What makes for an easier driving clutch?
03-04-2016, 06:00 PM
#1
What makes for an easier driving clutch? What features of a clutch and hydraulics make for an easier to drive car? Material? Weight? Number of discs?
The reason I ask, and this may be silly, is that I drove a powerful albeit stock car with a twin disc clutch (GT500) and it was incredibly light and easy to maneuver around at slow speeds and to use the pedal in comparison to my LS7 clutch in an hci LS2. I was a bit jealous of that, but I understand that a modified engine will not drive as easily as a stock engine. Although I still want to improve on my own driving characteristics, so that's why I asked the first question so I know what to look for in a next clutch. I don't necessarily need actual brand recommendations, just knowledge on how different clutch features work to make for the driving characteristics.
The reason I ask, and this may be silly, is that I drove a powerful albeit stock car with a twin disc clutch (GT500) and it was incredibly light and easy to maneuver around at slow speeds and to use the pedal in comparison to my LS7 clutch in an hci LS2. I was a bit jealous of that, but I understand that a modified engine will not drive as easily as a stock engine. Although I still want to improve on my own driving characteristics, so that's why I asked the first question so I know what to look for in a next clutch. I don't necessarily need actual brand recommendations, just knowledge on how different clutch features work to make for the driving characteristics.
03-05-2016, 11:11 AM
#2
most "stock" clutches are single disc organic material. When people build motors...more power...they discover that the organic clutch starts to slip and won't hold the power...then they put in a single disc clutch made from ceramic or other harder materials that have more holding power. Sometimes these discs are "puc" vs full face discs.
The trade off on more aggressive clutch materials is harsher engagement...often referred to in normal daily traffic as "chatter". There are always trade offs in going with more aggressive disc material.
a "twin disc" clutch has twice the surface area as a single disc clutch so it can hold more power. two organic discs can hold more than one. Organic disc material has smooth engagement but when you have a twin organic clutch it can hold quite a bit more HP & TQ without giving up street manners, especially in stop & go traffic.
for drag racing some use a twin disc clutch that does have ceramic discs and that will hold even more than organic discs and still keep relatively good street manners but generally not as smooth as two organic disc materials in normal city driving but typically smoother than single ceramic discs, especially the puc type.
some of the 500+ HP modern muscle cars now come with twin disc clutches.
The trade off on more aggressive clutch materials is harsher engagement...often referred to in normal daily traffic as "chatter". There are always trade offs in going with more aggressive disc material.
a "twin disc" clutch has twice the surface area as a single disc clutch so it can hold more power. two organic discs can hold more than one. Organic disc material has smooth engagement but when you have a twin organic clutch it can hold quite a bit more HP & TQ without giving up street manners, especially in stop & go traffic.
for drag racing some use a twin disc clutch that does have ceramic discs and that will hold even more than organic discs and still keep relatively good street manners but generally not as smooth as two organic disc materials in normal city driving but typically smoother than single ceramic discs, especially the puc type.
some of the 500+ HP modern muscle cars now come with twin disc clutches.
03-13-2016, 01:59 PM
#3
****** also forgot to mention in a multi disc clutch the pressure plate doesn't need to have as much clamping force since the friction area went up more with multiple discs. A twin disc rated at 1000rwhp will drive (pedal pressure) only slightly higher than a stock LS1 clutch; however a single disc clutch rated at 700rwhp is going to give your leg a serious work out.
So a twin disc is on your list. If you are making under 800rwhp and don't take the car to drag strip launching at high rpm on slicks... maybe just screwing around on the street where the surface isn't prepped anyway and AutoX/Road racing.... a McLeod RST is almost lighter than stock pedal pressure. If you are going to launch on slicks and have drag racing in mind then an RXT will take the punishment much better over the long run and rated at 1000rwhp. These are stamped steel pressure plate covers and nothing crazy billet in their construction; however bang for the buck they are great IMO.
Any twin disc will provide a similar driving result over a single disc.... until you start to get into the serious high $ ones. I prefer aluminum flywheels which rev waaaay faster due to less overall mass. Others want steel flywheel which are easier to get going from a stop; however don't rev nearly as fast.
In the past I ran a Textralia Exo-Skel twin disc and it had a pretty firm pressure plate inside and drove nowhere near as nice as my current McLeod setups do in my cars. If I was rich I would look at getting an RPS clutch.... but I don't want to drop $2000+ on one.
So a twin disc is on your list. If you are making under 800rwhp and don't take the car to drag strip launching at high rpm on slicks... maybe just screwing around on the street where the surface isn't prepped anyway and AutoX/Road racing.... a McLeod RST is almost lighter than stock pedal pressure. If you are going to launch on slicks and have drag racing in mind then an RXT will take the punishment much better over the long run and rated at 1000rwhp. These are stamped steel pressure plate covers and nothing crazy billet in their construction; however bang for the buck they are great IMO.
Any twin disc will provide a similar driving result over a single disc.... until you start to get into the serious high $ ones. I prefer aluminum flywheels which rev waaaay faster due to less overall mass. Others want steel flywheel which are easier to get going from a stop; however don't rev nearly as fast.
In the past I ran a Textralia Exo-Skel twin disc and it had a pretty firm pressure plate inside and drove nowhere near as nice as my current McLeod setups do in my cars. If I was rich I would look at getting an RPS clutch.... but I don't want to drop $2000+ on one.
Last edited by gnx7; 03-13-2016 at 02:07 PM.
03-16-2016, 11:19 PM
#5
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****** also forgot to mention in a multi disc clutch the pressure plate doesn't need to have as much clamping force since the friction area went up more with multiple discs. A twin disc rated at 1000rwhp will drive (pedal pressure) only slightly higher than a stock LS1 clutch; however a single disc clutch rated at 700rwhp is going to give your leg a serious work out.