Maybe by the time I have a running triple stick truck you will, too

Weekend Update 260,712 miles

Did Odessa Doran loop near Calico Ghost Town with a small group of mostly LCs; I took the 4runner as my LC is under construction lol

This was the most challenging trail I've done to date, and it was a ton of fun - but I have some work to do to get the 4runner through, easier!

Entering Odessa



Stacking up at each obstacle



First climb


More waiting lol


Pucker Pass

Much easier in the 4runner than the 80 series, we had 2 trucks take the bypass, too much pucker with wide wheelbase lol

Down Doran


One of many waterfall drop-offs

My turn


Took some body damage


Just missed the tail light so I guess it's time to install those rear hoops

Had to get winched up in 2 spots, 33s were not cutting it, but I will be addressing that if the EC doesn't give me the advantage I need (35s?)


It was a really good day, but then on the way to work this morning, I sped up to make a light and slipped my clutch

Well that clutch lasted 11,414 miles, and with all costs in, that was about $0.15 a mile - next stop LCE

Guess I am babying it till LCE's Halloween sale, and the EC arrives...

Sucks about the clutch. I think the 5vz is like the 3s-gte... you have to use sealant on the bolts for the flywheel, otherwise engine oil can leak out on to the clutch face. That *may* have been what happened to you if the shop isn't knowledgeable with Toyotas and their clutches (many other make/models have blind holes for the flywheel bolts, so no chance of leaks there).

-Charlie

What a beautiful looking trail ride... looks like you put in some major work here, Mike. When do you anticipate the LC being up and ready to go?

I will be swapping transmissions when I Install the EC and will inspect all that.

It only slips if I rev super high, for now, so we will see how quickly it declines - I'm not looking to speed this plow

It was awesome, beautiful and a wee bit scary being in those tight tunnel canyons - like if there was an earthquake...

I've got some axle and suspension stuff to figure out, then an interior to address, so I'd say the LC will be up and running by spring, conservatively.

I guess the big question is, if I plan to go double low with the Eco Crawler, how heavy duty should the clutch be? I may be more abusive on the clutch with my choice of trails and lines.

A stock replacement clutch kit minus the flywheel is $250...

I called LC Engineering, they recommended their Pro Clutch Bundle with 38# flywheel, heavy duty clutch, 2100# clamping Force, bearing, RMS, bolts and shim - that's a $900 investment.

Another other option is to just buy an HD clutch (designed for 4WD use) similar to what LCE offers and keep my OEM flywheel that was just replaced a year ago.

Looking for experience opinions!

I've never really understood why a heavier clutch is necessary. If you are increasing the output of the engine, sure, but there's only so much torque it can generate. If you're geared lower then you can be more gentle in the operation, less slipping.

It's also possible I have no idea what I'm talking about

If you are in low-low, you need much LESS clutch. That's the point of extra gearing - to slow things down and put less stress in the engine/trans, avoiding needing to hit something hard to get sufficient torque at the wheels.

The only thing here is *maybe* you would want something that could handle extra slipping for certain situations - but the OEM should be good for modulation, etc. If you go aftermarket, just make sure it is full-faced and sprung hub to avoid drivetrain shocks.

-Charlie

Heavier flywheel holds more inertia energy which allegedly helps with engine rpm dropping when clutch first starts engaging. Heavier flywheel also acts as more of a heat sink than a lighter flywheel. Similar to upgrading to a thicker rotor. How much of a difference does it really make? I haven't noticed a real advantage or disadvantage to using a heavier flywheel in my daily driving. I hardly ever go offroad to the point where I need 4Lo so I'm not exactly the ideal test subject. I agree that proper gearing is more beneficial than a heavier flywheel.

@phattyduck and @Bad Luck , you both make good points, thank you.

Like Charlie said, lower gears will give me more of a mechanical advantage and will take stress off the clutch, pressure plate, etc. That is the goal of the Eco Crawler, reduce ratio to allow the truck to walk up at lower rpm.

Like Patrick said, more inertial mass, combined with increased clamping force, reduces shock to the drive train (start to climb an obstacle, carry a heavy load, turn larger sticky tires - or all of the above) and keep the wheels turning.

I'm pretty sure a "heavier" clutch, optimized for 4WD (like LCE's Pro Clutch) running behind a standard flywheel will work fine for me, especially with double low - but HOW will a heavier flywheel benefit me as an investment.

Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk

When I put the double low range setup on my 5-spd, I was wondering if it would make big torque spikes if you stepped on the gas a bit too aggressively in LO/LO/1st. Lol, once the gearing gets that low turns out the main limit on how fast the engine spins up and torque loads the drivetrain is the flywheel. It doesn't really lurch any harder in the lowest gears than it does in regular low. The motor only spins up at a certain rate and the car easily follows along.

My initial thought when contemplating why a doubler seemed so obvious that increasing the mechanical advantage with gearing would reduce overall stress, like how hard I have to push the vehicle to do what I'm trying to do.

If my clutch hadn't slipped couple of days ago I wouldn't have been considering a new clutch at all, but even now it seems like a factory clutch and flywheel will have a better opportunity to do their jobs and last a long time. As long as I use the Eco Crawler in those situations there should be no additional drivetrain load forward of the transfer case, so a factory clutch and flywheel should be fine.

Now the reality of our trucks with skids, sliders, bumpers, larger e-range tires (and all the crap that I carry) takes the vehicle outside of the design spec of a factory clutch, I'm probably 800 lb heavier than stock, so arguably increasing clamping FORCE makes sense.

Ordered up my new clutch today, 10% off got me a $385 clutch for $400 delivered

Weekend update 261,084

Replaced reverse light switch on transmission, PN 84210-52050

The aftermarket switch that was in the transmission was completely compromised, leaking through the switch, probably why it failed.

I ordered the replacement switch online and was curious to see it came with a gasket...