Slipping Clutch
I’ve read numerous threads on smoked clutches and it leads me to wonder, why are these Dodge / Cummins trucks are so hard on clutches? I drove concrete trucks, dump trucks and lowboys, the concrete trucks were early late 60’s and early 70’s trucks and horsepower was an option that they didn’t have. These trucks had 160 to 300hp and grossed 56000 lbs. What they lacked in horsepower they made up in gearing the early trucks had 5 speed mains and 4 speed auxiliary transmissions, the newer trucks had 10 speed Roadrangers. I never had to replace a clutch on any truck I drove. The concrete trucks did a lot of stop and go driving while moving around a construction site. I talked to a friend of mine who drives a dump truck with a pup trailer that grosses 105,000 lbs, he now has 380,000 miles on the truck and it still has the original clutch. He drives for an asphalt company and also does a lot of stop and go driving. It would seem that more horsepower and torque would enhance the life of the clutch since the clutch could befully released and the truck moving before you had to add power. The worst thing you can do to a clutch is add power before the clutch is fully released. I have never driven a diesel that wouldn’t start out at idle if it was in a low enough gear. Are Dodge trucks not geared low enough to start out without slipping the clutch? I’m just curious? Jeff
Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
