I'm curious. Guys going with the marlin crawler HD clutch. Does this clutch now allow much slippage? Wouldn't you want slippage when riding the clutch. Let's say intense rock crawling ?

First day I went to AOAA. First time I did a blue. I rode my clutch. Because I was a newbie. Then I learned how to drive the truck in 4low over rocks with out riding the clutch but also not bouncing. And if it stalled, I let it stall. It's amazing how little gas it needs in 4low. It's actually really easy to not stall it.

230k on original clutch and still going strong. It's my DD as well.

I really feel no difference between the stock clutch & the Marlin. Both are great. The only difference I feel is if I let off the clutch fast the Marlin grabs harder causing whiplash! LOL But I pride myself in smooth shifting unless I'm hauling ass!

The clutch in mine lasted about 200k, which is when the PO replaced it.

I always try to get full engagement in 1st gear around 1000 rpm to try to prevent wear.

Think I got somewhere around 330,000 KM out pf the stock clutch. Still had a decent amount of material left on it but only 10 of 15 fingers on my pressure plate. Truck had a bad hop if trying to slip the clutch in traffic or a hill. Throw out bearing was toast. Marlin replacement clutch has been beautiful.

Mine feels a bit funny but I think that is the master or slave cylinder going. I got some new ones and I'll replace them some time. Looks like an easy job, and I'll keep the old ones as trail spares. Once I blew my master cylinder on a Jeep Cherokee and I had to drive it across downtown Vancouver without a clutch... that was a piece of junk, but really good off road. Too bad.

OK so back to the clutch issue...

I bought my 4runner 25,000 km ago and the clutch has never been very peppy. It feels a bit sloppy and it engages near the top of the pedal stroke. I am wondering if I should just bite the bullet and replace it pre-emptively now. I was planning on it. I bought the Marlin Crawler one. I don't clearly recall it slipping but with it engaging so close to the top, it must be getting near the end. If this was my daily driver then I could just drive it till it was obviously slipping but I use this truck for long trips into the middle of nowhere so I can't have it causing problems mid way into the trip. It has 291,000 km which is 180,000 miles. Based on comments above it is probably still the original clutch and others have had theirs last longer than this. I replaced master and slave cylinders recently and saw no real difference in its performance but they definitely needed to be changed.

Also while in there I'll do the rear main seal.

Have you tried changing the pushrod adjustment? Sounds like the engagement point is too high.

I just put it back to what it was before changing cylinders.

Replaced my clutch at 330,000km only because the throwout bearing was starting to make noise. There was still alot of material left and would've probably made it to 400-450k. Normal driving, no towing.

My manual 1997 4Runner is at 290K miles and the original clutch is staring to slip in fourth gear. Damn.

My 2002 Tacoma TRD clutch is original at 177,427 miles. Not as much heavy off roading like when it and I were younger, but has long outlasted any clutch on any vehicle I’ve ever owned.