FIXED!! Stupid PLASTIC clutch pedal bushing - Page 2

keisur · 10-24-2003, 07:34 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by BajaTaco
Seriously - I have one of those bushings sitting here waiting to go on my '98 Tacoma. I have over 100,000 miles on it and haven't replaced it yet, but it has been squeaking for a loooong time.

hehe, when mine had been squealling for a long time I didn't know what it was until I found two pieces of broken plastic on the floorboard that seemed to fit together like a horseshoe. I guess if I vacuumed a little more often I might have never figured it out. haha. I think I'm heading to ACE in about ten minutes for the spring.

00Runner · 10-27-2003, 09:28 AM

DONE!

Here's to you Unhappy

I did this fix this weekend and it worked great. It also went very quickly since you don't have to put that rediculous spring back in.

This is what I noticed. The concept of the original spring making the clutch easier to push in as you get closer to the floorboard is barely noticeable. The spring rate on the new spring is so low that any increase in resistance as the clutch gets closer to the floorboard in not noticeable. The result is that there is no descernable difference in the performance of the clutch other than the lack of certain annoying frequencies.

Also if you are considering using a brake pedal return spring rather than the #70 spring I would advise against it. You can see in the picture that Unhappy posted that the new spring passes through an opening in a bracket that supports the old spring. There is very little clearance between the bracket and the spring with this fix. The larger diameter of the brake spring would definately contact this bracket. Of course, if this is a once for all fix, then you could just cut off that part of the bracket. This would also make the 4Runner lighter and could result in an additional 40 HP.

Gas to get to ACE: $1.00
New spring: $3.00
Getting rid of stupid,
annoying clutch squeak: PRICELESS!

Solo · 11-10-2003, 06:58 AM

Unhappy 99!!!!

I cannot explain how awesome this fix is! Not only could my Toyota dealer not figure it out but the ease and cost at which this replacement procedure is had me doing cartwheels afterwards. Seriously, I've had this problem for over a year now (on and off).
Yesterday, I couldn't take the squeaking anymore and thought I'd give this fix a try.

After about an hour and a half....done! Mind you, I am no mechanic (never even taken off my lower panel on the drivers side before

). And I don't feel any noticeable difference in tension and feel

The one thing that I would really pay attention to is dislodging the original spring. It is really in there tight and will require a good deal of effort to remove....be very careful when removing it as it will pop out with a great deal of force. Use Unhappy99's method of wrapping a towel around the original spring while using a screwdriver (or some other device) to dislodge it -

For some reason, tt also took me a few minutes to find that little hole on the L bracket too

Here is a quick recap:
Store: The Great Ace Hardware
Part: Handi-Pack Extension Spring - Part #88103 (5 X7/16) w/ .047 wire diameter. There was no #70 spring

Price: $1.99
Time: About 2 1/2 hours total. Stepped in the garage at 3:03 pm....stepped back in the house at 5:43 pm (includes test drive). Anyone else could do this in less than an hour.

This has made my day, week and month! Unhappy99....thanks for putting this one out there. Truly amazing!!

Hans
97 4 Runner SR5 4x4 5 speed

Unhappy99 · 11-11-2003, 09:30 PM

I'm feeling the love.

Slightly less unhappy.

yunaderis · 11-12-2003, 10:01 AM

you dont happen to have an estimate on overall length of that true value spring do you? we dont have TV out here so I will need to find a similar spring.

thanks

Solo · 11-12-2003, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by yunaderis
you dont happen to have an estimate on overall length of that true value spring do you? we dont have TV out here so I will need to find a similar spring.

thanks

Yunaderis,

The spring I got from "The Great Ace" hardware store was 5 inches long (my earlier post states the exact p/n and specs). Also, I believe Unhappy99's instructions show a picture of the spring he used that was almost exactly the same length as the brake pedal spring. Hope this helps.

yunaderis · 11-12-2003, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Solo
Yunaderis,

The spring I got from "The Great Ace" hardware store was 5 inches long (my earlier post states the exact p/n and specs). Also, I believe Unhappy99's instructions show a picture of the spring he used that was almost exactly the same length as the brake pedal spring. Hope this helps.

great solo

"Here is a quick recap:
Store: The Great Ace Hardware
Part: Handi-Pack Extension Spring - Part #88103 (5 X7/16) w/ .047 wire diameter. There was no #70 spring
Price: $1.99"

i totally missed it...thanks again...I am heading to my local ACe today and grabbing one.....thanks again for your help....

