when should I change the clutch?

My Jimny is a 2003, with 63k miles,

I don't go off roading on a regular basis, but in the 4 years i've had it the jimny it has been through some ford crossings and a fair bit of towing.


My clutch pedal was starting to get quite stiff, as I live just around the corner from M.lines I popped round for some parts and advice.

I was going to change the clutch, but Martin advised todo the clutch cable first, and so I did. At first it made the clutch pedal a lot lighter, but now it's back to how it was, also the biting point on the clutch was at the very top of the travel.

So when fitting the new clutch cable I adjusted it so the biting point is normal, however, for a long time when the engine/clutch is cold, when I pull away is makes a screeching noise almost as if it were a wheel spin sfx off a film.


when stopped and the engine is ticking over, the clutch is quite rattly, when clutch pressed down it goes quiet.
I asked my mate mechanic should I change my clutch, he said no, wait till the clutch starts slipping (which it's not even with heavy towing), even when it does start to slip, by driving it carefully it can still last a couple of months.




what are other peoples experiences, should I or should I not change the clutch?
Other than the clutch starting to slip, what other problems can you get because of the clutch causing you to break down via the road side

Cheers
Tom

The rattle sounds like clutch release bearing. If this is dry on the shaft it can also cause the feeling of a stiff cable

is that a bad thing?

, I also get a small amount of vibration through the pedal, which seems odd being a cable

j999pre wrote: The rattle sounds like clutch release bearing. If this is dry on the shaft it can also cause the feeling of a stiff cable

+1 on that
It would be a bad thing if it failed, ie, no clutch

Best to change sooner rather than later. The flywheel could get scored if allowed to slip and that would mean getting it skimmed. Best to get it replaced especially if you are towing with it. Would be money well spent for me.

Practice changing gears without using the clutch. If you can't get the hang of it then get the clutch fixed. Otherwise just bide your time and enjoy having the ability to get home again even when the pedal has failed.