Clutch recommendations please

[NorthernWoodsman]

I am most likely going to have my transmission rebuilt sometime after Jan. 1st and while that is out of the vehicle I want to go ahead and install a new clutch as well.

Here is my question: I don't know a ton about clutches and from past experience with muscle cars and owning previous Toyota's myself and having a brother that once had an '80 Celica that was turbocharged to 350HP I know mostly of Centerforce and TRD stuff.

I looked up pricing and whoa! a TRD clutch is about $500 giver or take while the centerforce is only about $250.

I doubt a TRD is in my future because of price. What do ya'll think of the centerforce clutches? I've heard some can be a real pain, in the leg, to use because of how stiff they are. Is there another brand that you would recommend and have experience with?

thanks!

 

[slus]

So...what kind of Toyota?


It's hard to beat OEM for stock-ish power levels and normal use. 188k and counting on my 99 4runner, doesn't slip a bit.

I have a Marlin Crawler Super HD on my 84 4runner and like it as well. A little more clamping force, and not much drivability loss. If I didn't feel the stock one before, I wouldn't have thought anything was different or out of place.

 

[NorthernWoodsman]

sorry....the truck

it's a '94 4x4 pickup w/the 22RE. mostly stock. 31" tires, soon to upgrade the intake and exhaust. hopefully, next summer will see 4.56 gears front and rear.

 

[slus]

it's a '94 4x4 pickup w/the 22RE. mostly stock. 31" tires, soon to upgrade the intake and exhaust. hopefully, next summer will see 4.56 gears front and rear.

If you can't fight off the mod bug and have to replace it with something other than OEM, check out the 1200lb marlin crawler clutch. Anything more would be overkill IMO. You're probably not going to be torching anything with that mighty 22re and 31s.

 

[NorthernWoodsman]

If you can't fight off the mod bug and have to replace it with something other than OEM, check out the 1200lb marlin crawler clutch. Anything more would be overkill IMO. You're probably not going to be torching anything with that mighty 22re and 31s.

no i don't think i will be torching anything.

i'm just trying to figure out what brand to buy. People say OEM, but what brand does that refer to? Toyota brand is going to be seriously pricey. I just want an OEM or slightly better, but need to figure out which brand is most recommended.

Centerforce? Overkill? Other brands?

 

[slus]

I've never ran a centerforce in toyota truck, but I'd guess if it is anything like their other clutches, it's going to be way too much bite for a street driven truck, at least for my taste.

OEM clutches are made by Aisin.

 

[mattafact]

My OEM clutch lasted about 200k before I let my gf drive it for a week. I just replaced it with another OEM (Toyota) clutch. Here's to the next 200k.

 

[NorthernWoodsman]

My OEM clutch lasted about 200k before I let my gf drive it for a week. I just replaced it with another OEM (Toyota) clutch. Here's to the next 200k.

What did you pay for the Toyota brand clutch? Bought at the dealer?

 

[corax]

What do ya'll think of the centerforce clutches? I've heard some can be a real pain, in the leg, to use because of how stiff they are. Is there another brand that you would recommend and have experience with?

thanks!

Nothing but good things to say about my Centerforce Dual Friction clutch - it's pulled 3500-4000 lbs cross country 3 times with my wife driving (she's a bit heavy on the skinny pedal) and pedal effort feels about the same as the stock one did.

That said, I've installed many Sachs or Valeo clutches with no reported problems. Keep in mind that there are really only 3 or 4 clutch manufacturers, all other clutch brands specify and order order from those companies. Sachs and Valeo are 2 of the ones that manufacture their own

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Aisin. Check around with some of the general parts stores, you might be surprised to see the Aisin brand disc and plate in a 'xyz' box. NAPA for example often has OE Japanese clutches with Koyo bearings in their box.

 

[wildmed]

I have a center force dual friction clutch on my 01 Supercharged TRD SR5. I like it, the only thing i don't like is how stiff the pedal is, my knee hurts after a few hours of driving in the mountains. It also grabs really hard, which is an issue with some technical maneuvers. That being said, Center force + supercharger = way fun

 

[NorthernWoodsman]

Great!

Thanks for all of the info everyone. I think I'll probably go with an Aisin setup. Should work just fine for my needs in the near future.

One last question....Is the TRD clutch kit a big step up from the regular Aisin? Basically, is it worth the extra money?

 

[slus]

I just noticed Trail Gear is selling an aisin disk setup for pretty cheap. I don't know anything about the other components in the kit though.

 

[mattafact]

What did you pay for the Toyota brand clutch? Bought at the dealer?

I got mine at Toyotapartszone.com and it was $240 for everything including a rear main seal, tax, and shipping.

 

[4runnin4life]

Autozone clutch for free (gotta love connections). No issues here, pedal pressure feels the same as the previous clutch. No slippage, but with 96HP out of a 22r I guess there's not much of a fight. With 33's and 4.10's I have to slip it good on inclines, but after 25k+ miles it still is grabbing like new.

Might as well go with a complete kit that includes spline alignment tool, pressure plate, throwout bearing and pilot bearing. Its also good practice to have the flywheel turned. An uneven flywheel can make that clutch go to waste prematurely.