for my tacoma, i only have to remove the connector on the pedal and the clutch assembly itself. I didnt have to remove the lower panel, it must be different on 4runners. I have changed this bushing three times in 100k miles.. Damn crappy design

thanks again

Solo · 11-12-2003, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by yunaderis
great solo

i totally missed it...thanks again...I am heading to my local ACe today and grabbing one.....thanks again for your help....

for my tacoma, i only have to remove the connector on the pedal and the clutch assembly itself. I didnt have to remove the lower panel, it must be different on 4runners. I have changed this bushing three times in 100k miles.. Damn crappy design

thanks again

Not a problem )

....you will definitely love this fix (I can't believe I put up with that squeking for so long)

Hans

CMD93 · 11-12-2003, 11:37 AM

Does this procedure apply only to the 3rd generations? If not, and it works for 2nd gen. do I follow the same procedure and buy the same parts.

Solo · 11-12-2003, 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by CMD93
Does this procedure apply only to the 3rd generations? If not, and it works for 2nd gen. do I follow the same procedure and buy the same parts.

According to earlier posts in this thread...I believe it does?

yunaderis · 11-14-2003, 11:06 AM

unhappy, you rock..i just got done replacing that ty bushing design with my 2 dollar spring....way better and so much more satisfying to know i wont have to change that e anytime soon. The spring i got was a bit too long and soft for my tastes, so i just shortened up the long end and bent a new hoop, and presto, shifting satisfaction to the Nth degree..... By shortening the spring a bit, it made the return a bit firmer and quicker. Which all in all is much better suited for my tastes, as I have always thought the stock setup was a bit weak.

thanks again for the idea......

Nolan · 11-15-2003, 06:26 PM

squeaky clutch be gone!

Today I got around to changing the spring. It went very easy, 1 hour start to finish. I found it pretty easy to pry the spring off. I pried it from the side as show here and it was effortless:

When I looked at the bracket after the torsion spring was off the place where the bushing normally goes was VERY mangled. I really dont think I could have replaced the bushing even if I wanted to because the metal was so messed up.

Mystickal · 12-16-2003, 12:41 AM

I live in Ventura County, in Southern California. The nearest True Value Hardware store is about 25 miles away - not really a big deal. There are a couple Ace Hardware stores within 15 miles, and some assorted other hardware stores.

None of them, not a single one, has the correct spring. I gave the guy at one of the Ace Hardware stores the part number, he tells me he doesn't even know how to look it up(!) The other Ace is a little better, but they claim they don't carry the right ones.

The other hardware stores in the neighborhood don't have springs that are 5" long - the closest ones were 6" and 3-1/2".

Tonight, I drove up to the True Value, and went through their spring box - their numbers start at #100 (and it's a TINY spring - they have no #70 spring and say that if they did have one, it would be about the size of a spring on a retractable ink pen).

Acehardware.com has springs for sale, but none that match the part number (or specs) provided. TrueValue.com doesn't even have the springs, period.

Am I in the spring black hole of the US??? Nobody else has posted that they've had any difficulty at all finding a spring, but it seems to me that mountains are going to have to move before I can fix this annoying 'creak' everytime I push the clutch pedal in.

I know that I'm a first time poster - I've had my 4-runner for a very short time, so I haven't had the occasion to make any beneficial comments - basically, I feel that if you don't have any info on something, you keep your mouth shut and try to learn as much as you can. However, despite my n00b status, I was hoping that I might be able to convince someone to pick up a spring for me and send it to me. I can shoot the money back to you through paypal. Please e-mail or PM me.

Thanks,

~Bill

yunaderis · 12-16-2003, 06:29 AM

hey mystickal

when i did this i got a spring that was a bit different than the one posted, it was a bit too long. I think as long as you can get a spring thats long enough and has enough force to return the pedal all the way up, you will be fine. So dont worry about the right part number, just get one thats about 5 inches or so long, and just trim it to fit the 4runner and to fit your personal clutch stiffness.
My spring was too long at first, so i just cut down the long straight hooked side, and bent another hook into it , which was real easy. So, just get one that will fit there, or go to the dealer and get the brake pedal return spring that was mentioned earlier in this thread. if you decide to go the hardware store spring route, just remember to get one long enough and then you can tinker with the pedal feel by reducing the length

good luck

Mystickal · 12-16-2003, 06:51 AM

Did the spring you used look like the spring in Unhappy99's picture? IE a relatively short coil section and relatively long hooks? After the TrueValue fiasco (I call it a fiasco because driving 25 miles in So Cal during rush hour can't truly be called anything else - and I had called them before hand and they claimed they had a #70 - turns out they thought I wanted a #170) I had thought about getting a longer spring and then just turning the hooks on the end to make it approximately the correct size.

