Clutch Issues - Any advice helps

[jeenyus]

My clutch is getting pretty rough. I press the pedal down and I can hear a hollow-rough sound. It's hard to describe. I also can feel in the clutch pedal the roughness. It doesn't grab smooth, and it sure doesn't sound smooth. I am not sure if its the throwout bearing, or the clutch itself or if maybe it's something else completely.

I am hoping that I am not the first person to have this issue, but I can't search specifically the symptoms I am having as I don't have a good enough understanding of the clutch system yet to know what I am looking for.

Any advice helps. Am I looking at dropping the transmission/clutch or is there something else I can do?

TIA

[The Dark Side of Will]

Is it quiet when your foot's off the pedal?
If so, it sounds like your throw out bearing.

[jeenyus]

Yes it is quiet when my foot is off the pedal. How hard is the clutch job on the IX then? Do I need to replace the clutch to replace the throwout bearing? I'd imagine it would be a good idea. Kind of a "while I'm in there" type of thing, right?

[The Dark Side of Will]

No, the throw out bearing is way cheaper than the clutch. The TOB is a "while you're in there" for a clutch replacement, though.

If the clutch engages about in the middle of the pedal travel, then it's got plenty of life left.
If the engagement is near the top of pedal travel, then the clutch is nearing the end of its service life.

[jeenyus]

Thanks! The clutch engages pretty early actually. A little before mid-way on the pedal.

Is it really hard to drop the transmission to gain access to the throwout bearing on the IX?

[The Dark Side of Will]

Other than the extra weight and bulk of the T-case, it's not much worse than a RWD car.

[jeenyus]

Also in looking for the part specifically I cannot seem to locate the "throw-out bearing" but have encountered the "Clutch Release Bearing" and as well the "Clutch Pilot Bearing"

[The Dark Side of Will]

Clutch release bearing is what you want.
You can't replace the pilot bearing without removing the clutch.