Wrench Tip Wednesday: Footpegs

Wrench Tip Wednesday: Footpegs

A common upgrade on a dirt bike is replacing the OEM pegs with beefier, wider, colorful, or vibration absorbing footpegs. Keeping your feet stable on the pegs is so important, you ride a dirt bike with your lower body not so much on the upper body! So many good brands out there varying in prices.

My peg of choice is Fasst Company’s Impact Moto Peg. Since I have started using them, I feel more stable on my toes in sketchy situations. They are wider than OEM pegs and isolate the cleat from touching metal to metal making them absorb more vibration. The Impact Moto Peg also has the perfect tooth combo, I can remove my foot if I need to and not get “stuck”. MSRP $259.99 and well worth the money! On the cheaper end, Moose Racing makes a wide footpeg with extremely sharp teeth coming in just under $100. Warp9 is another good brand for wider footpegs, also under $100. Fastway is a big seller at our shop. They offer lots of different options; adventure, wide, adjustable height, and ankle savers. Prices are from $199 – $275. Basically, either you know what you like or you research them all and see what is worth it to you. But if you are standing on skinny OEM pegs, I strongly recommend investing in a set of wide ones.

Time to learn how to put these fancy pegs on. Grab your tools! All that is needed is a set of needle-nose pliers, a hammer (best to stick to a rubber mallet), and a long, flat-head screw driver. Some bikes need the brake pedal removed to get the footpeg pin out. If that is the case, a few more tools might be needed. Be sure to check the backside of the brake pedal pin for a lock nut or cotter pin. If you don’t, the cotter pin can be damaged or strip the nut.

A washer and split pin lock the pivot pin in place. Locate the split pin at the bottom of the footpeg. Grab the needle-nose pliers, get the split pin as straight as possible. Sometimes this can be a chore but be patient! Once it is straight, grip the head of the split pin and pull it through the hole in the pivot pin. Now the pivot pin can be pushed up and out. Warning, the footpeg spring is stiff and puts a lot of pressure on the pivot pin, so it could be harder than one would think. Wigging the peg around while pushing or pulling on the pivot pin will help the removal.

Now that it is off, clean and remove old grease and dirt from the surface of the footpeg mount. Inspect the mounts for signs of wear or cracks. PRO TIP: Put the pivot pin back through to see if the holes have been elongated over the years. Excessive wear in this area can cause the footpegs to droop and become difficult to ride with, increasing the chance of your foot slipping off. Which could be bad! Inspect the pivot pins for wear, deep grooves mean it is time to replace.

Time to install the new pegs! Apply waterproof grease to the pivot pin as lubrication. Put the return spring in the correct position, there will be some tension as the footpeg is inserted. Using a screwdriver can help guide the peg into position by levering it against the spring tension. Push the pivot pin in. The footpeg might need to be wiggles to get it all the way in. Hold the washer in place then slide the split pin through the holes in the end of the pivot pin. The washer is there to prevent wear on the split pin as the footpeg pivots. Always use a new split pin. An old split pin may be weak from metal stress; vibration can also cause the split pin to fail. Fold both legs round the pivot pin and trim them with side cutters. Use the largest split pin that will comfortably slide through the hole.

Remember – if you get yourself new, fancy foot pegs that means you better be standing and not sitting on your rear!!

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