The only problem with that was all the springs I saw there had long coil sections (over 90% of the length) and very short hooks. I think I might be able to put it in a vice and unwind a coil on each end, but it'd never be straight.

~Bill

Billrunner · 12-16-2003, 08:05 AM

I overheard the guy at the hardware store talking on the phone, he said " Send me more springs!"

yunaderis · 12-16-2003, 08:08 AM

the one i have is about 3 inches of coil maybe, and one inch short side and maybe 1,5-2 inches long side..i cut the long side down to where i liked the amount of pedal pressure i have when i push in..i think your best bet is to get the toyota spring posted above..save you time and hassle....

Unhappy99 · 12-16-2003, 11:03 AM

Lots of springs will do the job, it only has to hold the pedal up the final inch or so. It should be as simple as going to a local hardware store (a real hardware store and not a Lowes or Home Depot), taking off your brake return spring (10 seconds) and looking through their drawers for a similar spring, or something longer which can have the ends cut and bent to fit. Be sure to reattached your brake return spring before leaving the lot.

If you are still having trouble after your next hardware store visit, email me with your shipping address. Nobody, not even those living in the spring black hole, should have to put up the dumb ass PLASTIC Toyota bushing.

Mystickal · 12-16-2003, 01:48 PM

Well, it's certainly good to know that the spring doesn't have to be 'exact' - I work in a world of very fine tolerances where things have to be precisely engineered, so please bear with me. Though you know that you're in a friendly place when someone reminds you to put the brake spring back in, lol.

I went over to NAPA and picked up a couple of springs that look like they might do. They both can be sized to fit, so it's basically just a matter of how much tension the pedal needs - 1 spring I can separate with about 10 lbs of force, the other is much more heavy duty and won't really spread by hand - though I'd imagine it wouldn't be difficult when you use your leg (though the second spring has a lot less travel than the first).

So I'll throw one (or both) of these in tonight and see how they work.

Thanks for all the help,

~Bill

10-27-2003, 09:28 AM	#27 (permalink)
00Runner Contributing Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Menlo Park, CA Posts: 726	DONE! Here's to you Unhappy I did this fix this weekend and it worked great. It also went very quickly since you don't have to put that rediculous spring back in. This is what I noticed. The concept of the original spring making the clutch easier to push in as you get closer to the floorboard is barely noticeable. The spring rate on the new spring is so low that any increase in resistance as the clutch gets closer to the floorboard in not noticeable. The result is that there is no descernable difference in the performance of the clutch other than the lack of certain annoying frequencies. Also if you are considering using a brake pedal return spring rather than the #70 spring I would advise against it. You can see in the picture that Unhappy posted that the new spring passes through an opening in a bracket that supports the old spring. There is very little clearance between the bracket and the spring with this fix. The larger diameter of the brake spring would definately contact this bracket. Of course, if this is a once for all fix, then you could just cut off that part of the bracket. This would also make the 4Runner lighter and could result in an additional 40 HP. Gas to get to ACE: $1.00 New spring: $3.00 Getting rid of stupid, annoying clutch squeak: PRICELESS! __________________ - Brad 2000 4Runner SR5 4x4 5spd 3" Revtek spacer, ARB RD-90 front \| 3.5" Downey coils, E-locker rear \| 285/75 16 BFG M/T \| TJM T-17 \| RB Sliderz \| 1.5" RB BL \| BudBuilt skid \| 4.30s \| SS Rear Bumper onetruth

11-10-2003, 06:58 AM	#28 (permalink)
Solo Registered User Join Date: May 2003 Location: Chicago Posts: 17	Toyota Man of the Year Goes To.... Unhappy 99!!!! I cannot explain how awesome this fix is! Not only could my Toyota dealer not figure it out but the ease and cost at which this replacement procedure is had me doing cartwheels afterwards. Seriously, I've had this problem for over a year now (on and off). Yesterday, I couldn't take the squeaking anymore and thought I'd give this fix a try. After about an hour and a half....done! Mind you, I am no mechanic (never even taken off my lower panel on the drivers side before ). And I don't feel any noticeable difference in tension and feel The one thing that I would really pay attention to is dislodging the original spring. It is really in there tight and will require a good deal of effort to remove....be very careful when removing it as it will pop out with a great deal of force. Use Unhappy99's method of wrapping a towel around the original spring while using a screwdriver (or some other device) to dislodge it - For some reason, tt also took me a few minutes to find that little hole on the L bracket too Here is a quick recap: Store: The Great Ace Hardware Part: Handi-Pack Extension Spring - Part #88103 (5 X7/16) w/ .047 wire diameter. There was no #70 spring Price: $1.99 Time: About 2 1/2 hours total. Stepped in the garage at 3:03 pm....stepped back in the house at 5:43 pm (includes test drive). Anyone else could do this in less than an hour. This has made my day, week and month! Unhappy99....thanks for putting this one out there. Truly amazing!! Hans 97 4 Runner SR5 4x4 5 speed Last edited by Solo : 11-10-2003 at 07:00 AM.

