My 2013 GT is the first manual transmission car I've owned. I've had a problem where shifting causes me knee pain for a while, but always thought I'd get used to it. I figure it's time to bring it up and see if I'm doing something wrong.

I'm 5'9"-ish. My seat is far enough back that I can still depress the clutch pedal fully if I extend out my toes, while keeping myself firmly in the seat.

Whenever I need to shift, I can't heel-toe it. Maybe I'm just weak, or am positioning my foot wrong, but I don't have the strength to depress the pedal that way. What I have to do is push the pedal down with my whole leg, toes point out, and then I can put my heel down, and angle my foot to release the pedal. It means that whenever I need to shift, I'm pushing against the clutch with my whole leg, and I think that is what's causing my knee pain.

I assume that I'm working the clutch wrong, but I've also seen complaints on these forums about the stiffness of the clutch, and suggestions to remove springs or swap out parts to make it have "more linear travel."

What do you think? Am I seated wrong or shifting improperly, or do I need to adjust the resistance of the pedal?

 

Don't hate me for asking this...how old are you? Lol

I'm 29, 5'9" and I get some lasting pain too. To be honest, I think it's the rake of the seat bottom that causes it, which forces you to use your whole leg, not just your foot/shin. The seat bottom really needs to be flatter and lower.

 

http://www.cjponyparts.com/clutch-pe...504RoCMYvw_wcB
I installed this and it was worth every penny.

 

I also installed the clutch pedal extender and it made operating the clutch much more comfortable. I agree with laserred, the rake of the seat makes for a very funky clutch operation. That and the fact that the clutch engagement point is so **** vague made it really difficult for me to get a consistent feel on the clutch for a little while after buying the car. Just recently I bought the Steeda Clutch Assist Spring (http://www.steeda.com/steeda-s197-mu...-in-11-14-all/) which I'm hoping will take that vague feeling out of the clutch operation. For $10 I think it's a good gamble.

 

+1 I have one and love it. Working the clutch would hurt my ankle after a while, much better with the pedal extension.

 

It won't. It'll likely feel better but still will be vague. Even without the spring it's difficult to feel, and the engagement point moves around a bit

 

Why do you need to heel-toe it anyway?

 

I guess I should be grateful for arthritis in just my right knee and ankle. I'd be devastated if I couldn't drive a stick.

 

You mean "granny shifting and not double clutching like you should". Lol
I used to try to drive my speed 6 that way at times, but I never could master it. Heel-toe is using your right foot to control the brake and gas without lifting. Good to use when your brake boosting to get the turbo spinning to build psi.

 

I'm 28! I definitely want to solve this now, as opposed to dealing with it for years and having some major issue when I'm older. Glad to see I'm not alone with this, and that there are some solutions available.

They said it's an inch and a half added. It makes me wonder if that is enough.

I maaaaaay have used this term incorrectly? You're probably joking but I might actually be wrong, so just to clarify, I mean using the left foot on the clutch (I'm in the US), with the heel on the floor as the pivot point, and depressing the clutch with the toes/ball of my foot.

 

Yes, heel toe is braking while sliding the heel or toe over to the gas pedal to blip the throttle in that brief moment of neutral before you slide int the next gear down.

But I understood what you're complaining about...I have the same complaint.

 

Regardless of the engagement point, shouldn't the clutch go all the way to the floor?

BTW does it make sense that the clutch engagement may be related to the brake fluid life?

 

Being that they share the same fluid, I'd say so. I had the fluid sucked out and swapped with Motul RBF 600 when I had my brake fluid swapped too.

 

The cure for a bad left knee is some 6R80 under your right foot.

 

For another 10 bucks, American Muscle offers one in billet aluminum. http://www.americanmuscle.com/sr-clu...tion-9416.html
I had the plastic one and it a couple months the plastic grooves wore down and the unit started to wiggle around.

 

Don't hate me either but how much do you weigh?

I'm going to be 60, 5'6" around 165# (this is about 15# overweight), and use the clutch pedal extender. My knees have hurt in the past and this is the stiffest clutch pedal I've ever had. I've found that when I do seated leg raises at the gym it strengthens the tendons and muscles around my knees and it helps a lot.

 

Shouldn't you have a condom for that?

 

I'm glad you posted this. I know ABS plastic is strong but I was afraid of over tightening the bolts and these would likely reduce the risk of that. I'm going to buy this and see how well it works, I'll report back after I've received and installed it.

 

You won't be disappointed.

One minor difficulty is its a royal #*!@% to put the pedal cover back on.

 

I have a sore left knee that comes and goes but I said the same thing when I bought my Mustang. You feel so much more in control when you drive a stick.

I consider my 2014 having a soft clutch. You want hard try a stock fox body with the cable clutch. That will make a man out of ya.