Spent some more time with my welding buddy Matt tonight. I brought some 4130 and made foot pads for the pedals. I don't like the small tube that was there as it felt too easy to slip off of. After cutting the pads we bent a 1" section up 90 degrees that will act as a barrier between my shoes and the rudder cables. I will eventually be adding a non slip grip tape or rhino type coating to the pads but first I need to paint the entire assembly for corrosion control.