11-11-2003, 09:30 PM	#29 (permalink)
Unhappy99 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 381	I'm feeling the love. Slightly less unhappy. __________________ 03 Dodge Ram 2500 CTD...its amazing Ex: 1999 4Runner JT3HN86R1X0199261...Now somebody elses Karl Malone Toyota 'Certified' POS Legendary Toyota quality is exactly that: A thing of legend. Defective fuel gauge - 'Certified' Defective brake rotors - 'Certified' Defective axle seals - 'Certified' Defective heater diverter - 'Certified' etc. etc. etc.

11-15-2003, 06:26 PM	#37 (permalink)
Nolan Registered User Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: San Diego Posts: 336	squeaky clutch be gone! Today I got around to changing the spring. It went very easy, 1 hour start to finish. I found it pretty easy to pry the spring off. I pried it from the side as show here and it was effortless: When I looked at the bracket after the torsion spring was off the place where the bushing normally goes was VERY mangled. I really dont think I could have replaced the bushing even if I wanted to because the metal was so messed up. __________________ * 4runner * 2WD 2.7L 5spd * 4.88 Precision Gears * Rear ARB Locker * ARB Compressor * 2.5" front/2" rear CF spacers * 4wd springs * Bilstein shocks * 285/75/16 BFG AT's * 16x8 Ivan Stewart TRD wheels Gibson exhaust Yakima roof rack * Rocky Mounts Bike Rack * Yakima Lift Ticket 6 Snowboard Rack * Amsoil Air filter * deckplate mod * Optima 34R Red Top * 15% front Tint * PreRunner Front mud flaps * PIAA 1400 fog lights * '02 4Runner Sport Skidplate & Tube Steps * Husky Floor Liners * Last edited by Nolan : 11-15-2003 at 06:28 PM.

12-16-2003, 12:41 AM	#38 (permalink)
Mystickal Registered User Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 220	Can't find the correct spring! I live in Ventura County, in Southern California. The nearest True Value Hardware store is about 25 miles away - not really a big deal. There are a couple Ace Hardware stores within 15 miles, and some assorted other hardware stores. None of them, not a single one, has the correct spring. I gave the guy at one of the Ace Hardware stores the part number, he tells me he doesn't even know how to look it up(!) The other Ace is a little better, but they claim they don't carry the right ones. The other hardware stores in the neighborhood don't have springs that are 5" long - the closest ones were 6" and 3-1/2". Tonight, I drove up to the True Value, and went through their spring box - their numbers start at #100 (and it's a TINY spring - they have no #70 spring and say that if they did have one, it would be about the size of a spring on a retractable ink pen). Acehardware.com has springs for sale, but none that match the part number (or specs) provided. TrueValue.com doesn't even have the springs, period. Am I in the spring black hole of the US??? Nobody else has posted that they've had any difficulty at all finding a spring, but it seems to me that mountains are going to have to move before I can fix this annoying 'creak' everytime I push the clutch pedal in. I know that I'm a first time poster - I've had my 4-runner for a very short time, so I haven't had the occasion to make any beneficial comments - basically, I feel that if you don't have any info on something, you keep your mouth shut and try to learn as much as you can. However, despite my n00b status, I was hoping that I might be able to convince someone to pick up a spring for me and send it to me. I can shoot the money back to you through paypal. Please e-mail or PM me. Thanks, ~Bill

11-12-2003, 10:01 AM	#30 (permalink)
yunaderis Registered User Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 21	you dont happen to have an estimate on overall length of that true value spring do you? we dont have TV out here so I will need to find a similar spring. thanks

11-12-2003, 11:37 AM	#34 (permalink)
CMD93 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Richmond,VA Posts: 159	Does this procedure apply only to the 3rd generations? If not, and it works for 2nd gen. do I follow the same procedure and buy the same parts.

