As seen here I've found a permanent solution to the dumb ass PLASTIC clutch pedal return bushing.

Go to True Value hardware, and pay $1.60 for a #70 spring. Also acceptable is a Toyota brake pedal return spring.

Remove the 4 philips screws holding in the gas and hood levers first and push the levers out towards the firewall. Then remove the lower panel as shown in Bob's writeup (Thanks Bob). And be sure to detach the Clutch Start Cancel switch connector, as well as any other electrical connectors on the lower panel. Don't be concerned that Bob's photo shows an automatic. Continue to remove the ac duct as Bob describes.

Now look at photo #2 below. On the main dash beam is a welded bracket holding a wiring harness. This bracket is L shaped, and on the other leg of the L is a hole, perfectly inline to accept a linear spring between it and the clutch pedal pin, similar to how the brake pedal return spring is attached.

Remove the original torsion spring. There is quite a bit of tension on this. I placed a few rags around it and pryed it out with a big ass screwdriver. BOING!

Attach #70 spring between dash beam bracket hole and clutch pedal pin. Replace duct and lower panel.

No more stupid plastic bushing crap.
p.s. Free to good home....4 plastic clutch bushings.

 

Photo2

 

Photo3

 

Photos inline

 

I must say, pretty damn clever. How does it "feel" as compared to the stock setup? Also, worst case scenario, what's the worst thing that might happen if you go this route?

Bob

 

As far as feel is concerned, the difference is negligible. The #70 spring has just slightly weaker spring rate than OEM torsion setup. Since all it does is keep the pedal up the last 1/2 inch or so, pppffffttttttt.

Interestingly enough, the factory brake pedal return spring feels almost identical to the torsion spring, and fits, too.

Considering that the little bracket is strong enough, has an appropriate hole, is in alignment with the clutch push rod pin, and that pin has a groove in it to accept a spring end, it's as though Toyota originally designed it to use a duplicate brake pedal return spring, similar to my 1st Gen. But somewhere along the line decided to get creative, and that something more complicated, expensive, and prone to failure was needed. Keeps the dealership service department in business, I guess. Planned obsolescence use not to be a Toyota characteristic.

As far as 'the worst which could happen', the only thing which could result in damage was my pry bar tactic to remove the factory torsion spring. It let loose with a big BOING, but the rags stuffed around it padded everything just fine.

I see nothing but good about using a linear spring, and, in the past, Toyota has relied upon them quite successfully, and still thinks they are good enough for the brake pedal return. Just get one with correct length, and which has enough coils on it such that it does not over stretch and deform with full pedal extension. The True Value #70 is perfect.

Nothing is damaged in the process, so changing back to the stupid ass plastic bushing and torsion spring is always an option.

Free to good home(s): 4 plastic spring bushings. If nobody claims them soon, I will burn them in effigy.

 

Unhappy,

Great explanation, thank you. I may consider doing what you did if my plastic bushing doesn't last more than 6 months.

About those bushings, I'd love to take them from you. If you have paypal, I can send you postage funds. I just need your account id or your snail mail addy and I can send you a check.

Thanks,
Bob

 

Excellent! I had no idea the earlier trucks had a return spring for the clutch. Great to know that it still feels like stock. I hope this really turns out to be a long term fix (all of the 5-speed Tacoma guys will love you).

Looks like I'll be making a trip to True Value soon. My current clutch pedal bushing is set to go and occasionally is giving me a warning squeak.

If Bob is willing to forego one of your extra bushings, I'd appreciate one. I might need to put a new bushing in for the time being.
Let me know if that's okay (Bob too), I can cover shipping with paypal or a check, your choice.

 

Wow that sounds like a great fix! My pedal as been squeaking for far toooo long I am sure I trashed the bushing and most of the metal around it too. I think I am going to do this fix this weekend and see how it goes, thanks a lot for posting.

 

Unhappy,

Though you didn't approve my claim, I'm more than willing to split the bushings (2 each) w/ 3.4Runner

Thanks,
Bob

 

My pedal squeeked in 2001, just before the 36,000 mile warranty was up ( October 1998 to October 2001 ), they put in an entierly new assembly and it's been fine.

Now I'm at 66K so I assume I got a new and improved part but I do have 4 of those bushings on hand just in case.

I know 99's had the defective pedal, but I think they may have worked out the issues by 2001.

 

sschaefer, yes Toyota fixed this in the 01 year, at least on 4Runners. All U.S. 4Runners 2001 and up come only with slushboxes, no little cheesy bushings required. Regarding your particular fix, by now yours is probably disintegrating, and you've got about 2 weeks left before it squeeks.

3.4 wrote: (all of the 5-speed Tacoma guys will love you).
Lets not go there. The love from just one Taco girl would be enough.

Ok, here's why a torsion spring was used: As the clutch is depressed, the torsion spring rotates in a compound fashion. At first, the pedal increases in stiffness, but as the pedal nears the floor the pedal effort lightens, due to the torsion spring rotating on a secondary axis and now helping push the pedal in. As such, a linear spring does not feel quite the same as the torsion setup. The linear spring simply increases in effort to the floor. This could be inconvenient depending on how much stop and go traffic you're in, or if you wait at stoplights with the clutch depressed, which is poor clutch technique, but we all can't be perfect.

Is the pedal effort too high without the torsion help? Not IMO, but I weigh 180 and can walk up stairs. 30 minutes of Denver stop/go in a diesel F450 kinda wears on me though.

There is no harm installing a linear spring in place of the torsion and trying it out for a week. You can always change back if you don't like it.

3.4 and Bob:
Please use my profile link to send me an email (not PM) with your shipping addresses. Don't worry about postage, it is insignificant. I'll send Bob 2 bushings, 3.4 gets 1 and the last is going to another. Although I do have complete confidence you all will find them obsolete.

More details!

The torsion spring arm mildly contacts the linear spring just before full pedal depression, resultng in a barely audible twang.

Solution: a few dabs of heavy grease along the spring coils, particularly where the arm meets the spring and presto! Silent as a Mafia snitch. A piece of rubber vaccuum hose could also be stretched over the torsion fork end to silence the spring contact.

 

the '98's had that prob too. I've replaced mine 3 times already. Anybody got a picture of this "slushbox" jobby?

 

The Clutch dissapeared altogehter in 2001, so it must be in a Tacoma.

 

'Slushbox' is an endearing term for an automatic transmission, generally used by manual transmission snobs such as myself.

 

Well done.

That is exactly how the clutch pedal spring is on the 1st gen. I helped replace the clutch, master, and slave cylinders that that spring thing you came up with is exactly how it was on that 1st gen.

Gadget

www.GadgetOnline.com

 

AH-HA, I learnt sumting new! I will also be using that term for now on too!

 

If that ONE last bushing isn't claimed, I'd love to take it off your hand. I think i try this one bushing then try the spring idea if the bushing fails again...

You've got email!

 

Hey guys----

Does this clutch pedal bushing apply to 2nd gens, or only to 3rd gens? My clutch pedal squeaks when I depress it and am wondering if it is something I should be concerned about.

Thanks,
Chris

 

if it's a tiny little squeek, it's the little plastic bushing going out...same with mine.