Mike521

As the weather has gotten colder I've started to hear a squealing noise when stepping on the clutch pedal. Soon as I come off the pedal the squealing goes away. After doing some research it seems like it's the throw out bearing.

I read here that I can try to extend the life by greasing it, but if it needs to be replaced I'd just as soon do it and get it over with.

Can anyone give me some info:

- should I use OEM parts or aftermarket/ford racing? Besides CAI/tune my car is stock and I have no plans on more upgrades
- should I do the clutch at the same time, whether it needs replacing or not? If so, same question as above, OEM or aftermarket?

I have about 70k miles on my car, so I assume if I use OEM parts that I'm going to be replacing them again at 140k and continue the cycle every 70k miles. Maybe aftermarket parts or ford racing will last longer?

thanks in advance all!

Diabolical!

It's such a difficult task to even get to the throw out bearing that greasing it to extend it's life shouldn't even be a consideration. Go ahead and replace the slave. The slave and throw out are integrated on our cars as we have a hydraulic clutch setup.

-The OEM slave is the best slave you can buy. There are aftermarket adjustable slaves with bleeders, but experiences with them have been mixed. Stick with the OEM.
-My philosophy is that any time you have the transmission down, replace as many wear parts as reasonably possible. Removing the transmission on our cars is a hell of a job. If you do it yourself, it will take a lot of time/labor compared to almost any other RWD clutch job. If you pay someone else to do it, it will likely cost you $400+. I'd recommend you replace the pilot bearing, slave, clutch and flywheel. If the flywheel is in good shape, you can get away with just having it turned. There are a lot of good aftermarket clutch options that are often cheaper than the OEM clutch. I prefer McLeod, but everyone has their favorite. In my experience, I'd avoid SPEC.

Transmission components wear mostly based on driving style. It likely won't matter which parts you buy, they will last approximately the same amount of time. If you drive the hell out of your car, buy a clutch built to take the abuse.

You're welcome.

05StangZz

I agree with Diabolical. Replace as much as you can when the tranny is out. I was forced to replace my clutch this summer before i had saved money for any other components.
450 bucks later for labor and 360 for the clutch, my slave cylinder/throwbearing crapped out.

I have the Ram HDX stage II clutch and I love it.. Thats my 2 cents