11-14-2003, 11:06 AM	#36 (permalink)
yunaderis Registered User Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 21	unhappy, you rock..i just got done replacing that ty bushing design with my 2 dollar spring....way better and so much more satisfying to know i wont have to change that e anytime soon. The spring i got was a bit too long and soft for my tastes, so i just shortened up the long end and bent a new hoop, and presto, shifting satisfaction to the Nth degree..... By shortening the spring a bit, it made the return a bit firmer and quicker. Which all in all is much better suited for my tastes, as I have always thought the stock setup was a bit weak. thanks again for the idea......

12-16-2003, 06:29 AM	#39 (permalink)
yunaderis Registered User Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 21	hey mystickal when i did this i got a spring that was a bit different than the one posted, it was a bit too long. I think as long as you can get a spring thats long enough and has enough force to return the pedal all the way up, you will be fine. So dont worry about the right part number, just get one thats about 5 inches or so long, and just trim it to fit the 4runner and to fit your personal clutch stiffness. My spring was too long at first, so i just cut down the long straight hooked side, and bent another hook into it , which was real easy. So, just get one that will fit there, or go to the dealer and get the brake pedal return spring that was mentioned earlier in this thread. if you decide to go the hardware store spring route, just remember to get one long enough and then you can tinker with the pedal feel by reducing the length good luck

12-16-2003, 06:51 AM	#40 (permalink)
Mystickal Registered User Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 220	Did the spring you used look like the spring in Unhappy99's picture? IE a relatively short coil section and relatively long hooks? After the TrueValue fiasco (I call it a fiasco because driving 25 miles in So Cal during rush hour can't truly be called anything else - and I had called them before hand and they claimed they had a #70 - turns out they thought I wanted a #170) I had thought about getting a longer spring and then just turning the hooks on the end to make it approximately the correct size. The only problem with that was all the springs I saw there had long coil sections (over 90% of the length) and very short hooks. I think I might be able to put it in a vice and unwind a coil on each end, but it'd never be straight. ~Bill

12-16-2003, 08:05 AM	#41 (permalink)
Billrunner Registered User Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Bayside NY Posts: 160	I overheard the guy at the hardware store talking on the phone, he said " Send me more springs!"

12-16-2003, 08:08 AM	#42 (permalink)
yunaderis Registered User Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 21	the one i have is about 3 inches of coil maybe, and one inch short side and maybe 1,5-2 inches long side..i cut the long side down to where i liked the amount of pedal pressure i have when i push in..i think your best bet is to get the toyota spring posted above..save you time and hassle....

12-16-2003, 11:03 AM	#43 (permalink)
Unhappy99 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 381	Lots of springs will do the job, it only has to hold the pedal up the final inch or so. It should be as simple as going to a local hardware store (a real hardware store and not a Lowes or Home Depot), taking off your brake return spring (10 seconds) and looking through their drawers for a similar spring, or something longer which can have the ends cut and bent to fit. Be sure to reattached your brake return spring before leaving the lot. If you are still having trouble after your next hardware store visit, email me with your shipping address. Nobody, not even those living in the spring black hole, should have to put up the dumb ass PLASTIC Toyota bushing. __________________ 03 Dodge Ram 2500 CTD...its amazing Ex: 1999 4Runner JT3HN86R1X0199261...Now somebody elses Karl Malone Toyota 'Certified' POS Legendary Toyota quality is exactly that: A thing of legend. Defective fuel gauge - 'Certified' Defective brake rotors - 'Certified' Defective axle seals - 'Certified' Defective heater diverter - 'Certified' etc. etc. etc.

12-16-2003, 01:48 PM	#44 (permalink)
Mystickal Registered User Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 220	Well, it's certainly good to know that the spring doesn't have to be 'exact' - I work in a world of very fine tolerances where things have to be precisely engineered, so please bear with me. Though you know that you're in a friendly place when someone reminds you to put the brake spring back in, lol. I went over to NAPA and picked up a couple of springs that look like they might do. They both can be sized to fit, so it's basically just a matter of how much tension the pedal needs - 1 spring I can separate with about 10 lbs of force, the other is much more heavy duty and won't really spread by hand - though I'd imagine it wouldn't be difficult when you use your leg (though the second spring has a lot less travel than the first). So I'll throw one (or both) of these in tonight and see how they work. Thanks for all the help, ~Bill

12-16-2003, 11:27 PM	#45 (permalink)
Mystickal Registered User Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Dallas, TX Posts: 220