Here in the upper part of the West Coast, four-wheeling is a very large part of outdoor recreation. Vehicles of all kinds are taken to the forests and mountains every weekend. There are miles and miles of off-road trails, and organized clubs are available for every make, model and size of 4WD vehicle. Toyota trucks are a very popular platform for every aspect of the sport. Large wheels and tires, pumped engines, lifted and shortened bodies and all sorts of added equipment are the order of the day for a lot of off-road enthusiasts.

Often, the addition of horsepower, or the increase in traction and torque provided by larger-than-normal tires, can lead to failure of the clutch. The size of the clutch is really not an issue here though. Toyota has always supplied a clutch size that will meet just about any need within the normal range of use of these trucks. But heavy off-road use is seldom normal, especially when climbing hills or going over logs. In this article, I'll cover the steps necessary to replace a clutch on a Toyota 4x4, and give you some tips to help you make sure your customer's next off-road trip is a successful one.

PREPARATION
Removing a transmission for repair is always a bit of a challenge on single-post hoists, so if you have a two-post or wheel-lift hoist, it would be a better choice for clutch or transmission repairs. I'm always especially careful to make sure the hoist arms are as f...