Assuming application, torque rating, the breaking in period is observed and the driving style isn’t aggressive near OEM levels of longevity will be achieved in normal road going driving. Longevity will be affected by many variables including thermal input, torque, driving style, vehicle mass, drivetrain layout and application.
CLUTCH & FLYWHEEL FAQ
Each of our kits are developed specifically for its application, but thereafter are fabricated to order. if you need a custom variant, we can usually machine something for you from a sample or drawing.
Dual mass flywheels came into most cars in the 90s. They do a good job of damping noise and vibrations but usually become a point of failure in normal day to day driving eventually and are especially more prone to failure when torque is increased. If your torque isn’t hugely increased over stock and you want to retain maximum comfort the OEM (Original equipment manufacturer) dual mass flywheel is most likely best.
The problem when converting from a dual mass to single mass flywheel is the OEM dual mass setup is designed to offer a vibration damping function in the flywheel rather than the friction disc like the older single mass setups. The clutches available for most dual mass gearboxes come with a solid hub friction disc which when combined with a single mass flywheel this loses the damping function which makes for an easier, quieter drive and helps prolong the life of the gearbox.
We’ve seen many other cheaper units prematurely fail due to the springs not being up to the rated specified torque, once compressed the hub rides on the rivets and the clutch acts as a solid unsprung unit which as it isn’t designed for this cannot hold the torque for long. For this reason, we only offer our dual to single mass flywheel conversions as a kit with a properly specified clutch.
The vibration damping function mentioned above is the reason for springs in a single mass friction disc or OEM dual mass flywheel. Competition cars will usually sacrifice the easier drive, noise reduction and gearbox longevity benefits in exchange for a more aggressive clutch with a faster response and more direct engagement. Unless your car is a drift or full competition car or your torque rating cannot be achieved with a sprung hub we will usually recommend retaining the sprung hub friction disc.
If your car is more biased to being a track or drift day car but is still driven there, it is recommended to step over to a paddle clutch with cerametallic lining as the engagement is quicker and better to drive hard but mainly the unit will withstand the extra heat of racing and prolong the life of the clutch. The downside is the quicker engagement and response would be considered more aggressive and could take some getting used to in normal road situations.
The 4 paddle clutch will engage slightly faster due to a lower inertia over the 6 and would be suited to a car where a more aggressive engagement is required such as an amateur drift car. The 6 paddle does offer a benefit of increased wear resistance. Each of these are only available with the performance cover plate and both will hold the same levels of torque. If you have a full race, track, rally or drift car, we’d recommend looking at our competition range of clutches and flywheels.
All clutches require a period of at least 300 miles of normal stop start driving to fully allow the surfaces to bed in correctly and achieve good longevity. Full engine power and high loads should be avoided until this period is completed.
All of our units will come with a specified torque rating. Torque ratings are different between each clutch manufacturer, we like to be slightly conservative with our ratings to keep the clutches within the realms of OEM longevity and to allow for situations such as a spike in torque. The clutches may well take more torque as others will claim but as the limit is exceeded longevity goes down exponentially.