I never had to tighten anything and there is no movement of the rubber and no give whatsoever. It brings the pedal closer and you can’t even tell it’s there.
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I’ve been driving manual transmission Japanese cars for over 20 years. I stick with Japanese cars because I find the cars are much friendlier to shorter people, particularly the reach of the clutch. Recently, I acquired a German car and while I love it, the clutch pedal is a bit too long for my leg to comfortably and repeatedly engage. I can do it, but my left leg always needs to be 100% fully extended, which just gets tiresome, particularly in traffic for long periods of time.
After some research online, it seemed like Pedal Extenders and all the commercial extenders are made primarily for little people that need significant help with their pedal reach. I needed something about half an inch to an inch closer to make it engaging the clutch a bit more comfortable.
There are a few DIY’s online, however I didn’t see anything I thought was quick and easy. In many cases, there were people carving wood blocks and drilling into their pedals, etc.
My DIY cost about $20 and took about 15 minutes. The beauty is that since it is a pedal cover, it just unscrews and you have your original pedals back should you ever need it. It’s also transferrable if you buy a new car and need an extender on your new car as well.
Items needed for the clutch pedal extender DIY:
- Pedal cover – Personally, I bought a pedal set at AutoZone (only used the clutch cover) – $12
- Note: Look for the covers with latches that grab onto the pedal (See this pedal set as an example)
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- 4 long screws (the pedal cover came with screws but I needed longer ones) – $2
- Tip: Bring the screws that came with the set to the hardware store and let them help you find the same thing but longer
- Rubber sander block (these are hand sanders that you loop sandpaper around) – $6
- Tip: Bought mine cheaper from the hardware store
- Small saw
- Drill
- Screwdriver
Steps:
1. Take the rubber sander and saw into 2 pieces. It’s already partially separated, making it super easy.
2. Take your pedal cover and put it over the rubber. Your pedal cover and the rubber should have a similar curve. With the pedal cover on top, align the pedal cover and then drill 4 holes through the holes in the pedal cover and through the rubber.
Rubber sander top – drill holes
3. Assemble the pedal cover and rubber piece by screwing them together. Take the modified pedal cover and attach it to your clutch pedal using the grabbing latches provided in the pedal cover set.
DIY Pedal Extender – Pedal Cover w/Rubber Piece Screwed Together
Voila! You’re done. Here is a picture of the finished product. This set up added 3/4″ to the pedal and took 15 minutes to complete at a cost of about $20.
DIY Pedal Extender – Attached – Side View
DIY Pedal Extender – Attached – Top View
As you can see in the 5th picture, the curve of the rubber sander naturally matches the curve of my pedal cover and the units fits over the original pedal very nicely. After attaching this to my pedals, there is no “give” and feels very secure. I just installed this DIY today so I can’t speak to the longevity.
Incidentally, I did not trim the rubber parts that extend over the top and the bottom of the cover. It did not interfere with the travel of the pedal and because my interior is dark, it’s not very noticeable so I decided keep it as is. The screws are also a bit longer than I wanted but again, it doesn’t interfere with anything and you can’t see it so I just kept it.
That’s it. I took it for a spin and it’s perfect! Yay! A cheap, quick DIY…my favorite kind!
As I said before, I bought my pedal covers from a local AutoZone store and the sanding block (and longer screws) from a local Ace Hardware store. Obviously, you can definitely get them online as well but price varies a lot so be sure to check locally as it can often be cheaper in the store than online. At least that’s what I found. But in case you want some online links, here are some similar products on Amazon:
Good luck and please post your experiences and/or any improvements you made in the comments below!
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Would I be able to use the entire sander block if I need even more of an extension? Or would that affect the outcome of the DIY Clutch Extender? I have a 1997 Honda Civic. I’m a pretty short female, only 5’3 and although I can drive the car just fine, my foot starts to cramp up after a while.
Apologies for the late reply! The way the sanding block comes, there is a gap between the curved top part and the bottom flat part. The gap is for the sandpaper, the intended use of the sanding block. That means if you use the whole block, there might be a little “give” when you press the clutch. In my opinion, any “give” is bad. I think if you could fill in the gaps of the full sanding block with something strong that has no “give” and that you could drill through, that would work. Let me know what you end up doing!
Thanks for the great solution on the clutch pedal extender. Even though my wife HATES to drive stick, sometimes she has to take my car. She is only 5’2″ and has to sit way too close to the steering wheel to get the clutch to the floor, and even then it is a stretch to reach it, and then the gas is too close also!
