Alright, so after installing the Mopar Pedal Kit, I decided that the parking brake pedal looked a bit out of place.
Knowing that it's not a factory fit, I went ahead and spent the $20 on a parking brake pedal cover that is meant to fit certain Mercedes and dodge vehicles, but not the Durango / Grand Cherokee.
I've seen someone else install the brake pedal on a Grand Cherokee, but I did not like how he did the "horizontal" installation, since the curvature of the pedal is the opposite of the other pedals.
Now that I received the part, I know why he did it that way. It's a better fit if you install it on the pedal that way. You can get away with just trimming some of the rubber on the pedal and them just install it. If you want it installed in the direction it was meant to, it just won't fit....unless you are willing to perform surgery on the Durango.
Well, I haven't used my Dremel in a while....
So here's what I did.
1) Remove the existing brake pedal cover. (Not hard, though there does appear to be some adhesive used, so it takes a little force.)
2) Trim off 1/4" of the brake pedal on the left hand side. This leaves 1 1/8" pedal width. This is done with a dremel. I put some cardboard down on the floor to catch the gridings as I cut. Please make sure you wear protective eye wear if you do this.
3) Vacuum foot-well to clean up metal shavings
3) Trimmed off sections of the rubber on the pedal. (This was done with the dremel and a razor blade.)
4) Apply epoxy adhesive and install
5) Use a clamp to hold the pedal cover in place while the epoxy sets. Turns out this was fairly difficult because the back of the pedal stalk is not flat but rounded, which made it difficult for the clamp to get a firm hold without moving.
Pics attached in the next few posts. The pedal itself is a perfect match for the Mopar parts in terms of materials and finish.
With the cutting that was done, the fit is good, but it is not "secure", in that the pedal will move if pressure is placed on it. So my main concern at this point is whether the epoxy will be strong enough to withstand the pressure needed to apply and disengage the brake. Time will tell and I'll keep you posted if the cover loosens up.
Knowing that it's not a factory fit, I went ahead and spent the $20 on a parking brake pedal cover that is meant to fit certain Mercedes and dodge vehicles, but not the Durango / Grand Cherokee.
I've seen someone else install the brake pedal on a Grand Cherokee, but I did not like how he did the "horizontal" installation, since the curvature of the pedal is the opposite of the other pedals.
Now that I received the part, I know why he did it that way. It's a better fit if you install it on the pedal that way. You can get away with just trimming some of the rubber on the pedal and them just install it. If you want it installed in the direction it was meant to, it just won't fit....unless you are willing to perform surgery on the Durango.
Well, I haven't used my Dremel in a while....
So here's what I did.
1) Remove the existing brake pedal cover. (Not hard, though there does appear to be some adhesive used, so it takes a little force.)
2) Trim off 1/4" of the brake pedal on the left hand side. This leaves 1 1/8" pedal width. This is done with a dremel. I put some cardboard down on the floor to catch the gridings as I cut. Please make sure you wear protective eye wear if you do this.
3) Vacuum foot-well to clean up metal shavings
3) Trimmed off sections of the rubber on the pedal. (This was done with the dremel and a razor blade.)
4) Apply epoxy adhesive and install
5) Use a clamp to hold the pedal cover in place while the epoxy sets. Turns out this was fairly difficult because the back of the pedal stalk is not flat but rounded, which made it difficult for the clamp to get a firm hold without moving.
Pics attached in the next few posts. The pedal itself is a perfect match for the Mopar parts in terms of materials and finish.
With the cutting that was done, the fit is good, but it is not "secure", in that the pedal will move if pressure is placed on it. So my main concern at this point is whether the epoxy will be strong enough to withstand the pressure needed to apply and disengage the brake. Time will tell and I'll keep you posted if the cover loosens up.
