ACT 2011 Toyota Tacoma HD/Perf Street Sprung Clutch Kit

The ACT TA3-HDSS is a heavy duty street and off-road clutch for the 4.0L V6 Toyota Tacoma with the six-speed manual, and it also covers the FJ Cruiser and early Tundra with the same engine. Tacoma owners usually land here after the clutch starts slipping while towing or climbing, or after a lift, bigger tires or a supercharger leave the factory clutch working past its limit. ACT built this one to add holding power while keeping the pedal close to stock.

What this clutch does in a 4.0L Tacoma

Bigger tires and steeper gears multiply the load the clutch has to hold every time you pull away, crawl over a ledge or tow uphill. The TA3-HDSS uses ACT's Heavy Duty pressure plate for more clamp load and a 266 mm (10.5 in) sprung organic disc with a 1.125 in input spline. ACT rates it at 455 ft-lb at the crank, 32 percent over the factory unit. That is a moderate step up on purpose: the organic disc engages smoothly for low-speed trail work and daily driving, and ACT lists the pedal as light to moderate.

Kit contents per ACT are two pieces:

• T029 Heavy Duty pressure plate
• 3000616 Performance Street sprung disc

No release bearing, pilot bearing or alignment tool is listed in this kit, so plan to source those for the job. The assembly weighs about 22.8 lb.

Symptoms of a worn clutch on these trucks

• Engine speed flares under load in fifth or sixth, especially towing or on a grade
• Slip that appeared after a tire or gearing change, or after adding power
• Judder when easing out in first or reverse on a trail
• Burning smell after a steep climb or a stuck-in-the-mud session
• Chirp or growl with the pedal down, which usually points to the release bearing

How to confirm it is the clutch

A leaking slave cylinder or air in the hydraulic line can mimic a bad clutch by stopping the disc from releasing fully. Check the fluid level and look for wet spots at the slave and master before pulling the transmission. To test for slip, hold a high gear at low RPM and roll into the throttle; if the tach climbs faster than road speed, the friction is gone. Our slipping diagnosis guide walks through the same logic, and rebuild vs. replace helps if you suspect the gearbox itself.

Fitment

The listing is titled for the 2011 Tacoma, but ACT's chart covers every 4.0L V6 manual in this range: 2005-2015 Tacoma (Base, PreRunner, X-Runner and the 2015 TRD Pro), 2005-2006 Tundra 4.0L, and 2007-2014 FJ Cruiser. It does not cover the 2.7L four-cylinder Tacoma. If your truck has had an engine or transmission swap, measure the old disc and spline, or send us the year and VIN before ordering. Other clutch options for these trucks include the OE-style replacement kit and a cerametallic six-puck kit for harder use.

Install notes

• Check the flywheel for cracks, glazing and heat checking. ACT says a damaged flywheel must be resurfaced by a professional to the correct step height or replaced.
• Replace the pilot bearing and release bearing while the transmission is out; they are not in this kit.
• Grease the input splines lightly and test-slide the disc, then wipe off the excess so it cannot fling onto the friction surface.
• Center the disc with an alignment tool and tighten the pressure plate bolts gradually in a star pattern to the factory torque.
• Bleed the hydraulics with the fluid specified on your reservoir cap and confirm full release before driving.
• ACT recommends 300-500 miles of mild driving to break in its organic street discs. Skip towing and hard trail use until then.

More kits are in our rebuild kits section.

Does the TA3-HDSS fit the 2.7L four-cylinder Tacoma?

No. ACT lists it only for the 4.0L V6 manual trucks: 2005-2015 Tacoma, 2005-2006 Tundra and 2007-2014 FJ Cruiser.

Does the kit include a release bearing and pilot bearing?

No. ACT lists only the T029 pressure plate and 3000616 disc. Buy a release bearing, pilot bearing and alignment tool separately.

Will it handle bigger tires and towing?

That is its intended use. ACT rates it at 455 ft-lb, 32 percent over stock, with an organic disc for smooth engagement on the street and trail.

How much heavier is the pedal?

ACT describes it as light to moderate. Its FAQ puts the increase for Heavy Duty pressure plates at about 15-40 percent depending on the vehicle.

Is break-in required?

Yes. ACT recommends 300-500 miles of mild, stop-and-go style driving before towing, off-road work or hard launches.

• How to Diagnose Transmission Slipping
• Rebuild vs. Replace vs. Reman Transmission
• Automatic vs. Manual Transmission Repair Cost