The clutch is used very often while driving, and in order to be used, the heel generally pivots on the floor. However, this can result either in some measure of friction between the shoe and pedal when dry, or annoying squeaking noises when wet.
Clutch rollerballs elimate both these problems and allow the driver to change gears smoothly, the surface of the pedal is covered in ball bearings slightly larger than those found in ball point pens.
When the pedal is pressed, the driver's foot will glide across the bearings with ease and will no longer present an annoyance.
-- fridge duck, Nov 09 2005

Racecar "roller" throttle pedal http://www.pathfind...sis.com/pedals.html
Similar Idea, different pedal... [JoeyJoJoShabadoo, Nov 09 2005]

Wouldn't the roller balls be less accurate? Would there be enough frictio between the balls and the floor of the car (or however they are mounted) to keep your foot from sliding wildly back and forth to the pedal?

Did that make sense? I can't tell.
-- PollyNo9, Nov 09 2005


Your foot would just slip off. I don't see what this does really.
-- discontinuuity, Nov 09 2005


The only time I pivot my foot is with the gas pedal. Clutch and braking I do mostly from the hip without any slip between the bottom of my foot (or sole of my shoe if I'm not driving barefoot). Isn't that how most people drive?
-- bristolz, Nov 09 2005


My reasoning for this was that during driving lessons, pupils are instructed to keep the heel of their foot on the floor and pivot, pressing the pedal down.
I find that when the pressure on the pedal is released, the only way I can fit my foot onto it is by pressing with the middle of the sole of my foot, and when it is pressed all the way down, my foot will not fit far enough down to still do this, meaning I have to press with my toes. I thought this might fix the problem.
-- fridge duck, Nov 09 2005


That must be a strange driving school.
-- bristolz, Nov 09 2005


Perhaps you need to invent cars for people with big feet?
-- hidden truths, Nov 09 2005


my driving instructor tried to get me to the pivot thing but I could never manage to do it - sympathies. ignore him/her and listen to bris.
-- po, Nov 09 2005


I'd dearly love to ignore my instructor - but them I'm also hoping to be able to drive on my own at some point.
-- fridge duck, Nov 09 2005


my clutch travel is so long, and my pedal is so low to the floor that I can't push in the clutch by pivoting my foot. I guess my car would fail the driving test then!
-- nomel, Feb 20 2007


My mum failed her first driving test when she broke her clutch pedal mid-test...

I think the danger with this idea comes when the instructor decides to remind the student to apply proper technique on the clutch pedal. "Clutch balls!" could be embarrassingly misinterpreted. [+]
-- imaginality, Feb 20 2007


Speaking of which, I thought this idea would be for a way of decorating that knob on top of your shift stick with wrinkles and little hairs.
Yeah, I don't know why anyone would do that, either.
-- jutta, Feb 20 2007



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