Squeaky Clutch Pedal on 1997 4 Runner

[Pete 2009]

March 6, 2009.
Hello all,
I'm a new member, this is my first thread posting, I hope I do it right.
I have a 1997, 4 Runner and I seem to have broken the two little bushes, one at each end of the clutch pedal spring that sits above the pedal lever. This results in a squeak/groan each time I press/release the clutch pedal.
One member, 'pat161', has posted a reply to an earlier request by another member, mentioning that he determined a simple and effective way to replace these bushes that avoids a lot of unnecessary disassembly.
I sent a message to pat161 a couple of weeks ago asking him his method; either I didn't send it correctly or perhaps Pat is away.
Does anyone know what Pat's method is to replace these little plastic bushes, or if you don't know Pat's method do you have a method that has worked well for you.
Thanks in advance for any help with this.
Best regards,
Pete 2009

 

[toytech76]

Just pull out the clutch pedal bracket and replace all the bushings. It isnt hard and shouldnt take you more than an hour. The middle bushing the middle part of the spring rides on is the one that usually fails and its easier to just remove the bracket and replace the bushings where you can see/get to them easily

 

[J-money$$$]

Mine are not broken but they use to squeek/groan all the time. And because I'm slightly ocd with noises I took some grease and put a big blob on each bushing. It didn't work right away but the next day it was completely quiet. Its worth a shot on yours

 

[Batsoff]

This may help you out...

http://www.yotatech.com/f2/fixed-stupid-plastic-clutch-pedal-bushing-19137/

After looking at the bushing design, I wasn't really a fan of it, and they can be a PIA to replace, you really need to remove the entire thing to get at them.

Give the link a read through, I removed the bushings and just put a single spring in place for clutch return.

-batsoff

 

[scheme56]

sprayed graphite lubricant and the squeaky sound went away.

 

[foo]

I seem to have broken the two little bushes, one at each end of the clutch pedal spring that sits above the pedal lever. This results in a squeak/groan each time I press/release the clutch pedal.

I am searching the forum to find all known diagnostic and repair information for this problem, which is how I found this rather old thread on the topic.

If the OP is still around, his input will be appreciated so that we can solve this problem for everyone forever.

Just pull out the clutch pedal bracket and replace all the bushings. It isnt hard and shouldnt take you more than an hour. The middle bushing the middle part of the spring rides on is the one that usually fails and its easier to just remove the bracket and replace the bushings where you can see/get to them easily

I agree with this suggestion that you need to replace the bushings, but you also need to replace the spring and the clutch pedal because they are definitely going to be worn.

Those people who just replaced the bushings with OEM hard plastic brittle bushings found that they didn't last a year, as described in this thread from last week.

So it's bad advice to just replace the bushings. You have to replace everything, and even then, that only gets you a couple of years before the P bushing fails again.

Mine are not broken but they use to squeek/groan all the time. And because I'm slightly ocd with noises I took some grease and put a big blob on each bushing. It didn't work right away but the next day it was completely quiet. Its worth a shot on yours

The problem is that the P bushing is usually completely gone. The squeak is metal on metal. Greasing the squeak is what EVERYONE does, but it's just masking the problem for a bit longer.

The problem is still there, and slowly, inexorably, getting worse, as the spring eats into the clutch pedal metal as shown by my photo of mine below:

I removed the bushings and just put a single spring in place for clutch return.

You don't even need to remove the bushings, but you do need to pry out the double-coil torsion spring with two hefty screwdrivers, and then just replace the torsion pedal-return spring with a tension pedal return spring.

It's actually a ten-minute job, once you have the right geometry figured out for the extension spring. Since the geometry is problematic (most tension springs hit at two different places during the pedal travel), you'll want to consult the thread I linked to above for the exact spring dimensions.

sprayed graphite lubricant and the squeaky sound went away.

You didn't solve the problem by lubricating it.
All you did was, in effect, turn up the radio.

I'm curious if the OP is still around, what he finally did to resolve the issue?

 

[JZiggy]

I have successfully fixed this issue on a 2000 V6 and a 1999 4 banger by just pulling out the torsion spring. Some vise grips, a heavy screwdriver, and leather gloves and a little creativity, and you're done.

 

[foo]

I have successfully fixed this issue on a 2000 V6 and a 1999 4 banger by just pulling out the torsion spring. Some vise grips, a heavy screwdriver, and leather gloves and a little creativity, and you're done.

I removed the torsion spring with just two large flathead screwdrivers.
Took about 3 minutes, 2 minutes of which were wasted using just one screwdriver.

While the cruise control switch may still be depressed when the pedal is in the up position merely from the forceback from the clutch pressure plate through the hydraulics, most people felt better putting in the torsion spring to bring the pedal up that last 1/8th of an inch.

The only problem with that is that most people put in the wrong spring.