Most clutches are hydraulic, much like the braking system. If you’re looking at a used vehicle with a heavy clutch, this may be one thing to ask the owner about before you decide to purchase the vehicle. Check forums for your vehicle and reviews for the clutch you bought to see if this is a common experience. If you’ve recently changed your clutch but replaced an OEM unit with an aftermarket one, this could be normal behavior. 8) Aftermarket ClutchĪftermarket clutches are often designed to hold more torque than the clutch that the car was originally sold with. Some vehicles have rather flimsy clutch pedal assemblies that may bend over time, or when used aggressively. The clutch pedal assembly is the structure that mounts the clutch pedal to the firewall. This creates the necessary force to disengage the clutch on demand. When you press down on the clutch pedal, the linkage multiples this force so that it can impact the pressure plate. Aside from the clutch pedal, the linkages consist of various arms and rods. The clutch linkage consists of the many hydraulic or mechanical components which allow the clutch to function properly. But if the clutch cable is stretched too much or broken, then you will have to press down harder on the clutch pedal to disengage the clutch. Once the clutch is disengaged, you can shift the gears of the transmission safely. When you press down on the clutch pedal, it causes the cable to pull on the linkage so that the clutch becomes disengaged. The clutch cable is what connects the clutch pedal to the clutch linkage in many vehicles. Even worse, the object can get stuck under your brake pedal with much dire consequences. Otherwise, it could damage the pedal or prevent you from disengaging the clutch. If you ever need to press down hard on the clutch pedal, make sure there is nothing underneath it. You might not think to look underneath the pedal because it probably won’t occur to you that this is the reason it is sticking. If this happens, you won’t be able to press down the pedal completely.
If you have small items on the floor of your vehicle, it is possible that one of these small items might be caught underneath the clutch pedal. Instead, you will be left with a stiffer clutch pedal that will require more force to press down. It is what gives the clutch pedal that smooth feel when you press down on it with your foot.īut if the clutch pivot ball were to get worn out or damaged, the smoothness of the feel will start to fade. The clutch pivot ball is designed to make the operation of the clutch feel as smooth as possible. It could also impair the performance of your entire transmission, too. If your cross shaft were to wear or bend, then it may cause problems when it comes to pressing down on the clutch pedal. It is linked to the clutch fork and cable components. The cross shaft is a lever in the transmission that is responsible for transferring the pressure of your foot to the clutch release bearing, which disengages the clutch. This is especially true if you’ve recently changed the clutch or the clutch master cylinder. If the clutch is way out of spec, the clutch may be partially (or even fully) disengaged while the clutch pedal rests at the top of its travel.īefore diving too deep into troubleshooting, verify that your clutch pedal has been adjusted properly. If your clutch is too stiff, one of the simplest things you can check is the clutch pedal adjustment. Below are some of the most common causes of a clutch pedal being hard to press down. However, if you feel that the clutch pedal is way too hard to press, then there could definitely be something wrong within the system. Some vehicles have stiffer clutch pedals than others, depending on the amount of torque the transmission is designed to handle and if the vehicle comes with any type of clutch assist. A normal clutch pedal depression will feel nice and smooth. When you step on the clutch pedal with your foot, there should not be too much resistance.