I am going to try to add about 1-1.5″ to the pedal, as 3/4″ is not enough, so I am going to use the whole block.
Will let you know how it goes.
Since the sanding block has that gap in the middle of the block, just make sure you fill that in with something solid if you are using the whole block. It’ll still work if you don’t fill in the gap but I believe it will move each time it is pressed and over time, the whole piece could wiggle and slip off the pedal. Glue something solid in the gap would be my reco. Good luck and YES, please post what you did and how it worked!
I agree with Taylor as I am about the same height and I need a bit more than 3/4 of an inch I am wondering if a block of wood using u clamps would work just as well and with the pedal cover would work as well guess I need to do more research.
I just completed this setup in my car, it works great.
For others reference the longer screws needed are M4-0.7 machine screws, I used 40mm length but you might be able to get away with 35mm. The local Home Depot had them in the hardware section, in the metric screw drawers, not hanging on the wall. these will use the same nuts that come with the original screws.
This was a cool tip, thanks!
I’m so glad this worked for you too! Mine is still going strong. I never have to tighten it or anything. Thanks for posting your experience! And also for clarifying about the longer screws!
My wife, who drove manual sports cars most of her life, has shrunk from 5″1′ tall to 4’10” after several spinal fusions. She now finds even with the seat fully forward with my 2003 Mini Cooper S, she has to put a pillow behind her to reach the clutch, which has to be depressed almost to the floor to disengage. This puts her much too close to the wheel, airbag, & other controls. I’ll try the full 2-layer sanding block trick if anybody reports success with it. I am only 5″5 1/2″ (also shrunk a bit with age), so I should be able to adapt to a pedal that appears to engage higher up even if I have to reach higher with my foot to find the pedal. I have a competition clutch in the car (along with a short-shift kit for a Getrag 6-speed box) with a very fine engagement point, so its tricky to learn to handle the overly sensitive clutch pedal as it is. I guess we’ll both have to regroove our muscle memory. I’d like to find a solution that is easier to put on & take off between drivers, though, since I’m fine with the clutch pedal as it is. If you know of any, let me know. Chautime has my email address on file.
Thanks for your comment. I mentioned to a previous poster that the full sanding block should work, just make sure you consider putting a stabilizer between the gaps of the 2 parts of the sanding block so there is less “give”. Also, this solution might not be the best if you want a very easy on/off between drivers….the tradeoff would be the stability, which might not be the best tradeoff. That said, this DIY is easy to remove, you just need to loosen the screws a bit so the clasps in the back can swing off. Please keep us posted on what you end up doing and how well it works!
This is a top result on Bing.com for “DIY clutch pedal extension.”
I love the use of the hand sander. But like others, I need a little more than that. Curious how others further adapted your idea.
Hi, you can try using the whole sanding block. If you fill in the gap in the sanding block (to reduce the give) and then use longer screws, it should work. I’m currently 5 months into testing the whole block and it seems to work fine. As others have noted, it’s a little squishier if you don’t fill the gap in the sanding block, but as long as it is secured well, there shouldn’t be a problem. Good luck!
How about using a 6-in Wedge Door Stop?
I watch this YouTube Video titled: Gas Pedal Extension for under $5.
DIY Pedal Extender for short drivers.
Can 6-in Wedge Door Stop also be applied to the clutch pedal
The door wedge appears to be long and narrow whereas most clutches tend to be more on the square side I believe. While the door wedge might work for the gas pedal (which is more rectangular), I’m not sure I’d try it for the clutch. Not only is the shape not ideal, the slope and angle of the wedge would probably make it strange to press. Try it and let us know!
Thank you so much for this idea! It worked amazingly well for me and I ended up using the whole sanding block (in two pieces because I cut it in half first). It still worked but I just had to really tighten the 2″bolts. I do feel a little squish but it doesn’t bother me. I may redo it with a new sanding block that I’ve designed a bit better but for now it has alleviated my twisted hips. I’ve been doing food delivery the last year and it’s taken a toll on my hips driving my 19 year old Mitsubishi Lancer that has always had a far reaching clutch. This helps so much and I’m so grateful for your post and insightful idea. I love a great DIY fix and this was 👏.
That’s great! Glad it worked for you. If you want to describe your “redesign,” others may benefit from it too!