I'm too lazy to check if it applies to your car, but on mine there is a spring (actually a spring within a spring) that goes from the front of the firewall to the linkage. I reached it by crawling underneath the car. There are a couple holes in the linkage. I moved the spring to the hole closest to the firewall and it reduced the foot pressure needed to overcome resistance.

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1985 380SE Blue/Blue - 230,000 miles
2012 Subaru Forester 5-speed
2005 Toyota Sienna
2004 Chrysler Sebring convertible
1999 Toyota Tacoma