A disc clutch is used in manual transmissions and can be made of organic materials, metal, iron compounds, or Kevlar. Proper setup depends on factors like engine size, vehicle weight, and tire size. Resurfacing the flywheel and replacing steel discs and pressure plates may be necessary. Street-driven clutches have springs to reduce clutch chatter, while high-performance racing vehicles use springless solid steel plates for quicker engagement.
A disc clutch is used in a vehicle’s manual transmission and is sandwiched between the flywheel and the pressure plate. In some high performance applications, a multi-disc clutch is used to take better advantage of the high amounts of power and torque produced by the engine. This device can be composed of organic materials, metal and iron compounds, and even Kevlar in high performance applications.
There are many factors that determine the proper disc clutch setup on a vehicle, including engine size and power output, vehicle weight, vehicle use, and even tire size. Every time a new one is put on a vehicle, its steering wheel needs to be resurfaced. The purpose of resurfacing the flywheel is not only to ensure that there is a flat, smooth surface for the new clutch disc to work on, but also to ensure that there are new machine marks on the flywheel to help the new disc wear down. uniformly.
In multiple disc clutch applications, it is often necessary to replace the steel discs that are mounted between the clutch discs. These steel discs often burn and warp from the high heat generated by a slipper clutch. The pressure plate must also be changed or machined when installing a new disc clutch assembly. Many high performance pressure plates have the ability to adjust the way the plate engages the drive. On road driven vehicles, the pressure plate simply bolts into place with no adjustment required.
In street driven clutch applications, the clutch is fitted with springs around the perimeter of the disc. These springs allow the disc to absorb some of the shock of releasing the clutch, which reduces or eliminates clutch chatter. Clutch vibration is a violent jolt that has been known to break driveshaft joints, engine and transmission mounts and has even caused windshields to crack and shatter in extreme cases.
On high performance, racing only vehicles, disc clutch assemblies are springless and consist of a solid steel plate. This allows the clutch to engage much stiffer and with less slip. By eliminating clutch slippage, the vehicle moves forward a fraction of a second sooner. In racing apps, seconds add up and even a fraction of a second could be the difference between winning or losing a race. The disc clutch is one of the most important links between the engine and the driveline.
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