We were approached by an elderly DB5 owner who was struggling to operate the standard clutch due to it being quite heavy. This was due to an accident in 1960s where his left leg had been damaged during a motorcycle race, leaving it weakened.
A heavy clutch can be difficult to live with for any one, particularly on a long journey. As you may know, all the early Astons have relatively heavy clutches by modern standards as the gearboxes are quite agricultural as do many older cars.
After some extenive research, working closely with a partner who specialises in electronics software, together we designed and implemented a 'fly by wire clutch' for him. (see https://thefusionworkshop.co.uk/electronicssoftware.html)
In this solution the clutch pedal still operates as normal, but its position feeds through to our custom software in a new control module, which itself controls an actuator which operates on the original clutch fork.
The weight of the clutch pedal is now controlled simply by springs, making that very adjustable, and the bite point can be adjusted easily through an in car cable connected to the control module.
THe system has been designed so it can be easily removed and the car quickly converted back to standard if needed at a later date.
Extensive testing has taken place on the solution, including all weathers. The system is designed to be failsafe as well.
The solution is generic and can be applied to any vehicle (although the actuator mounting will need adatpting to suit each car). So if you are struggling with a heavy clutch, give us a call on 01747 852899 and talk to us about a fly by wire solution for your car to bring the pleasure back into driving.
