I get stuck in stop and go traffic a lot, but have ~420 RWHP/390TQ. The CenterforceII DF clutch I installed only held for 20 passes and 4000 miles on the street. Sometimes I could smell it after two back-to-back passes, even when new, and now it only takes ~20% throttle to slip.

Since I need to launch at about 1700+ RPM with gentle slippage in traffic, the clutch gets slipped a lot. For example, on the way to the local track, I spend 20 minutes in stop and go, and the clutch is in almost constant use under those conditions. My racing launch technique is 3500-4000 rpm while slipping the clutch. Shift at 6400. Street tires now, DR in the future. I drive the car 4-5k miles per year. Lightweight SLP billet flywheel. Very hard life for a clutch I'm sure.

My question is, what clutch setup will give me the longest life in this kind of usage, while still working at the track?

I'd even do the McLeod Twin if I thought I could get good life (20k?) out of it. With tons of capacity, that one should hold even after very worn, right? But how fast would that happen? Some of the threads I've found in searching say high capacity clutches wear FASTER, so I'm not sure that's the right choice. If I need to accept some chatter to get life, I will.

Anybody out there with high miles on a performance clutch abused as described above? All advice welcome, thanks!

 

I ran the Centerforce clutch when I first started, and it did slip. However it wasn't the clutch fault. In the Hydraulic line, from the clutch master cylinder are two restriction that need to be drilled out. They are shaped like a funnel that lets fluid go down and restrict it from coming back. Thus you get slippage. I now run the MC Cloud dual disc, and with the mods that I told you about there is no slippage. Thge aluminum flywheel weigh the same as the stock flywheel, the steel disc is almost twice as heavy, weighing around 68 lbs. Both are good clutches as I launch at 5000 rpms with slicks. Hope this helps. Got to go to work, any questions just pm me I'll get back to you, Kevin.

 

Hey, thanks, Kevin! Good info, expecially about the steel being twice as heavy as stock. I didn't know that, and wouldn't like it, either. 68# is for the entire clutch assembly, not just the flywheel, right?

I'll drill the restrictor when I do the clutch.

So, do you think the restrictor action caused me to slip the clutch enough racing to wear it out so fast? I didn't notice any significant slipping during shifts for the first 20 passes, but the restrictor wouldn't reduce total clamping force, just make it take longer to fully apply. Maybe it was slow enough to add tons of extra abuse, though. I rather thought it was all the slow-release slipping in city traffic launches that caused the majority of my wear. Either way, then do you think a twin-disk, with more area but maybe thinner friction material, would last longer?

 

I run the RAM HDX it's a step down from the duel disk they offer and I use their aluminum flywheel and I have had no problems with it. I drive my car mostly on the street and it sees so strip time and dyno also.

 

The Mc Cloud twin disc, and the steel flywheel is almost twice as heavy, as the aluminum flywheel. The aluminum is very close to the original weight of the stock clutch. This is complete assembly. When I ran the steel flywheel, and breaking it in, it wouldn't be unusual for me to spin the tires at the stoplight without trying. So much mass.
When Gm was asked why they built a Camaro, with such a wimpy rearend, the engineer replied that the tires will spin, or the clutch will slip. When I replaced the Centerforce, I modified my clutch line, and never had any slippage after that. So maybe the Centerforce dual friction would be a good clutch, but I never tried it after the modification. Drill both ends of the hydraulic line. you'll need a long drill bit. I don't remember the size, Kevin.

 

Ok, thanks again.

 

good info, thanks

 

hmm, Im watching this thread. Where do you drill at??